enough to avoid being alone
without arousing the old man's suspicions. Marian had told him to
trust no one; and Bud, with his usual thoroughness, applied the warning
literally.

Sunday morning he caught up Smoky and rode him to the corral. Smoky
had recovered from his lameness, and while Bud groomed him for the
afternoon's running the men of Little Lost gathered round him and
offered advice and encouragement, and even volunteered to lend him money
if he needed it. But Bud told them to put up their own bets, and never
to worry about him. Their advice and their encouragement, however, he
accepted as cheerfully as they were given.

"Think yuh can beat Skeeter, young feller?" Pop shambled up to inquire
anxiously, his beard brushing Bud's shoulder while he leaned close.
"Remember what I told ye. You stick by me an' I'll stick by you. You
shook on it, don't forgit that, young feller."

Bud had forgotten, but he made haste to redeem his promise. "Last
Sunday, Pop, I had to play it alone. To-day-well, if you want to make an
honest dollar, you know what to do, don't you?"

"Sho! I'm bettin' on yore horse t'day, an' mind ye, I want to see my
money doubled! But that there lameness in his left hind ankle--I don't
see but what that kinda changes my opinion a little mite. You shore he
won't quit on ye in the race, now? Don't lie to ole Pop, young feller!"

"Say! He 's the gamest little horse in the state, Pop. He never has
quit, and he never will." Bud stood up and laid a friendly hand on the
old fellow's shoulder. "Pop, I'm running him to-day to win. That's the
truth. I'm going to put all I've got on him. Is that good enough?"

"Shucks almighty! That's good enough fer me,--plenty good fer me," Pop
cackled, and trotted off to find someone who had little enough faith in
Smoky to wager a two-to-one against him.

It seemed to Bud that the crowd was larger than that of a week ago, and
there was no doubt whatever that the betting was more feverish, and that
Jeff meant that day to retrieve his losses. Bud passed up a very good
chance to win on other races, and centred all his betting on Smoky. He
had been throughout the week boastful and full of confidence, and now he
swaggered and lifted his voice in arrogant challenge to all and sundry.
His three hundred dollars was on the race, and incidentally, he never
left Smoky from the time he led him up from pasture until the time came
when he and Jeff Hall rode side by side down to the qua