'Now I want that colt
worse than I do five thousand. What do you say?'
"'I ain't sayin' nothin',' I says.
"'How does eight thousand look to you?' he says.
"'Big,' I says. 'But you'll have to see Miss Goodloe at Goodloe,
Kentucky, if you want this colt.'
"Oh, General Goodloe's daughter,' he says. 'Does she own him? When I
go back next week I'll drop over and see her.'
"Well, Salvation starts in the Crescent City Derby, 'n' when he comes
under the wire Miss Goodloe's five thousand bucks better off. He wins
another stake, 'n' then I ship him with the rest of my string to
Nashville. The second night we're there, here comes Jack Dillon to the
stall with a paper bag in his hand.
"'You didn't get the colt?' I says to him.
"'No,' he says. 'I didn't get anything . . . I lost something.'
"'What?' I says.
"'Never mind what,' he says. 'Here, put this bag of sugar where I can
get at it. She told me to feed him two lumps a day.'
"After that he comes every evenin' 'n' gives the colt sugar, but he's
poor company. He just stands lookin' at the colt. Half the time he
don't hear what I say to him.
"The colt wins the Nashville Derby, 'n' then I ships him to Loueyville
for the Kentucky. We want him to win _that_ more'n all the rest, but
as luck goes, he ketches cold shippin', 'n' he can't start.
"Miss Goodloe comes over to Loueyville one mawnin' to see him. She
gets through huggin' him after while, 'n' sets down in a chair by the
stall door.
Pages:
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82