Horse racing -- Fiction; Thoroughbred horse -- Fiction
"'Good-by, three hundred!' I says to myself, I can't see good fur the
dust, but they pulls Micky out from under the colt, 'n' when I gets
another slant, Hamilton's on his feet 'n' the starter's talkin' at
Micky. I can see Micky shakin' his head. It ain't long till they puts
him up again.
"'That's the good game kid!' I says out loud. 'Oh, you 'Micky boy!'
also out loud.
"They get off to a nice start. When they hit the stretch I throws my
hat away. Hamilton's in front two lengths. A eighth from home I see
there's somethin' wrong with Micky. He's got his bat 'n' lines in his
left mitt. His right hook is kind-a floppin' at his side, but
Hamilton's runnin' true 'n' strong. The colt looks awful good to the
sixteenth 'n' then his gait goes clear to the bad. I see he's all shot
to pieces behind, 'n' he's stoppin' fast. I'm standin' at the inner
rail ten len'ths from the wire, 'n' the Elephant colt gets to Hamilton
right in front of me.
"'I gotcha, jock!' yells the boy on the Elephant.
"'They don't pay off here,' says Micky, 'n' sticks the lines in his
face. Then he goes to the bat with his south hook 'n' Hamilton lays
back his ears 'n' runs true again. . . . He out-games the Elephant a
nod at the wire 'n' I'm twelve hundred to the clear.
"When I gets to 'em, Micky's standin' in the track leanin' against
Hamilton. The colt's shakin' all over 'n' his hind feet's in a big
pool of blood. I gives a' look 'n' the left rear tendon is tore off
from hock to fetlock.
"'Good God, look at that!' I says to Micky.
"Micky turns 'n' looks.
"'Aw, pony . . .' he says, 'n' busts out cryin'. He leans up against
the colt again 'n' he's shakin' as bad as Hamilton.
"Just then the boy gets down from the Elephant.
"'I'd a beat that dog in another jump,' he says to Micky.
"'You?' says Micky. 'I'm goin' to _kill you_!' He starts fur the boy,
but he turns kind-a greeny white 'n' does a flop on the track.
"When I goes to pick him up I see a bone comin' through the flesh just
above the wrist on his right hook.
"We puts him in a blanket 'n' the swipes start to carry him off.
"'What's the matter with the kid?' says Ike comin' up.
"'Arm broke, I guess,' I says."
"Ike sees the blood 'n' walks behind Hamilton.
"'I wish it was his neck,' he says, pointin' at the tendon. 'That's
what you get fur puttin' a pin-headed apprentice on a good hoss! Get
him so he can hobble, 'n' sell him to a livery if you can. If not,
have him shot.'
"Hamilton's standin' there a-shakin'. His eyes has the look you always
sees in a hoss just after he's ruined.
"'What'll you take fur him?' I says to Ike.
"'Take fur him?' he says. 'Whatever he'll bring. I ain't out nothin'
on him. I splits three thousand with you to the race.'
"'You owe me a hundred 'n' thirty fur trainin',' I says. 'I calls it
off 'n' keeps the hoss.'
"'You've bought him,' says Ike, 'n' goes back to the bettin' shed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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