“I’ve got a little more money, b’hoys, and I wouldn’t mind givin’ you a chance at two to one for it.”
But this set them clar back—no one dare bite. There not appearing any more chance for investment, the old man stripped off his hat, coat, vest, and boots, tied a red cotton bandanna around his head (as an old man only can tie it), then pulls off the cloths and saddle from Dick, and mounts bare-back, declaring himself ready.
He mounted, and the word was given to “clear the track!”
Then Old T. says: “Are yer ready?”
“Yes.”
“Go along then!”
And over the score they go, H. a length ahead. But, oh! Jeminy! see Dick run! Before you could turn round twice, the ends of Old T.’s bandanna were pointing out the road for H., and at the outcome Dick was one, H. nowhere.
Anybody that has seen a “quarter-horse” run by a “dunghill” knows how this was—no one else can appreciate it—the thing was out. Old T. really knew more than all of them, sure enough; but what was the secret, and how could those in the secret be so stuck? That’s the idea.
The secret was, “the boys” stole Old Tuttle’s horse on Thursday night, and run him with H.’s horse, and beat him easy. And the way they were stuck was this: The old man supposing that they would steal his horse that night, and run him, had put Dick’s cloths on another horse of the same colour and marks, and about the same size, and put him in Dick’s stall, starting a shoe, so that if they run him they would lose it, and he should know they had taken the bait good. In the morning the shoe was gone.