It sure helps his
rheumatism. He gets as spry as a two-year-old. He tells me there's a
train at nine that evenin'. I sends him to the depot to fix it so I
can take the colt to Loueyville in the express car, 'n' he says he'll
get back quick as he can. I hunts up Peewee, but he's goin' to stay
all night, 'cause the yearlin's won't sell till next day. . . .
"The sun's goin' down when we starts fur the depot, Uncle Jake drivin',
'n' me settin' behind, leadin' the colt. The sunlight's red, 'n' when
it hits that chestnut colt he shines like copper. Say, but he was some
proud peacock!
"I sends word to Miss Goodloe we're comin', 'n' she's waitin' at the
gate. The colt nickers when he sees her, 'n' she comes 'n' takes the
lead strap from me. Then she holds up her finger at the colt.
"'Now, Boy-baby!' she says. 'Everything depends on you--you're all
mammy has in the world . . . will you do your best for her sake?' The
colt paws 'n' arches his neck. 'See, he says he will!' she says to me.
"'What's his name?' I asks her.
"'Oh, dear, he hasn't any!' she says. 'I've always called him
Boy-baby.'
"'He can't race under that,' I says.
"'Between now and the time he starts I'll think of a name for him,' she
says. 'Do you really believe he can win?'
"'They tell me his dam wins twenty thousand the first year she raced,'
I says.
"'He'd be our salvation if he did that,' she says.
"'There's a name,' I says. 'Call him Salvation!' She says over it two
or three times.
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