Show The Man Who Lost the Race I was hoofing it along a highway I Arkansas Ar-kansas my horse having gone dead lame and being left with a farmer when a mah driving u horse and buggy overtook me and invitee me to ride I was only too thankful for the offer and when I got in beside him I liked his looks He offered me a cigar We exchanged names He was informed on politics and current events It was a spanking horse he had and he kept a steady gait for mile after mie The only thing about tho man that puzzled me was the way ho had of looking behind every few minutes and I finally inquired quired Are you expecting some friend to overtake over-take youl Well nonot a friend he replied Enemiesr I may bo that the sheriff and his posse will be fools enough to try and overtake me My friend I said after swallowing the lump which suddenly gathered in my throat is there any good reason why the sheriff should want to overtake you This is rather blunt Ill admit but if I hurt your feelings 1 am ready to beg pardon Oh no harm done ho laughed I borrowed bor-rowed this horse and rig about two hours ago without the formality of asking and the owner may hope to recover it Dont give yourself any uneasiness however I run to horses and not to highway robbery Three miles further on as we rose a hill ho looked back and then pulled up and said We must part here The sheriff and half a dozen others arc in pursuit and every pound of weight will now tell I a very much obliged for your kindness kind-ness Oh not at all Your society has been reward re-ward enough I would suggest that you enter en-ter that thicket and lie close until the party gets by When an Arkansas sheriff gets after af-ter a stolen horse ha means to hUt somebody nndhis crowd isnt particular who it shoots at And say you neednt make any special I effort to report that you have seen me Saveyi I I I wont I Then goodhy He put the horse on u dead run and was out of sight in two minutes I secreted myself my-self a directed and in a few minutes the posse thundered by in a cloud of dust I followed at a leisurely gait and at the end of two hours came upon them grouped upn around a te Hanging from a limb group lifeless body of my friend of the road and they were now waiting for the blown and exhausted Sun ex-hausted horses to recuperate New York |