For two minutes the supposed rivals confabbed busily in the shelter of a broken hay-rack. Then, suddenly taking alarm without cause, they both poked their heads out at the door and looked about them searchingly right and left. There wasnt time for Jeff to get away. He only had a seconds or two seconds warning; but all the conspirators saw as they issued forth from the scene of their intrigue was a small darky in clothes much too large for him lying alongside the shed in a sprawled huddle, with one loose sleeve over his face and one black forefinger shoved like a snakes head down the neck of a flat pocket-flask. Above this figure the flies were buzzing in a greedy cloud.
Just some nigger full of gin that fell down there to sleep it off, said Van Wallace. And he would have gone on; but Berry, who was a tall red-faced, horsy man a blusterer on the surface and a born coward inside booted the sleeper in the ribs with his toe.
Here, boy! he commanded. Wake up here! And he nudged him again hard.
The negro only flinched from the kicks, then rolled farther over on his side and mumbled through a snore.
Couldnt hear it thunder, said Berry reassured. Well, lets get away from here.
You bet! said Van Wallace fervently. No use takin chances by bein caught talkin together. Anyhow, theyll be ringing the startin bell in a minute or two.
Dont forget, now! counseled Berry as Wallace started off, making by a roundabout and devious way for his own stable, where Minnie May, hitched to her sulky and with her legs bandaged, was being walked back and forth by a stable boy.
Dont you worry; I wont! said Wallace; and Berry grinned joyously and vanished in the opposite direction, behind the handy feedshed.
On the instant that both of them disappeared Judge Priests Jeff rose to his feet, magically changing from a drunken darky to an alert and flying black Mercury. His feet hardly hit the high places as he streaked it for the grandstand looking for Judge Priest as hard as he could look.
Nearly there he ran into Captain Buck Owings. Captain Buck Owings was a quiet, grayish man, who from time to time in the course of a busy life as a steamboat pilot and master had had occasion to shoot at or into divers persons. Captain Buck Owings had a magnificent capacity for attending strictly to his own business and not allowing anybody else to attend to it. He was commonly classified as dangerous when irritated and tolerably easy to irritate.
Capn Buck! Capn Buck! sputtered Jeff, so excited that he stuttered. P-please, suh, is you seen my boss Jedge Priest? I suttinly must see him right away. This here next heat is goin to be thro wed.
It was rarely that Captain Buck Owings raised his voice above a low, deliberate drawl. He raised it a trifle now.
Whats that, boy? he demanded. Whos goin to throw this race?
He caught up with Jeff and hurried along by him, Jeff explaining what he knew in half a dozen panted sentences. As Captain Buck Owings mind took in the situation, Captain Buck Owings gray eyes began to flicker a little.
Nowhere in sight was there any one who looked like the judge. Indeed, there were few persons at all to be seen on the scarred green turf across which they sped and those few were hurrying to join the crowds that packed thick upon the seats of the grandstand, and thicker
along the infield fence and the homestretch. Somewhere beyond, the stable bell jangled. The little betting ring was empty almost and the lone bookmaker was turning his blackboard down.
His customary luck served Jeff in this crisis, however. From beneath a cuddy under the grandstand that bore a blue board lettered with the word Refreshments appeared the large, slow-moving form of the old judge. He was wiping his mouth with an enormous handkerchief as he headed deliberately for the infield fence. His venerable and benevolent pink face shone afar and Jeff literally flung himself at him.
Oh, Jedge! he yelled. Oh, Jedge; please, suh, wait jes a minute!
In some respects Judge Priest might be said to resemble Kiplings East Indian elephant. He was large as to bulk and conservative as to his bodily movements; he never seemed to hurry, and yet when he set out to arrive at a given place in a given time he would be there in due season. He faced about and propelled himself toward the queerly matched pair approaching him with such haste.
As they met, Captain Buck Owings began to speak and his voice was back again at its level monotone, except that it had a little steaming sound in it, as though Captain Buck Owings were beginning to seethe and simmer gently somewhere down inside of himself.
Judge Priest, suh, said Captain Buck, it looks like thered be some tall swindlin done round here soon unless we can stop it. This boy of yours heard something. Jeff tell the judge what you heard just now. And Jeff told, the words bubbling out of him in a stream:
Its done all fixed up betwixt them wite genlemen. That there Mr. Jackson Berry hes been tormentin the stallion ontwell he break and lose the fust two heats. Now, wen the money is all on the mare, they goin to turn round and do it the other way. Over on the backstretch that Mr. Van Wallace hes goin to spite and tease Minnie May ontwell she go all to pieces, so the stallionll be jest natchelly bound to win; an en theyll split up the money amongst em!