A FURLOMG TOO FAR. By F. DA. C. De L'lsle.

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 81

A FURLOMG TOO FAR. By F. DA. C. De L'lsle.

(For the Witness.) [Ali, Rights Reserved.]

Inglewood!, in the western district of the ' North Island, is the nearest township to Ivanhoe Station, owned by the brothers Wynwyard. Both Inglewood and Ivanhoe were en fete for the amateur race meeting, annually held at Ivanhoe. To Inglewood the amateur races and show were the events of the year. Amusements were .few and far between at Inglewood, . and when the- farms and stations of the district turned out: their ladies and gentlemen ' for the amateur races afc Ivanhoe an intense flutter of excitement prevailed. .Just now the /township was decked out as if for a Christmas holiday, and" visitors and horses werei passing through to Ivanhoe, eight miles distant, from .all -quarters of -the compass. Digby Cleeveland had come iif from Mount Egmont Station for this especial meeting with two racehorses. He was an amateur rider, who had been located in the Wanganui and Taranaki districts for the last four years. His undoubted ability in the saddle had gained for him the sobriquet. •of Fred Archer, t a name bestowed, upon him by little Bob- \ .liington, -of Grass Rest : Station, which ;' hadi clung to him ever* after. Since 1 he persistently refused to satisfy the gos- , sips of the ddsErict with any information . of his connections^ or career, he was put ' down as- one / of the-, usual "incdrrigibles," sent out from 'Ome 1 to be got ,"rid of!" But he was a^gentleman, pure and simple, - and the men of the district, looked' upon the bronzed, handsome overseer of Mount Egmont- with.- a certain, amount of respect and a great, deal of affection, because of his jovialy good* nature, true manliness, and love of 3 sport. /and adventure. The women — that is to- say, the elderly Cleopatras of the district — hated him. Gallantry was "a distinctive feature of his race, and gallant he was to a disgree. . The* dark, hut-brown maids- of the bush — Maoriland's beautiful daughters — had heard his low, ' musical voice -singing __in their ears, and " the' clear, ' liquid' blue of his" fearless eyes haunted them., like hovering spirits from. ■j their own dazzling skies. • But the^ ancient I and sour matrons of the district were ! treated with. a, polite, studied respect that repulsed their amorous advances instantaneously. j These old gipsies had^no oharm for him. ! One face— and that one- bright and 1 beautiful- as _the Southern Cross — he lookedi out eagerly for bn v the Ivanhoe Racecourse, as' , he rode by. the stand on a beautiful bay polo- pony;, the cynosure of many eyes. And many times that day he w-as seen m the Ballara buggy by the side of lovelyPolly Cartowrighfr, the- daughter of a sfieep farmer near Inglewood. "Well. Polly," he said, when comfortably seated byr her side, "how ' hare we* been for, the last six weeks, eh?"\ She coloured high' under the daring loo£ of admiration, that he-cast upon her. /'Quito, well,, thank you, Digby,' but fearfully dull. Not a souL ''except the mailman has been -near Ball'ara for quite two-months-," she answered with a pout.' "Sorry I havenlt been over to cheer you up, but I could noti ride over because all I my hacks -were 'so peer," he calmly went on, triumphant., though generous in hi» triumph. ."Even, old! Prince bad to be •turnedi out after that race back the- last time I was at Ballara. What has Arthur ■ brought in to-day?" Arthur was Polly's brother, a good little Maoriland stockman, and a gentleman rider of great promise. ' 1 v"onlyv "only Joe'!"' she answered. "What have you brougHtl" There was such a tender inflection on the ipronoun thafr Dighy Cleeveland- smiled-. "I've only brought two-=-old. Vanguard and a mace of Charlie's called Phyllis. She ? s one ofc his latest batch by "Woodlander,, and. good: enough to take do-wn anything on- toe> course; for all her poor a-ppeaxance. She's clean bred, sound, and) game as. a bulldog. She-'ll win the Ivan-hoe .Cup easily, bar accidents, and Van will annex- the Farewtell Handicap. I've got him into his best form, and you know what that is ;> so if you are going to speculate- back them for the races I have named. I am certain- of; the Cup, so put all you've got on Phyllis. She will start a rank outsider, foe no one knows her. She ' has* only been, in training two months, and even, Charlie does- not know how good, she • is. I am. going to try and win some money for you ; what are you worth?" Sue unhesitatingly opened her purse, and showed him a solitary five-pound note. "Why, you've got quite a fortune!" he exclaimed', smiling. "We'll have a sovereign en The Cantineer for the Opening Handicap. I'm riding for Bobbington. We'll just about get home. Ah!' there he comes," as the owner of Grass Rest came puffing up to the buggy. "Now then, Archer," he cried:; "come along. My charger stands jangling his bridle and chain. " Ha, ha! quotation. Shakespeare-' s a fool to me-! How is -Polly? Jolly;?" •■ - - *' ""Eou. bet !" answered the smiling bush waiftenv, "I'm. .going: W sai&.Bobbingjfcom "The stable shirt goes on my jjranoing steed. FarewelL! We* -will see* thee anon," and) taking- Ofeeveland by tie aftn they walked to the' "weighing-room' together. '■Cantineer, after a- desperate- struggle down thff straight, managed to win the Opening i Handicap by a neck, thanks to the admir- ? able handling of Digby Cleeveland. * "Just did it^ little one,'* lie said., a

quarter of an hour after, when he was once more ensconced in the Ballara buggy. ■"What odds did you get?" "Seven to 1," shouted Arthur Cartwright, as he climbed over the back_of the buggy. "Put a fiver on Joe for" the Bracelet." "Not to-day, Arthur," said Cleeveland. "We have got a certainty for the big handicap, and we're going ' lemons ' on it. Now, don't forget, Polly ; go for the gloves. Put your whole £12 on Phyllis. I'm off to weigh for the Bracelet." There were 20 starters for the Ivanhoe Cup— the event of the meeting. The prize was a stake of £50 and a really beautiful 'Gup, subscribed to by all the ladies arid * gentlemen of the district. „ It was a valu- - able prize, and one . that* - excited the , keenest rivalry^ — so much so, that every station laying claim to an animal of breeding or pace had a starter representing it at the post. There was an unmistakable rush made on The Dominican for "the race, and the two bookmakers on the course were soon accommodated) with all they cared to accept about him? The/ "second favourite- was- a ~i&are, from New Plymouth, in~ .the -same; " stable as The 'Doininicai," and the .two Lorses were-ridden by the brothers William ~an-.i Fred Baker. jfN.o one looked at.Phy.His, the long, lanky- slip of a filly that Digby - Cleeveland -rode>on -to the -course, for. her"pfeliihinary-" < Passing Mhp.^judge's boxj wl-ere all .the sporting~?men of .the,, district were assembled ro'uridthe two bookmakers, lie.- heard them both v shdut" as they ' ; caughf sight of Phy11i5. ...... . "Here! "I'll lay twelve to* one Phyllis. Twelve to one against Mount Egmont station. Twelve to one^ Phyllis to 'a century '." •_ .*? " . . .. — - . IJy the side of the bookmakers were the brothers Baker on theio respective mounts. " In all the Western ' district fnese two. men,, of all others, were the- most obnoxious. Cleeveland disliked them — they were" coarse, A boorish ravages, the sons of* a breeder near New Plymouth."- No ..professional ever indulged in the swindles arid chicanceries 1 that these two brothers went in for. But they, remained qualified amateurs because of the respect in which, their father was held throughout Nejv Zealand, and mainly because bush-racing "committees are very lax and ignorant of racing rules and laws. Will Baker laughed loud at the spare, 'roor-looking filly Cleeveland _ was" riding. "Going to win, Archer'/" 'he^inquired, ex-~ ploding with mirth. . . - -•• Cleeveland passed him unnoticed, and-, pulled up by the bookmakers.' "I want £250. tp £20 abquj;- my chance. Can you .^y ' iVine,- Jacob's ?^' -he' ' asked v -~. .. "Witt pleasure," Mr' Cleevelahd'l'* replied" the more polished, bookmaker- of. tb&^two, *'and .we hope- you?!!.. bring .it off, .and' "-sajge us the five eentu"ries':we'ye -laid: Mr -Baker !"^ Cleeveland- nodded, arid -cantered down- the. course. ■ ' ' - ."- -:• ,-.,"' .<■ - "That's' up against . your duckhouse,'Baker!" yelled Bobbington;-- delighted '. to have a "mag," -as he' said, at t the Baker Buccaneers (his nickname for .them). "I'll tet you- a tenner Archer downs the pair il you amaiSeubs !" He laid a significant •tiess on the last word. = ■ "Done,", cried . Baker" • -with a sneer. -"You're mighty flash with your tenners / The jibe, cut bard<- All the district knew_ that Bobbington was a;, ruined man. « But it ".was not "his- fault "that bad -luck had ruined. Grass -Rest, 'once the best station' in the- district. *-'".. "Flash or no flash, I'm open to wager,", answered .the little" man,' "with a deeper Push than usual. "I'll lay you an even hundred or two hundred, if you are game to bet!" x * . - - . The other hesitated. , " 'Ha ! ha ! Apollyon ! Satanas ! I have Uiee on the. hip!' * Humph l . Quotationi'wain's a fool to me!" and he walked away, smiling." * ~ "What's the- rat that that masher's riding, Fred?" queried Will Baker, as he rode elc-wly with his brother to the starting g:ost. < '- "D dif I know !" he answered. 'It must be something good-, for "Archer never iplays 1 it up, unless he's "on 'a dead bird,' an£ Bobbington wouldn't plunge just now on anything- but a "'moral. 1 " "Well," said Will' Baker .savagely, " "if, he gives -me-ahy trouble ride. into" him "andIbo'wl him-over!- We can't, "afford to lose fr/.' hundred just ribwr-^it would , break. iis/ JL hope heialls in the crasji and dislocates" tis blessed neck." ■ ' • -_'•■'' With- ;which charitable , sentiment hV nodded to the starter "and prepared "for/ action. ' , '•-."'' "Don't give. the Bakers a show of spilling you, Archer," said Bobbington uneasily. /'Cave canem! You know," and he whistled) significantly. \ Down went the flag, and at the firstfcrttempt they thundered past the stand like a, battery of. artillery -going into action. ■Stretching out like a flying doe, Phyllis, jfi?ll-blooded~ daughter of Woodlander and X-kddess — the best strain in the land— raced 5n front with- a clear length's lead of Ladyifcird, The Wreck, Mountaineer, Acrobat, *arid Lantern, while The Dominican held out i-wide on the outside, and gradually raced '*up to the leaders. A-Jhirlong fron>,home v -j&hi\ field closed upland Ladybird, the second favourite, was raced past Phyllis with a final effort- As she passed:, Fred tJaker got his toe under Cleveland's stirrup, Vu<i, with a» sharp, upward jerk,, nearly un- . seated him. Through the shock the mare uiangedi her legs, but in an instant she Was picked up, and a desperate fight endued up" the straight. The Dominican came' Cwith, a tremendous rattle,, and- as .Ladyubird was- falling, back .beaten, Fjed Baker ax-meg her full on to Phyllis, and. rode clap into her. — . - ■{ Crash! ' Down they went, rider and 1 jhprse, with Ladybird over them,, and the went .'on alone, with a field of fceaten outsiders in'Jbis.wjjke. Fred Baker, liacl played his part, and as he lay .with,* broken arm under his- plunging mare he. tcursed triumphantly the success that had Attended his efforts. V Digby Cleeveland fell clear of the two aorses. - He was on his feet in an instant. |_^'Close thing!" said Will Baker, as he

rode smiling back to the enclosure. "Anybody hurt?" "Your cur of a brother has broken his arm, and serve him right. I wish it had been his villainous neck," said Bobbington, foaming with rage. "I twigged your game, and by ," he swore fearfully, "if I can do it, and if it costs me a thousand, I'll get you both sent up for life!" The clerk ,pf the course, with \the stewards, walked up to Digby Cleeveland. "Mr Cleeveland, will you remove your saddle and weigh, please? We are waiting for you." "Here, hold onlY cried Will Baker. "I reckon I was alone when I passed the winning post." "Pardon me, sir," said) one of the stewards ; "you were third), half a- length away. You Chree mistook the winning post. In the weighing room a notice is posted to the effect that the finish for the Cup would be at the old stand. You were all .warned when you weighed out, and the starter also warned, you at the post." It. was true. "Digby Cleeveland at once recalled the of .- the . clerk' of the scale's;" übt both he , and ' the Baker's were too'i interested -in -conversation at- the post to take notice of* the"' starter's warning. They' had luced" ori" a" furlong' before the fields fighting. but a finish while the others were r all pulling up, andi Phyllis had actually Avon by a long ' Hal f-length. , Bobbington , gave-- vfent" to a deafening "Whoop KWorryjJ Worry ! Worry !" executing a^pas seulfor.the edification of all the bushmen present. "Good enough l ." he yelled; "vice in the soup, virtue triumphant ! ' How art thou fallen, oh, Lucifer, son,of Morning ! ' Weigh in, Archer !" Cleeveland -weighed in all right, and .congratulations poured in from every side. He made his way to the Ballara buggy. Artie Cartwright had long since informed Polly of "his "success. "I'm so glad, little woman," said Digby. "My whole thought was of you when that brute bowled me over. What odds didi you, get?'! : "Twelve to 1, thanks to you !" and Polly!s eyes were strangely 'liquid as shebent over him and said, "I'm so -glad you were not hurt in' that awful' fall, *daf — Digby!'? "' ! r .' "Hurt! He's never said Bobr bington, ' "just conic" up. "I say, Archer, the Bakers, and their' horses are disqualified for life.- ' Y.e gods ! How I laughed when I"^Jaw* you three sfinisjiifig 3»X furlong too 'far!" , '■■ -;' V"-> *