The judge’s stand waz an ox cart surrounded on the sides bi a ha
rigging, and the reporters waz invited tew git intu the cart.
THE HOSSES.
Waz a gra mare, about the usual stature, not verry fat, and laboring
under a spring halt, which tha ced she had caught ov anuther hoss, about
10 days ago.
Tha ced she had trotted tu a kamp-meeting last fall inside ov a verry
short time, and that her back bone waz awl game.
I asked a yung man with long yeller hair and bedtick pantyloons on, who
waz currying oph the mare, what her pedigree was, and he with a wink tew
anuther feller who stood clus bi, ced, “she waz got bi the Landlord out
ov a Methdiss minister,” and then tha both laffed.
I found out bi inquirin, that her name waz “Fryin-Pan.”
The uther hoss waz a red hoss, rather hastily konstructed, with a spare
tale on him, which tha ced waz kaused by his trotting so fast, in a
windy day; i shud think he waz about 5 feet and a haf in hite, and ov a
kickin natur.
Tha ced he waz a stranger in theze parts, and that his rite name waz
“Juise Harp.”
FUST HEAT.
The hosses both cum up tew the skore in the immejiate visinity ov each
uther, and got the wurd tew go, the fust time.
The gra mare waz druv bi “Dave Larkin,” and the hoss was handled bi
“Ligh Turner.”
Tha trotted sublimely, az cluss az the Siamese twins; the mare with her
hed hi up and her noze full ov winde; the hoss waz stretched out tite,
like a chalk line; tha passed the haf mile pole simultaneously, time, 2
minnits.
Now the kontest becum exsiting, “Dave” hollered, and “Ligh” yelled--on
tha kum, the mare gru higher, and the hoss gru longer--tha make the last
turn tew onst--tha look like a dubble team--the exsitement grows more
intensely--the crowd sways to and fro--the ox cart trembles--tha cum!
tha cum! sich shouting, sich yelling, sich swearing, sich chawing
terbacker, waz never herd before; the mare iz ahed!--no, the hoss iz
ahed! ’tis even, ’tis a ded hete, tha pass the ox kart--the hoss wins bi
3 quarters ov an inch, time 4 minnits lacking 2 seckunds.
REMARKS.
The hosses ar surrounded bi a crowd ov men, wimmin, and children.
Each party are sanguinary ov suckces.
The bettin iz 2 quarts ov whiskee to anything, on the red hoss.
At this junkture the gentleman, reporter for the Young man’s Christian
Gide, propozed tew bet 75 cents that the mare wud win the nex heat; i
tuk the proposishun forthwithly, and the steaks, bi mutual consent, was
placed in mi hat and sot under the kart, and here let me stait, before i
forget it, that i haint saw the steaks nor the hat sinse.
SECKUND HEAT.
The hosses both sho signs ov distress.
The gra mare’s ears hang down the side ov her hed, like two wet rags,
and the hoss rests his tale on the ground.
Tha go slola bak tew the distanse pole, and cum up agin tew the skore,
az tho tha waz yoked together.
Awa tha go; the hoss a leetle ahed.
The hoss leads tew the haf mild pole in 2:30.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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