“’Sdeath, De Lancey!” he cried, in his hearty voice, “and right glad am I to see you here. These spindling bets of fifty or a hundred pounds please me not. I want gold, man, gold, I say!” Laughing carelessly, he flicked a speck of dust from his coat sleeve with a white linen handkerchief. “Gold? Egad, so do I!” answered the rollicking De Lancey. “What say you to a _peck_ of gold? Neither do I deal in quarters and halves.” “Make it a struck _bushel_ of Spanish dollars, and I will back my horse against yours or the field!” cried the Southerner. The bet made was perhaps the most sensational money-bet ever made on the Annapolis course. Deafening cheers rent the air as The Dulaney’s horse finished the one-mile circle a nose ahead. [Illustration: From Linsley’s “Morgan Horses” JUSTIN MORGAN. “THOU SHALT BE TO MAN A SOURCE OF HAPPINESS AND WEALTH.”--MAHOMET] CHAPTER VII. IN WHICH MISTRESS LLOYD, OF MARYLAND, GIVES TRUE HIS FIRST RIBBAND. One sunny September morning, when the weather was clear and fine and the trees were waving their crisp, gay-tinted leaves over the grass-bordered roadways leading to the fair-grounds, the horses were blanketed and led towards the place of exhibition, for this was the great opening of the Hartford Fair, and many had come from as far as New York and Boston to attend it. There was much prancing and side-stepping among the horses after a fine breakfast to put them in a good humor. True had been exhibited once at a small fair in Springfield and knew a little of what was expected of him, but of course this was a much greater occasion and a sensation of slight nervousness and anticipation held his heart. Some of the younger horses were ill-mannered; they bit at their grooms or snorted and showed their teeth rudely, which astonished True, for he had been taught to be polite always. Some of them grew very excited and some knew they might change owners, and receive prizes for this trait or that. It was a day long to be remembered by them all. What a scene met their eyes when, at last, they were in sight of the Grounds! Early, as it was, there were more men assembled together than True had ever seen and they made a point of all talking at once, which confused the horses no little; they shouted at the tops of their voices, too, as if everybody were stone deaf. The women, however, stood quietly, and modestly at one side in little sheltered booths where they displayed in a most becoming manner their handiwork: quilts, with beautiful and appropriate names, and wonderful pieces of hand-woven homespun and linen. Farther on True espied piles of carrots, squashes and other delicious things which would have made his mouth water had he not been so bewildered by the noises. Music sounded and set him dancing and showing his remarkable muscles to advantage.