The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 4, 1906, Page 7

sken - down i | | rses. He had | | | been a fair mark for L;A_ % n the land. When 2 i splint, split wind he special favor e result was ction of an- e y sort of a rse he had a high-priced train- Scotch contributed their Drake— led. The the evo of Drake was an 2]l English form of speech. d at Eton had been edu tained to vario quarters, so he could t and Hin- re or 1eh to his ast very aristocr: y, who was m ess of a linguist on occasion himself, this annual eytionic for sed to retire fr nterview with a perflous regard he higher forms of education. T much the state of Pattialla Cup. Raja been racing a two of his cups; he name of all the Hindoo 14 he not annex one of had won s mugs to grace his Darwaza t Dumpy was ally a laborious time, but Ing to At last spoke lo would gallop eating p much ce perta raited or ‘In there's nothin’ in the land Can't ess wever saw the whole anything er was but n e ride "im—Cay Frank He rode 'im for Major Gooch.” e'll never gallop for me iIf he r Captain Frank sald the Raja, sh decisiveness. py knew thet; be knew that John- stic tipped tongue had lald int> rwaza at the Rawel Pindl dur- some fancied racing grievance. turned reg’iar too, ‘e’d rather heat & man nor al, can: hness; under "im.” “What has he been doing now, Trainer Drake?” Heaten the harm ov the ridin’ boy, Pulled 'im hout o’ the sad- dle this mor! , hand shook ’'im like Nip- per would a rat.” “That's bad,” remarked the Raja. “I don't want the people eaten up by my horses. It's bad enough for them to get mauled when we're out after tiger.” “What'll I do with 'im, yer 'Ighness?” asked Dumpy. V. we do with an elephant when bad, Drake?” im by the 'ind leg to a tree, yer im to think hit do Diablo no im, an’ yer 'Ighness. nd leave that won't tried But We've starvin’ think else.’ happens the hathi when he's at real bad?” “¥o shoot *im, yer ’Ighness you now know what to do with of Lucifer; you can arrange the en Dumpy left his Highness he had ntention of carrying out the order about Diablo, but he got g about Captain Johnson, and the longer his mind plodded along on that road the clearer he saw his way to dolng oke of business. Also he would be nitarian. It would be a sin to fine, up-standing English horse whose grandsire had won a Derby. Why not eell him to Captain Frank?—that was the goal his mind arrived at. It stood like & huge, whitewashed fence at the end of this lane of thought; he could see nothing else. There was no need of both- ering the Raja any more about It. Now Captain Frank was down at Lucknow, 200 miles away; but that didn't matter—in fact, it was all the bettor. If he could make the sale Di- ablo would be that much farther off. That night Drake took the train for Lucknow to bury a cousin of his wife. Dumpy had not had native servants for years without learning something of Eastern diplomacy. Of course, they made a deal. One doesn’t want & faney price for a horse that's got to be shot. And Captain Frank’s mouth had loug watered for Diablo, for he knew just how good a horse he was and could get that good out of him. “I want you to change his name,” the er sald to Captain Frank. What for?” gueried the captain. “Family reasons,” answered Drake. “My grandmether hobjects to ‘is name.” “Dumpy, you're fat, and your brain lies deep,” remarked Johnson pleasant- ly; *“znd to relieve the sensitiveness of your maternal ancestor I'll call him “The Dove’ Do you think that will please the old lady?” “Hi'm sure she’ll be satisfied,” said the trainer, shoving Captain Frank's check in his pocket. “I'll change it in the right way, thouvgh,” continued the captain. “It'll cost me twenty-five rupees to give the Calcutta stewards notice of the change. I'll have to run him at some small meeting, as ‘The Dove,’ late ‘Diablo, and after that your ancestress will sleep easier.” THE. 8 \ ¢ Drake went back to Dal%zn with a thousand rupees in his pocket and the feeling that he had saved the life of & good horse—good as far as speed went, but very bad as regards temper. On his return he found the Raja bub- bling over with a scheme to get a good horse. The plan was simple— simple for a King, who had the means to carry it out. Fle would give the Darwaza Ruby as a prize for a race to be run at the Calcutta meeting. The race would be a very swell affair, and also it would test the staying pow- ers of the horses entered. A mile and three-quarters on ‘the flat was the thing, the Raja declared; no sprint for him. There would be no entrance fees, absolutely nothing. The winner would take the ruby-—worth at least 20,000 rupees: and all Darwaza claied was the right to buy the first or any horse in the race at an outside limit of 20,000. “It will bring out a big fleld,” he said to the trainer; “and the - horses dicky on thelr pins will never stay the aistance, for the ground will be as hard as a bone then. It'll be a straight run race—they’'ll go for the ruby. And even if I think the best horse hasn't won I can claim him, you see.” It was a unique way of getting a good horse; «uite Napoleonic In its subtle strategy; and it looked all right. Certainly thé horses in Darwaza's stable at:that time had cost him the price of twenty rubies, and he hadn’t a beast fit to start at a “sky meeting.” That ‘was in October. The Raja would have his race, the Darwaza Ruby Trials, run at the Calcutta first meet- ing in December. All the good horses would be there, and the ruby would bring out & large field. The Pattialla cup would be run for at the second Cal- cutta meeting, the 20th of January; so it he got a good horse by means of this plan he could certainly win the coveted cup. ) ‘When Captain Frank heard of it he whispered softly to himself and went end winked at Diablo. The horse lald his ears back on his neck and put both hind feet through the side of his stall in an ineffectual effort to brush the captain to one side. ‘“You're feeling good enough to run a mile and three- quarters, my buck,” said Johnson, look- ing admiringly at the great glossy quarters of the horse. Then he went in beside Diablo and. twisted his ear good and hard. “That's for kicking, my beauty,” he said; “now behave.” The horse curled his lip and turned his head away im disdain, but he didn’t kick any more. That was why Frank could ride him. The horse knew John- son wasn't afraid of him, and when a horse knows, thdt you can do anything with him. Other owners went and looked at their horses, too, when they heard of Darwaza's good thing. They looked, and their souls watered In sweetened anticipation of the big ruby and the 20,000 that might be won in the matter of about three minutes ten seconds of hard gallopiug. Darwaza was after a good horse, while the owners were after that ruby and purse. Lord Dick really had a great chance. In his string was an English forse, Badger, strong of limb and good of wind. Lord Dick was a man to whom people told things, also people’s train- ers; so he knew about as well as the mady owners themselves what they AN FRANCISCO SUNDAY 7 ~ E CALCULTTA ON TH : CLR.SE i o s could turn out. In this lie had & slight percentage the . best “of it. ;8o he rounded up all/the knowledge and said to himself, “I'll pakaroa (catch) that ruby and get 20,000 for Badger.” Captain Frank looked at Diablo med- itatively. “I must hurry up and get your name changed, old man; not that it makes any great difference, for it's a free for all.” So Diablo went through his little rechristening race, and hence- forth was known as “The Dove.” From October to December 20 were months of peace. Darwaza solicited atd from all the divinities, Christian and Hindoo, to enable him to do up Pattial- la. Dumpy put on ten pounds of fat through the soul-cheering thought of the immediate prospect of. getting the best horse in India in his hands. Cap- tain Frank went the length of securing a passage home in a P. & O. sailing for England in January. “If I pull off that 40,000,” he thought, “I'll go home and see what they're doing on the turf there.” Lord Dick wrote to England arranging for a horse to replace Bad- ger at £500. So, you see, everybody was: going to do well out of the Dar- waza Ruby. It was really 'a good thing. One peace day Dumpy Drake’s share of the carnival was destroyed; he lost ven pounds of weight that day. It was Captain Frank’s entrance of The Dove for the Darwaza Ruby that caused this disaster. “With Johnson hup ‘el win, an' Hi shall be ruined,” whispered Dumpy to himself. **'Is 'Ighness’ll fire me sure.” And indeed for days he was very un- happy. Then something came his way. By the purest fluke In the world he learned that Captain Frank. had backed 2 note for a friend. An avariclous Hin- doo money lender held the note, and Cash- mere held the friend. He was there shooting. Dumpy was not exactl,- a quick thinker, but, as Johnson had re- marked in banter, he was deep. So he went to the money lender and toasted him on his tender side, his fear of losing the amount of the note forever and ‘ever. “Tell me,” begged the money lender, “you, who are my friend, tell me what I shall do.” : “Puckerow Johnson Sahib afore ‘s gets hoff 'ome,” eald Drake, decisively; ‘‘an’ keep 'im in jail till'e pays up. You can do that heasy. Hall you've got to do is swear ’'e's leavin' the country.” *““That'll stop 'im,” thought the trainer to himself, as he left the Hindoo. *“If they coop Captain Frank hup, nobody else can ride The Dove. Hi 'ate to do it, for it's clear dirty, but Hi can't 'ave ’'Im ruinin’ me. There's nobody down Cal- cutta way knows 'tm well enough to pay 5000 to keep 'im hout the thanna.” 7This was why Captain Frank got a pleasant surprise the day before the race for the Darwaza Ruby. He had been rid- ing The Dove in all his work, and felt sure that the same gem was all but in his pocket. He was having his bath at, his hotel when his begrer came and sald, “Sahib wanting to see master.” “Give him my salaams and a drink.” angwered the captain; “‘and tell him to sit down for a minute.” ‘When Frank came back to his room he was greeted by a gentleman who was most effusively polite. He was awfully sorry—painful duty, sir. No doubt the captain would arrange If satisfactorily— “What are you driving at?” asked Cap- tain Frank blandly. : ‘Well—well, the truth, the unpleasant truth, was that he had a warrant for the NEVER RAD SUCHA &G ALLOP BEEMN SEEN CALL. ganant captain’s arrest, on account of that note he had backed in Luckno'v. The captaln’s argument was somewhat erratic. The Hindoo was a blood-sucking Jew. His friend wds an officer and & gen- tleman, and would pay the note as soon as he returned from his hunting expedi- tion in Cashmere. It was an outrage and the Hindoo money lender was the unre- generate offsp: of low caste animals. Everything was so simple—with the balliff. Together they went to Bang Cox’s; in fact, from that moment forth until the money lender was pald oft Frank and the bailiff would be togeth- er, the latter explained politely. “I'm afrald you'll have to accompany our friend here to the Queen's Hotel (Jall), captain,” answered Mr. Bang. “But why not get somebody to go se- curity for the-amount?” continued the lawyer, inquiringly. “That's simple.” “Yes, everything's infernally simple, according to v~u fellows,” drawled Captain Frenk; “but it seems to me I'm the only simple thing in it. You see” he continued thoughtfully, “I hardly know a soul here that's good enough— unless it's Lord Dick.” “The very man!” ejaculated Bang, L% brightening up. “Just step over to Government House with your friend here, and get him to indorse your check for 5000.” Now Lord Dick was one of the best little men ever put together—muscles, head, heart and all; so as soon as Cap- taln Frank told him his trouble Lord Dick sald bli*hely, “Cert, my boy! I'll soon straighten that out.” And he did. “Barrackdale” written across the check settled the whole business. Johnson didn’t say anything about The Dove to Lord Dick, which was dip- lomatic. Neither did Lord Dick mention the horse, which was unfortunate—tor him. But, then, Tne Dove had never shown any form Badger ¢ruldn't give pounds to. Next day the Darwaza Ruby Trials was the event. There had been many. entries for it. and cuite a dozen start- ers went to the post. Lord Dick rode his own horse. Badger, and of courss Captain Frank piloted the diabolizal son of Lucifer. Frank knew that it wasn't a question or Speed at alli it was only a matter of temfper on the part of The Dove. If he ran kindly, there was nothing else in it the horse sulked. Johnson would have a geod view of the race from the rear They were scon away ta & good start. Even when the shout went up, “They're off" Darwaza vaid little at- tention. It wasn't kingly to do 30, you know. But, all the same. no movement of the many colored silk jackets es- caped his full. dark eyes—he saw it all Badger, moving like a beautiful piece of mechanism, was well up with the leaders, lying handy for a rush t front when the pro come. The Dove was be no doubt about that. three lengths of daylight shone be- tween him and the nearest horse. Still Johnson made no effort. There was plenty of time yet, he knew. before they had covered the mile and three- quarters so He it The Dove took it in his head to gallop. But it looked as though the horse meant to cut it for the whole length of the race. Half a mile from home he was still last, but his rider sat quiet, and nursed the iron mouth of the sulky brute with a gentle bit. As they passed the old race stand, three furlongs from the finish, some- thing happened. It occurred to Tha Dove that his master wanted him back there, and he set the bif hard against his bridle teeth, and, straightening his neck rigid as an iron bar, laid his ears back and galloped as though a thou- sand bees were bustling his hind quar- ters. . Captain Frank braced his face to the cutting wind, and laid his body close down over the working withers of the mad animal. He carried the horse wide on the outside at the cor- ner; it wouldn't do to get pocketed near the rall with a sour-tempered brute ltke The Dove: he would give up running, and take to savaging the others. He was going at a terrific pace. tor a good One by one they commenced to drop' by him, as he tors around the turn and into the straight. Then three dropped back in a bunch, looking as though they were standing still. Ahead of him still were Badger and two others. As Johpson overhauled them rapidly a mighty shout went up from the stand. A babel ‘of voices were shoutin “What's that dark horse coming?” “It's The Dove! Hell win in a walkl Look at him gallop!” Frank was muttering to himself: “If he'll only stick it to the end.” The Dove was thinking: *“T'm running away. He wants to keep me back there with the others, but Fll show them. Bur-r-r!" That was the clamping of the bit against the hard white of his Ivory teeth. And he did show them. Never had such a gallop been seen on the Calcutta course. He won by & clear length from Badger. Lord Dick thought he had the race well in hand toward the finish and was try- ing to remember just what they had said the ruby was worth, when the thunder of vicious pounding hoofs struck on his ear. ~ Before he could pull Badger together for a supreme effort something dark swept by him ltke a cloud on the outside and won. The horse ran a quarter of a mila” before Frank could pull him up. When he rode back to the scales to weigh o Lord Dick was there. He saw Johnson as he dismounted, and a look of blank ut- ° ter amazement, came Into his placid ‘blue eyes. “You Johnson! post. I wish I had let you go to jail; then Td have got this Infernal Darwaza Ruby.” L It had taken a kingly effort on the part of Darwaza to keep from shout- ing when the gallant brown flashed past the judges’ stand. Never had he Nipped me on thef * seen such a horse In his life—neverl” “Securs him at once,” he sald to his * secretary. And turning to the trainer” added: “Eh, Drake, we want that fel- low In our stable.” Dumpy was paralyzed; he could say nothing. He kept feeling his neck to see If it were not already broken; they ‘would bang him sure. Now it had happened that the Raja had not recognized The Dove as Diablo, neither had he heard any man say that The Dove had aever been known as Diablo; so when the Becretary came back and told him that Captain John- son didn’t want to sell the horse, as he thought he might not suit his High- ness, Darwaza himself went down to see about it. He settled the matter in his own Imperious way. “Examine that herse,” he sald to a veterinary surgeon, When the latter reported the horse sound as a bell, he said: “That settles 1t; I claim him for 20,000 rupees.” Dumpy was quaking in his shoes. Then, when he saw that the Maharaja did not recognize the norse, hope rose in his breast. and It occurred to him that with Frank's help they might yet win that Pattialla Cup that Darwaza wanted so much. To the Maharaja he spoke thus: “You 'Ighness, this "orse we've got is halso ov an evil temper, but it yer 'Ighness will consent to re- quest Captain Johnson to ride 'im yer sure ov the Pattialla Cup.” To be a good enemy to.a man he didn’'t ike was a pleasant thing with the Raja—a proper thing; but to win the Pattialla Cup was also a great thing—a sreater: for there he played. against a King, you see—Raja Patti~ alla. So it was all arranged that way. Captaln Frank rode The Dove for Dar- waza, and won the Pattialla Cup In grand style.