len'ths from the finish Rainbow gets to the black 'n' they
look each other in the eye. But them long jumps of the thoroughbred
breaks the hunter's heart, 'n' Rainbow comes away, 'n' wins by a
len'th. . . .

"After I've cooled Rainbow out, 'n' bandaged his knees at the club
stables, I starts fur home with him.

"I'm just leavin' the main road, to take the short cut, when Miss
Livingston gallops by, with a groom trailin'. She looks up the
cross-road, sees me 'n' the hoss, 'n' reins in. She says somethin' to
the groom 'n' he goes on.

"Miss Livingston comes up the crossroad alone, 'n' stops when she gets to
us.

"'Is that Rainbow?' she says.

"'Yes'm,' I says.

"'Help me down, please,' she says. I tries to do it, but I don't make a
good job of it.

"'You're not a lady's groom?' she says, smilin'.

"'No'm,' I says.

"'I should like to pat the winner;' she says. 'May I?'

"'Go as far as you like,' I says.

"'I beg pardon?' she says, lookin' at me funny.

"'Yes'm, you can pat him,' I says.

"She takes Rainbow by the head, 'n' sort of hugs it, 'n' rubs the tips of
her fingers over his eyelids. Then she whispers to him, but I hears it.

"'Old precious!' she says. 'I've always loved Rainbows! Do you bring a
fair day, too?'

"Just then a black auto sneaks around the bend of the main road, 'n' Mr.
Van's drivin' it. He sees us, stops, 'n' comes up the side road to where
we are. She don't hear him till he's right close. Then she backs away
from Rainbow.

"'I thought you might become tired of your sudden interest in hunting,
Mr. Van Voast,' she says. 'And I should like to own this horse--I was
just looking at him,' she tries to say it haughty, but it don't seem to
scare him none. He looks at her steady.

"'If I give you a rainbow, will you give me its equivalent?' he says.

"'A pot of gold? Yes-- How much will you take?' she says, but she don't
look at him no more.

"'A pot of gold is at the end,' he says. 'This is the beginning,
dear. . . . I want a promise.'

"'That would be a fair exchange, would it not?' she says, 'n' looks up at
him. I never see eyes look like that before. They puts me in mind of
when the band's playin' as the hosses go to the post fur the Kentucky
Derby.

"'Blister,' says Mr. Van, 'show the horses the view over the hill;
they'll enjoy it.'

"I'm on my way in a hurry, but hears her say:

"'Oh, Billy, not here!'

"They don't come along fur half an hour. When t