"'The trouble is not with my weight--it's my disposition,' he says. 'I have not ridden for ten years. In fact I never rode much. To tell you the truth--I'm afraid of a horse.' "Say--I'd liked that young chap fine till then! I think he's handin' me a josh at first. "'You're kiddin' me, ain't you?' I says. "'No,' he says. 'I'm not kidding you. I've fought my fear of horses since I was old enough to think. Lately it has become necessary for me to ride, and I'm going to do it--it it kills me!' "We were back to my joint by this time 'n' he looks at me 'n' laughs. "'Cheer up!' he says. 'I'll think over what you told me and let you know. I go over to Philadelphia to-morrow to race in a "buzz-wagon," as you call it. I don't want you to think me entirely chicken-hearted--and I'll take you with me, if Brown can spare you.' "The next day he shows up in the battle-ship. "'Blister,' he says, 'I don't know just how far I'll be willing to go in the affair, but if you can get Rainbow, I'll buy him.' "'Now you've said somethin',' I says. 'Head fur the nearest telegraph office 'n' I'll wire Peewee.' "'They're likely to ask a stiff price fur this hoss,' I says when we gets to the telegraph office. "'Buy him,' he says. "'_Do you mean the sky's the limit_?' I says, 'n' he nods. "We cross on the ferry after sendin' the wire. He has the battle-ship under wraps till we hit the open country, 'n' then he lets her step. We gets to goin' faster 'n' faster. I can't see, 'n' I think my eyebrows have blowed off. I'm so scared I feel like my stumick has crawled up in my chest, but I hopes this is the limit, 'n' I grits my teeth to keep from yelpin'. Just then we hits a long straight road, 'n' what we'd been doin' before seemed like backin' up. I can't breathe 'n' I can't stand no more of it. "'Holy cats!' I yells. 'Cut it!' "'What's the matter?' he says, when he's slowed down. "'Holy cats!' I says again. 'Is that what racin' in these things is like?' "'Oh, no,' he says. 'My mechanic took my racing car over yesterday. This is only a roadster.' "'Only a--what?' I says. "'Only a roadster--a pleasure car,' he says. "'Oh--a pleasure car,' I says. 'It's lucky you told me.' "'It's all in getting accustomed to it,' he says. "I spends the night at a hotel in Philadelphia with a guy named Ben, who's the mechanic, 'n' the next mawnin' I sees the race. Say! Prize-fightin', or war, or any of them little games is like button-button to this automobile racin'! They kills two guys that day 'n' why they ain't all killed is by me. The young chap finishes second to some Eyetalian--but that Dago sure knowed he'd been in a race. "''N' he's the guy that's afraid of a hoss!' I says to myself. 'Now, wouldn't that scald you?' "When he leaves me at my joint in New York the young chap writes on a card 'n' hands it to me. "'Here's my name and present address,' he says. 'Let me know when you hear from our friend Peewee.'