SELLING A HORSE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 159, 11 August 1914, Page 6

SELLING A HORSE.

A DEAD CERT. [Written for THE SUN.] , Ever since Hori Karaitiana's gelding, Stick-lolly, had won three races in succession at the Manipoto Maori race meeting Hori had been besieged with offers, but always he refused to sell—even when the syndicate consisting of Karake, Timi Aporo and Tomamatu had offered fifty pounds. "No," he said firmly, "I like te horse, an' Ino sell,. I make te fifty, te Iran'red, te t lousan' poun 's wit 'Tick-rorry—I no sell. It was in vain. Tu Purau came back from Gisborne with a thumping big cheque won at shearing, and flaunted a wad of .notes at Hori, and he remained steadfast. Tu Purau .went to see Hori's wahine, Rewa, to enlist her sympathies, and got them for nothing. "But what te use," she said, "te o' man, he go porarigi over te 'orse. Me, 1 no count. I make te kai, he eat and he go to ride te Tic-k-rorry. J creen te whare, he go creen te 'orse. I have to sick pain, he no * care. Te 'orse he go sick, py C'rismus Hori he sreep wit him. I tilik Ino that man's wahine —py korry, no! He marry that 'orse. He roose te money, he go frash on te 'orse in Wairoa, he no work. Augh! lie porangi orright." THE GLORY OF IT.

Tu went away cqii vineed that his offer was hopeless. Hori continued to swagger about the town, clad in immaculate riding breeches and leggings and a greasy sporting coat. He was getting all the enjoyment he wanted, he could afford to swagger. He was the envied of all the crowd. He liked the air of respect that surrounded him when lie hitched Stick 7 lolly up to the hotel verandah and entered the bar. prestige that the horse gave him supplied him with many, free drinks i,besides.

But the "inevitable hour" brings the climax to all pomp and prr«le, as the author of the churchyard elegy once remarked, and it fell on Ilori. How Avae he to know that envious Fate was only waiting till his back was turned. Stick-lolly seemed unaccountably suffering from Jassitude that morning when

lie had proposed to go , galloping into Wairoa trailing clouds of dust and glory, so, reluctantly, he decided that Stick-lolly needed a rest, and he walked in. He entered, the bar of the " Grand rHoteJ/''. t&e township's ofte pub., aßd was met with curious questions as to why lie wasn't riding the horse this ;morning. Hori wasn't going to admit that Stick-lolly was sick; not much. There might come a time when it would be advisable to sell him. "Aw," he said loftily, "I pe train 'iin for te race. I give 'hn te rest. I make te big stake —te hun'red poun.' " r Not, any. more would he say, he wouldn't even tell which race he was entering. Stick-lolly for, and baffled Native curiosity rail riot in visions of Stick-lolly winning the Thousand Guineas at Napier Park. A STIFF. Stick-lolly seemed listless and uuhappy for days afterwards, and Hori and sweated. He stayed at home and sat.moodily on a rail looking at the horse as it drooped its head in the middle of the paddock. Then one morning, envious Fate struck. Hori's small eon came rushing into the whare while his father was just bestirring himself. " 'Tick-rorry! 'Tick-rorry! he been koniate!" Hori sprang* up aghast and rushed off . into the paddock. There lay the priceless horse, his legs stuck out rigidly. Hori walked round him, as though not convinced. Then he kicked hard with his bare foot, "Get Up!" he said angrily. Stick-lolly did not move. Hori gave another kick, "You te riar," he said dolefully, "Get Up!" Then he sat down on Stick-lolly's rigid remains and wept dolorously. Hori realised that Stick-lolly "was dead, but as he deplored Jus loss an idea seized him—perhaps, after all, there might be more value than mere hide in the horse. Full of his brilliant notion he dressed himself and set offfor the township. BLUFFING A WIN.

He entered the bar with an air of nonchalance; it was full of a crowd down for the fitting of the Laud Court; and* many, were, the enquiries he received* regarding Stick-lolly 'a progress. He heard them, and then he said, casually, "Aw, 1 buy te farm, I tink I sell 'Tick-rorry if I get te 'nuff money.'' Exclamations of surprised interest followed the announcement: at least

twenty Natives offered straight-out .purchase when the court finished sitting. But Hori was imperturbable. "I no think I sell him—eferypody you ferrers want him. I terra you—l make te raffle, one. quid te'chance-, • Did they bite? "Every Maori in the township wanted the glory of being the possessor of that horse. Scouts were sent along to the Courthouse and to the Maori hostelry, spreading the glad news and collecting the notes. Hori soon has the pockets of his trousers stuffed full of notes and sovereigns, and, with the aid of Te Pana Thompson, the . halfcaste, who was a solicitor's clerk before he went back to kianga, a list of the rafflers was made out, and .the slips bearing the names were folded ;up and put into a jug. It was Te Pan a's idea that it would simplify matters if the names were put in and just one draw allowed. HEADS I WW, TAILS YOU LOSE. The landlord kindly consented. He put his hand in the jug and stirred the slips rouiid with great solemnity, and then drew a ticket. He unfolded it— f 4 Tami Puterino!" he announced in a loud voice. A babel broke out, and Tami's hand was .shaken violently; Hori himself came out and .shodk it. "When you come to take 'im?" lie asked. "Aw, I come now, I fink." Hori thought a moment. "Orright," he said, "we go now." < They took the one decrepit motor car that plied for hire in the village, arid on reaching Hori's maize patch they walked across the paddocks together. They found the horse;, lie was in the same position as when Hori left him in the morning. Tami espied the. animal afar off and pointed him out. " f'Yeh," said Hori; "he asleep, I s'pose.'' . . .. A FAIE COMPOUND. But Tami realised the truth when he got closer, and his face contorted itself into an expression of grief, rage, and acute disappointment. He turned on Hori — "He bin dead!" lie shouted. Hori did his best to assume aa ex- j pression of shocked wonderment; he j walked up to Stick-lolly's corpse and I kicked it once again; th®n he turned! slowly to Tami, and said in an awe-j Stricken voice, "Py Korri! he komate I orright!" Tami was choked with a rush of language to the mouth, but at last his words found vent. "You te ; roque, te riar, te tief!" he shouted. "Youknow te 'orse he bin dead orra time!" Hori took one glance at Tami's impassioned visage, and realised the hopelessness of bluff. "Ho, yeh; I know he dead orright; but I terra you—l give you te ten quid, an' you no say te word!" XUI.