United States or Cocos Islands ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
She nodded to where against the skyline a string of tall, thin-legged black creatures, each with a blob of jockey on his back, paraded solemnly against the sky. "See them!" she said. "On the Mare's Back." She watched them critically. "That's Make-Way-There No. 2 in the string. Now she's playing up." She lifted her voice. "Don't pull at her, you little goat!"
She put on her long coat and mounted Silvertail. "Yes, don't stand about," said her father; "or you'll have Mar on to me." The three moved off the hill. Stanley had already gone on with Make-Way-There, and Albert followed with the young horse still snorting and blowing. Billy Bluff patrolled between his mistress and his friend, doing his best to keep the two parties together.
"That's a little bit o' better." "Ain't it a cracker?" "Hold that dog!" As they came along the flat, the two horses seemed neck and neck. The dark lad was riding a finish in approved style. Then the girl stirred with her hands, and the great brown forged ahead. As the horses came past the watchers, Make-Way-There tailed off suddenly.
Young Stanley was in evil mood, and he meant his horse to know it. His dark and heavy face was full of injured dignity and spite. Last night Chukkers, just back from winning the Australian National, had wired to say he couldn't keep his engagement to ride Make-Way-There at Paris.
A little remote from the others in body and spirit, Jerry, deep in philosophic doubt, was walking Lollypop up and down Lollypop, now a sage and rather superior veteran of seven; while on a mound hard by was Stanley on the pretty Make-Way-There. The course was two miles round, running along the top of the hill over fences that looked stark and formidable in the gray. "Strip him," grunted Old Mat.
The lad made for the door in his hat and pig-tail, and as though to manifest his quality gave a little coquettish flirt to the skirt of his coat as he went out. "You'll be wanted this morning, Albert, you and Brand," the girl called after him. "Yes, Miss." "Mare's Back. Twelve-thirty. Make-Way-There and Lollypop, trial horses. Stanley and Jerry know. Silvertail for me." "Yes, Miss."
"Are they?" said the girl sharply. It was rarely anything took place in the stable without her knowledge. And Make-Way-There, who was one of Mr. Silver's horses, was to run at the Paris Meeting two weeks hence. The girl, to hide her resentment, placed her hand on the pony's neck, hard as marble beneath a skin that was soft to the touch as a mole's.
Instead, he apparently had come to the conclusion that she disliked him, and had withdrawn. That made her angrier still. Now she had not even known that he was coming down last night. And worst and most unforgivable of all, she had not been told that Make-Way-There was to be galloped that morning.
The Paris Meeting was the next big event; and Ikey Aaronsohnn's horse Jackaroo the waler Chukkers had just brought back with him from the other side was to make his first appearance at it. There was only one English horse of which the Dewhurst stable had not the measure, and that was the Putnam mare Make-Way-There.
Tall, sheeted thoroughbreds, each with his lad perched like a bird on his back, they swung daintily over the turf, blowing their noses, swishing their long tails, miracles of strength and beauty. Monkey Brand led them on Goosey Gander, bandaged to the knees and hocks. Albert followed him on Make-Way-There, a pretty bay, with a white star.
Word Of The Day