Show Telegram Short Story Desert Breed By E. E P P. O. O BRYON You would have tho thought to hear Pop Travis talk that by merely looking at a young animal he co could ld tell within the fraction of ot a second or thereabouts just how fast it i would run a couple of ot years hence He told me of at his ambitions of his lis imperishable hopes and how they finally had come to rest In that hat long slender body that was I took Desert Lady and bred her herto herto herto to Thistledown down he explained because because because be cause I figured it was a good com corn Desert Lady was fast in her time time but but light She couldn't carry crry any weight to speak of ot And Thistledown was too heavy One of the fastest desert horses ever on ona ona ona a track but he carried too much flesh to comp compete te with the be best t. t Listen Pop I said You cant can't win vin on these modern tracks with desert horses Youre You're getting too old to go on fooling around with these hese jackrabbits Why dont don't you get jet wise vIse to yourself and spend a 8 afew few ew thousand for some decent blu bluegrass bluegrass blue blue- grass stock If youre you're going to stay in the game go into it right Ive I've known you for nearly 20 years and youve you've always messed around with desert stock Sort of ot a secand second sec sec- ond and money money winner winner when when you do dow w win n. n Why come com to think of ot It It youve you've never never owned a horse that took ook first money money have have you Pop shook his head No but but but- I know I interrupted you keep thinking you will Dont Don't think that way You'll always be just where I you are now sitting now sitting In a back scat seat seatA A second money winner Pop nodded I 1 suppose so son I suppose so S 'S S SI I paid 12 32 thousand for Bellshire He le was as a grand horse I had counted count count- ed on him to win the derby In fact I was so sure of of it I 1 had laid my last ast dollar on his nose At post time I I. was as as' nervous as a mouse in a den of cats You get jet that way when youre youre shooting high ligh The horse we had to beat as everyone knew knewl was was Gray Shoes She was plenty fast Then suddenly we heard the stroke of hoofs against the dirt and they were ver off oft For a a. moment I couldn't identify identity Bellshire in hi that unbroken line The important thing was that he was ot off with the rest Suddenly the voice of ot the crowd cro lifted Bellshire Bellshire I 1 saw then what had happened Bellshire el hl ea and Gray y Shoes had d taken ken the lead with Bellshire pulling slowly slowly slow slow- ly away from her his powerful thrust carrying him forward rapidly so that Gray Shoes' Shoes neck which at first had been obscured by bythe the stallions stallion's stallions stallion's stal stale lions lion's hind quarters i arters seemed tol to l lengthen gradually Already a belt of dust was rising behind the two lead leaders rs to cast a gray film over the others making their identity quite impossible through the enveloping mist By the tho time was leading Into the first turn the others were strung out behind him like a train of boxcars rs Only Gray Shoes seem seemed d to be giving him any competition This was as as' as It should be It was in the cards for Bellshire to win The visibility cl cleared ired a a abit bit as Bellshire Bellshire Bell Bell- shire shir slipped sUpped easily aro around r nd the first turn a grand horse horae if ever there was one coming corning on tin Ji with pow powerful thrusts that meant certain victoryA victory A great pride welled up within me But suddenly my heart eart missed a a beat for something was looming up like a a. house ahouse ho se on fire re It was another horse coming out of the dust dust and and coming wide The shape took form so quickly that sort of took yo your r breath breaU away way Was it Gray Shoe Shoes N No now No-now now that it out of the dust it turned black blacker black r than the ace of ot spades St liSt Arlight The Thoe crowd cried it In a single voice St St. A Arlight a along along along long shot shot shot-a a very vety long shot indeed moving moving up to give my Bellshire competition The crowd went crazy crazy bughouse Men Mon threw their hats In the air arid started yelling s. s The women too Then out of the corner of my eye I Ilaw saw old Pop Trav Travers rs ra going berserk ber ber- St St. Arlight Starlight All he had done dorIs w was s. s give that desert jackrabbit a fancy title Hed He'd just used a period between n the I t l and anda anda anda a In Starlight And I hadn't guessed In Ina a a couple o of years one does forget forget things The desert seemed to breathe power into those driving pistons He came on like an evil wind His muscles rippled a as ahls his hoofs rapped out a challenge to tho swift Stamina Stam Stam- ina ma gleamed beneath that black coat Bellshire took one sidewise look at this black menace menace menaco and slipped into high gear They came down the home stretch together cheek check to jowl wither to wither their nostriLs nostrils nostrils nos nos- cups of living flame I think that as long as I live I Ishall Ishall Ishall shall never see another race like that one They were as nearly matched these two as twin hurricanes hurricanes hurricanes hurri hurri- canes canes blowing out of the Caribbean Though half a a. a century or so of royal breeding lay back of ot him Bellshire could no more shake shako ot off that black wind than he could fly and he was doing everything g but that As they thundered under the wire people leaped to their feet and throats screamed as one St St. Arlight by a nose S S 5 When Pop found me me the old co coot t thad had lad real tears tears' in his laughing eyes Its all right he h he said his voice quaking with deep emotion Its just that the desert breed had to win sooner or later cand and Im I'm plumb sorry son I had to to beat one o your you plugs Pop is with me now He Ho owns half my ray string Copyright McClure Newspaper per Syndicate |