ut the silvery notes of a quavering
bugle-call, and Holton smiled unpleasantly.

"The call to th' post," said he, "an' whar's your jockey?"

"He'll be here on time," said Frank, voicing a confidence which it was
hard for him to feel. He turned, then, to the darkey. "Neb, bring out
Queen Bess."

The excitement, all around them, was intensifying, every minute.
Jockeys, now, were mounting their horses, and riding off for the short
canter to the judges' stand. As each appeared in view of the great
crowd in and about the grand-stand a mighty shout arose.

Holton's smile was broadening. "If that jockey doesn't show up mighty
quick," he sneered, "you're out of the race."

Just as he spoke old Neb returned, with the superb mare behind him,
saddled, bridled, ready for the race, fretting at her bit, impatient of
the crowds and noise.

"Who knows whether he's coming, at all?" said Holton, a bit dashed at
sight of the fine mare's superb condition, but still sneering. "Nobody's
seen him."

Neb looked off toward the weighing-room. "Yo' 're wrong," he shouted,
capering with amazing spryness for one whose limbs were old and stiff,
"fo' heah he comes!"

Every member of the party turned, in haste, to look in the direction
whence Neb pointed.

They saw a slight, graceful figure, dressed in the brilliant colors of
the Layson stable, which, without so much as glancing at them, ran to
Queen Bess and took a place upon the far side of the mare, where,
stooping as if to look carefully to the saddle-girths, its face was
quickly hidden. But, even as the jockey stooped, one of his hands held
out to Frank, across the saddle, a little folded paper.

Without paying much attention to the jockey, Layson took this note and
hastily unfolded it. "It's from the Colonel," he announced. "I knew
he'd never fail me."

Then he read, aloud, so all might hear:

"This will be handed to you by a jockey I have just engaged. He comes
from the east and is highly recommended. I know his endorser. Regretting
that the promise of a Kentuckian prevents me from being with you, I am
yours regretfully, on the outside, SANDUSKY DOOLITTLE."

"It's all right!" Frank shouted, gleefully, and then, to the strange
jockey: "Quick, on the mare and off to the post!"

Without a word, without a second's pause, Madge, for the unknown jockey
was, of course, the little mountain girl, jumped upon Queen Bess and
hastily rode off, to be greeted, with a mighty outburst of chee