up in view; he would wait
a little, and at the first move have a strong play himself.

XIX

Langdon was a consummate trainer, a student of horse character. He knew
that while biniodide of mercury would blister and put right a bowed
tendon, or the firing iron take the life out of a splint, that a much
finer knowledge than this was requisite to get fullhearted work out of
a thoroughbred. Brain must be pitted against brain; so he studied
his horses; and when Diablo came into his hands, possessed of a mind
disease, he worked over him with considerable intelligent patience.

This study of horse character was the very thing that had caused him to
go wrong over Lauzanne. He had not gone quite far enough; had not
waited for time to demonstrate clearly the horse's temperament, but had
recourse to a cocaine stimulant. But with him Lauzanne's case had been
exceptional.

At first there was little encouragement over Diablo, but almost by
accident Langdon discovered that the Black's bad temper was always
fanned into a blaze by the sight of the boy Shandy.

Then came a glint of hope. Diablo took a fancy to Westley, the jockey,
who was experimentally put on his back in the working gallop. After that
Shandy was kept out of the way; Westley took Diablo under his care, and
the big horse began to show a surprising improvement.

Crane had been quite honest in his statement that he thought Diablo a
bad horse. His having been entered by Porter in the "Brooklyn" suggested
the possiability that his former owner must have seen some merit in the
horse. At any rate, he advised Langdon to give Diablo a patient trial.
He really had very little idea that the horse would start in the
Handicap--it seemed improbable. Langdon was also convinced that Porter
had discovered something great in Diablo; that Crane knew this, and had
paid a stiff price for the horse, and to his own ends was keeping it
dark.

As the winter turned into April he intimated to Crane that it was time
for them to decide the placing of the horses, and suggested that they
try them out. Crane had already decided to race The Dutchman this
year in his own name and not in Langdon's. If The Dutchman came up to
expectation they could give him a slow preparation up to Derby time;
they could find out whether Diablo was worth keeping for--well, for
Morris Park or Gravesend, or they could hurry him on a little, and start
him at Aqueduct.

Crane agreed with this reasoning, and it