LBN’S DARK HORSE.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1930, Page 8 (Supplement)

LBN’S DARK HORSE.

CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

(By

“Moturoa.”)

■After stumbling over two chairs and the cat, the latter of .which shot into the coal scuttle with a clatter, Len lurched into’ the passage. A further mis-step the useless palm-stand' went for a skate, the more or less Nikau palm spreading itself messily over the more or less Brussels, carpet. The a.m. silence thus successfully disturbed, Len enthusiastically -swung into my room, tripped over the carpet arid crashed beside my bed. Len was drunk, and adjectivally so. ■My . room strangely enough seems to be regarded as a haven for wandering drunks, would-be suicides and other pests who apologetically thrust them-, selves on me, seeking consolation at hours when I would rather be dreaming of my own foaming tankards or some other pleasant hobby, I groaned, turned over and challenged the nocturnal visitor, though I knew full well’that only one. person could so successfully precipitate’ himself at my feet. Len .was a dreadful spectacle. Had he tried he could not have more successfully tangled, himself up with the remains of the bottle. Heedless of broken glass I sprang into the cold night and dragged him along to his bunk, collecting, the protesting Percy en route. Carefully depositing the mangled man on his bed, we made a liberal application of water and were greatly relieved to find that the damage was nothing more than a broken nose. More or less revived Len sat up and smiled serenely at us both. The warmth of his glance failed to change the frigidity of our star.es in exchange, but 'Len was unperturbed and enthusias - cally gurgled: “Gotta horse,. Moty. Bought it out of that double I struck last week. Commere. Let •yer- inter ther stable secretch.” Percy passed some caustic remarks, but .1 became interested and stopped hint because I saw. Len needed some humouring. I gently inquired what kind of a horse he had picked up, and what;he intended doing with it. And as an afterthought

I dived, back to my room for the bottle I keep in case of accidents. The fact that I picked up sundry pieces of glass with nay bare feet worried me not—at the time. •' • ■ When the strained relations of the .party were somewhat improved with my whisky, I ventured to broach the subject once more. As a feeler, I won-, dered where this dark horse , was to be stabled. ' “Kick the blanky .fowls out of their shed and raise the roof a bit,” Len informed us in an expansive way. . ‘‘Say, youse blokes had better treat ‘me right or I won’t tell yer when to punt on my 'horse, It’ll be better’n Moty’s brum tips anyway. 'Percy did not-seem to see eye to eye with him, being probably upset, about being hauled in to the party. He was in an aggressive mood and sarcastically remarked, “The. old girl will be sure io give you the'fowl-house io knock a'bout. ’Spose you 11 instai electric Tight out there, ..put in a wireless set and have the place steam-heated throughout. Aou can- stop home then,/and- read to him what Carbine and Gloaming did. instead of ■ getting tight every night of the week,” '7 ■ - ■- - Leri surveyed him critically and turned to me for a more;sympathetic hearing. “We'll have to work him at night so’s no one’ll be awake to what he. can do,” he confided to me, “and we can back him for the Christmas Handicap or one of the big races at New Plymouth. The chap told me he was a four-year-old colt by Night Raid out of a full-sis-ter -to Phar Lap’s dam. Orter be gpod< : ,^foty ; '?” iPercy had moved nearer the door and asked, “Who’s'going to hold the electric torches for.you to work him? Why don’t you give the goat an'lrish name and try him with, green sidelights?”:I .ventured to remark upon the difficulties of training a horse at night-time, and Len sank back in a stupor or reverie—anyway he looked /serioys. Percy poured out the last -spot and was suddenly struck bv a brilliant notion; ■ . . ■ “Why’the thing wouldn’t gallop in • the. day light if he did all his work at night. But you.might be able to'.take him across to-Western Australia for the electric light meetings. ... The problem was too much for Len, and, with the cold- gray dawn just making its dismal appearance, he relapsed into a noisome sleep. I was buried in retrospect and absentmindedly picking, splinters of glass out of .my feet. With hopes at zero-level; I looked across at Percy, but he had had about enough, so I wearily invited him outside to 'o<>k over Len’s dark horse. z ' . Tied to the front door was an ancient brown mare , with the most dejected look I hav.e seen on any prad. In a flash' I recognised her as Queenie, the once famous pacing mare and pride df Spotswood. In the racing notes of every sporting paper she .has been immortalised. For a second I was at loss to explain the problem, and-then I saw it all. I fell to cursing the practical joker with much gnashing of teeth and rending of hair—apd then woke up. . ' 1’ - .