d away by his
groom.

"Joggin' back from the 'worry' that evenin', Jack lay tight in Lory's
flank till Lory had consented, apparently with great reluctance, to
sell him Molly for five hundred dollars.

"The very next week, Jack, Raven, and the two whips turned out on white
hunters, Jack of course upon Molly and happy over the successful
workin' out of his fad. But good old Jack's happiness was short-lived,
for after the 'throw-in' he was not seen again of the hunt that day,
The first fence Molly negotiated in fine style, but at the second she
came a terrible cropper that badly jolted Jack and knocked every last
ounce of heart out of her, cowed her so completely that she'd be in
that same meadow yet if there'd not been a pair of bars to lead her
through, and divil a man was ever found could make her try another jump.

"Great was the quiet fun of Lory and Raven, though Lory's lasted little
longer than Jack's joy of his white mount. Of course Jack was too game
to let on he knew he'd been done, but not too busy to sharpen a rowel
for Lory.

"And the rankest wonder it was Lory niver saw it till Jack had him
raked from flank to shoulder--just stood and took it without a blink,
like a donkey takes a lash.

"Within a week of Molly's downfall Lory was out on me one day, when up
rides Jack and says:

"'There's a splendid hunter in me stable I want ye to have, Lory. Got
more than I can keep, and your stable must be a bit shy since you
parted with the white mare. He's the bay seventeen-hander in the Irish
lot. Stands me over a thousand, but you can have him at your own
price; don't want the hardest, straightest rider of the hunt shy of fit
meat and bone to carry him.'

"Belikes it was the blarney caught him, but anyway Lory buried his
muzzle in Jack's pail till he could see nothin' but what Jack said it
held, and took the bay at six hundred dollars just on a casual lookover.

"It was a good action, a grand jumpin' form, and rare pace the bay
showed on a short try-out that afternoon, so much so I overheard Lory
tellin' himself, when he was after dismounting just outside me box:
'Gad! but ain't old Jack easy money!'

"But when Lory and the bay showed up at the next day's meet, I noticed
the bay's ears layin' back or workin' in a way to tell any but a blind
one it was dirty mischief he was plannin'. Nor was he long playin' it.
For about a third of the run the bay raced like a steeplechaser tight
on the heels of the h