last.

"When Whitman's up on Hamilton, before they goes to the post, I tries
to put him wise.

"'You're on a bad actor, Whitty,' I says. 'If you ain't on your toes,
he runs off with you sure.' This Whitman's a star, 'n' nobody knows it
better'n him.

"'What do _you_ hire a jock fur?' he says. 'Why don't you train 'n'
ride both?'

"'All right,' I says. 'I'm _tellin'_ you now!'

"'If this hoss is ready,' says Whitman, 'you've earned your
money--don't work overtime.'

"I goes through the paddock 'n' out on the lawn. Before I'm there I
hears the crowd yellin'. When I can see the track, there's the field
at the post all but Hamilton. He 'n' Whitty has made a race all to
theirselves. It turns out to be a six mile ramble with only one entry.

"I goes to the stand 'n' scratches Hamilton while he's still runnin'.
The field waits at the post till they get a clear track.

"'I didn't know this was a distance race,' I says to Whitty when he
gets down. Whitty's sore as a crab, the bunch'll mention it to him the
rest of the season.

"'You don't want a jock on this thing,' he says. 'A engineer is what
he needs.'

"'Sell him,' is the first words Ike says to me when I sees him.

"'_Sell him_?' I says. 'You must be drunk! Why, he don't bring a ten
case note. Everybody's hep he's a bolter. Now listen! This is a real
good colt, 'n' I know it; but the bunch don't. That boy of mine can
ride him. If you gives the colt another chance with my boy up, he
shows 'em somethin'. Then you can get a price fur him.'

"'Do what you like with him,' says Ike. 'But I don't pay out another
simoleon on him! I'm through right now!'

"'Give me half what he wins his next out 'n' _I'll_ take a chance with
him,' I says.

"'You're on,' says Ike. 'But you pay the entrance.'

"'Surest thing you know,' I says, 'n' goes over to the stalls.

"In two weeks there's to be a handicap fur two-year-olds. It's worth
three thousand to the winner. It's the best baby race at the meetin'.
Hamilton'll come in awful light 'n' he'll get five pounds apprentice
allowance fur Micky; but it'll put a big crimp in my roll to pay the
entrance. I studies over it some 'n' I gets cold feet. It takes three
hundred bones to sit in. I've about decided it's too rich fur my
blood, when next work-out day comes 'n' Hamilton works four furlongs,
with Micky up, like a cyclone. That gets my circulation goin' 'n' I
takes a shot at it.

"'Who's burning th