THE DAY AFTER THE SPORTS, IN A VICTORIAN TOWNSHIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2455, 3 April 1901, Page 70

THE DAY AFTER THE SPORTS, IN A VICTORIAN TOWNSHIP.

By Uxyiji. The annual sports were over, and the township had resumed somewhat its natural appearance and quiet, save for a group of men who made erratic and frequent jouir.eys between the ropes, where the races had been run the day before, and the pub. They were a strange-looking lot, -uhich could nob be wondered at consideiing the lime and occasion of their visit to the township. The sports had been sliming in thenminds and conversations for weeks past, and now that they had dawned and set they were not to bo put away lightly, but were to be a solace to those who had seen them of pity to those who had not attended, and of glory to the community at large. For had not Buckncll, the bullocky, won the Sheffield, a matter of £25? Had he not declared his fixed intention to "Blew the lot, an' show the 'cows' I ain't like them neds. what carries runnin' shoes round the country. Net me! I'll blew the lot !" Bucknell could not be considered from an artistic point of view to be a beauty, although certain of his newly-acquired friends declared .such to be the case (only they missed the final "y", in their pronunciation). He was long, red, thin, and agressive, and considered that his victory in the Sheffield branded him a hero before all men. He took it as his right that he should run the improvised sports in the capacity of secretary, treasurer, handicapper, and starter. He would have been judge, too, if it had been physically possible. He was getting up another sweepstake, and was saying : "Come on, boys ; give us your bobs — a shillin' in and the winner shouts ; one in ! two in ! three " He gazed round with a look of astonishment, and asked, "Where's Scottie?" "Oh!"' said someone, "he's up at the pub. speaknV to the barmaid." That made Bucknell jealous. He handed the gun and the money to the nearest man, and made for the pub. Scottie, who was Bucknell's trainer, adviser, and chief friend, was a short, thickset grey-bearded Scotchman, with interrogative blue eyes-like a Scotch terrier. He was seated on a barrel in the corner of the bar, and imagined he had made a great and lasting impression on the girl who turned the taps. Bucknell came in. '"Hello. Scottie." he said ; "look 'ere, oM chap, I'm tired. What are you havin', boys? What d'you say, Scottie, if you go down an' start an' hannicap them? An' I'll stop here an' rest." "Oh!" said Scottie, with a glance at the girl, "ye ken weel enough I'm nae quid at yon kin' o' thing. Besides, I'm comfortable enough where I am." That made Bucknell wild. "Yes," he said with a sneer ; "you thmk you're a great man with the ladies, don't you?" "I am that," said Scottie unconcernedly, "and I'll fecht or wrastle ye who's goin' tae cut oot the runnin' wi' the girl." Bucknell was crestfallen. "Look 'ere," he said, "you know very well, Scottie, I can't fight or wrestle. But I'll run you a hundred an' twenty, an' give you six. ' "I'll tak' ten yairds, an' not a yaird ltss," said Scottie, jumping down. After considerable argument and sundry drinks Scottie obtained his ten yards concession, and the crowd moved down to the ropes to see the race run. It to jk some little time to get Bucknell into the lav-ishly-decorated black tights with gold braid that he had worn in the chsiic event the day before. Scottie rolled his trousers up to his knee, and did his preliminary in his stockinged feet. The spectator^ crowded round the finish, where the judges held the tape, which was composed of sundry parti-coloured handkerchiefs collected from the crowd. The men get on their respective marks, and after two or three false starts they got off. Bucknell did not exactly know which, set of ropes was his, and got tangled up, with disastrous results, while Scottie pegged in and breasted the tape. Scottie had won ! After Bucknell had been unravelled Scottie led the crowd back to tli3 pub., singins, "Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled,'' while Bucknell formed a guaid at the extreme rear. The landlord was in the bar when they came in. "What are you having, boy?" asked Scottie, glancing round to see his pn/,e, and being unrewarded. "Where's the girl?" he avked '"What girl?' queiied the landlord. "The girl that was m the bar this morning," said Scottie. "Oh," answered the landlord, ".she went to K. in the coach ; fchc was only here for the day." • ¥ • « « Next morning both Bucknell and Scottie had to borrow money from the landlord to get their bullocks out of pound. They had broken into the station paddock, and damaged the fences After they had yoked up I heaid 'midst the ciacking of the whips and the "Come here, Ddikie! Get off, Star," the end ot the refrain, "Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled."

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