ty bath, dressed, and ran down the stairs,
humming. Jack Townsend stood on a box in the corner of the room, probing
at a spider web in the corner.

"Too late for breakfast?" asked Connor.

The fat shoulders of the proprietor quivered, but he did not turn.

"Too late," he snapped. "Breakfast over at nine. No favorites up here."

Connor waited for the wave of irritation to rise in him, but to his own
surprise he found himself saying:

"All right; you can't throw a good horse off his feed by cutting out one
meal."

Jack Townsend faced his guest, rubbing his many-folded chin.

"Don't take long for this mountain air to brace up a gent, does it?" he
asked rather pointedly.

"I'll tell you what," said Connor. "It isn't the air so much; it's the
people that do a fellow good."

"Well," admitted the proprietor modestly, "they may be something in
that. Kind of heartier out here, ain't they? More than in the city, I
guess. I'll tell you what," he added. "I'll go out and speak to the
missus about a snack for you. It's late, but we like to be obligin'."

He climbed carefully down from the box and started away.

"That girl again," thought Connor, and snapped his fingers. His spirits
continued to rise, if that were possible, during the breakfast of ham
and eggs, and coffee of a taste so metallic that only a copious use of
cream made it drinkable. Jack Townsend, recovering to the full his
customary good nature, joined his guest in a huge piece of toast with a
layer of ham on it--simply to keep a stranger from eating alone, he
said--and while he ate he talked about the race. Connor had noticed that
the lobby was almost empty.

"They're over lookin' at the hosses," said Townsend, "and gettin' their
bets down."

Connor laid down knife and fork, and resumed them hastily, but
thereafter his interest in his food was entirely perfunctory. From the
corner of his eye a gleam kept steadily upon the face of Townsend, who
continued:

"Speaking personal, Mr. Connor, I'd like to have you look over them
hosses yourself."

Connor, on the verge of speech, checked himself with a quick effort.

"Because," continued Townsend, "if I had your advice I might get down a
little stake on one of 'em. You see?"

Ben Connor paused with a morsel of ham halfway toward his lips.

"Who told you I know anything about horses?" he asked.

"You told me yourself," grinned the proprietor, "and I'd like to figure
how you knew the mare come from the Bal