e tail.

"We can trim the old reprobate," continued Johnson, "but we can't
keep him from finding out that the clippers are on him."

"And who cares if he does know?" demanded Slats Wilson. "I'm in
favour of making it so raw that he'll take his horses and go
somewhere else. Look at what he did last season. Got Al Engle and a
lot of other people ruled off, didn't he? Raised particular hell all
over the circuit, the psalm-singing old hypocrite!"

"He's got a fine, fat chance to get anybody ruled off around this
track," interrupted Curly McManus. "These judges ain't reformers.
They know who's paying their salaries."

"Sure they do," assented Wilson, "but the longer this old rip hangs
on the more chance there is to get into a jam of some kind. He's a
natural-born trouble maker. If he loses many more races the way he
lost that one to-day, I wouldn't put it past him to go to the
newspapers with a holler. That would hurt. I'm in favour of giving
him the gate!"

"When he hasn't won a race?" argued Johnson. "Use your head, Slats.
Let him run his horses, and bet on 'em. He may squawk, but he can't
prove anything, and when he's lost enough dough he'll quit."

"Is there any way that we could frame up and get him ruled off?"
asked Porter.

"The ruling wouldn't stand," said Johnson. "Curry has got too many
friends higher up, and if we should try it and fall down it would
give the track a black eye. The sucker horsemen would be leery of
us."

"If any framing is to be done," announced McManus, "count me out now.
You fellows know Grouchy O'Connor? Him and Engle framed on Curry till
they were black in the face, and what did it get 'em? Not a nickel's
worth! You've got to admit that Al Engle was smart as they make 'em,
but O'Connor tells me that Curry made Al look like a selling-plater:
had him outguessed at every turn on the track. Let Curry run his
horses, and our boys will take care of the little nigger."

"That Elisha is quite a horse," commented Johnson. "If they take care
of him, they'll go some."

"What's the use of worrying about Elisha?" asked McManus. "Curry
hasn't started him yet at the meeting. He's trying to pick up some
dough with Elijah and Isaiah and the others. They ain't so very
much."

"Well, Elijah would have been right up there to-day if it hadn't been
for a little timely interference now and then." Johnson grinned
broadly as he spoke.

"A little timely interference!" ejaculated Wilson. "The boys did