"I'm not so sure of that," said Barry. "He's sharp enough, and I fancy
he thinks he has got a good price for the horse. He asked me if I had
any objections to letting him know when the horse was going out to win,
and I said none at all, for the first time he started he would do his
best."
"And what did Moss say?" asked the trainer.
"He smiled and looked cunning, as much as to say--
"'You need not tell that fairy tale to me, you are not the man to run a
horse out when the money is not on.'"
"I think that is probably correct," laughed Joel; then seeing Barry's
countenance change, he added quickly--
"I mean what Moss thought, not that his opinion was correct."
Black Boy was handed over to Barry Tuxford, and consigned to the care of
Bricky Smiles, at Kenley's stables. Bricky commenced to feel important
again, he had two horses to look after, and this was a move in the right
direction.
Joel Kenley was amused at him, and satisfied with his work in every way,
in fact he acknowledged to Jack that a better man could not have been
found for the job.
"It has given him a new lease of life," said the trainer, "and he'll be
quite a different man in a few weeks."
Joel Kenley was not long in ascertaining whether his surmise as to Black
Boy having been "bottled up" was correct. He tried him well, and was
surprised at the result. He kept his knowledge to himself until he had
given the horse a "dust up" with Lucky Boy. Again the result was a
surprise, for the Western horse won rather easily at level weights.
Joel was a trifle puzzled. He had discovered that Black Boy would
probably be weighted at a stone below his proper form in the next big
handicap, and he was quite sure Lucky Boy would be leniently treated, as
handicappers usually, and sometimes foolishly, regarded these
"outsiders" with a contempt that was not deserved.
The trainer chuckled quietly to himself as he contemplated the bringing
off of one or two good coups. He dearly loved the excitement attending
such proceedings, and although he would have scorned to order a horse to
be "pulled," he had no objections to benefit by the hoodwinking of a
handicapper.
Somehow Joel regarded handicappers as his natural enemies, and had
frequently fallen foul of them, and asked for an explanation of the
weights placed upon his horses. On several instances it was acknowledged
that he had good grounds for his grievance, and this did not improve the
temper of the handicappers.
Although his horses ran in and out, as most horses will, there was no
suspicion against him, and his reputation for honesty stood high. It was
different with Abe Moss, who was regarded as a very smart customer
indeed, and when it became known that a new patron of Joel's stable had
purchased Black Boy there was a general winking of eyes, and nodding of
heads, amongst the "knowing ones."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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