TEN MINUTES’ STORY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3947, 2 June 1913, Page 3

TEN MINUTES’ STORY.

HIS FIRST BEt

. (By !'. A. VAILE.) Bobby was a Tr.ght little boy. ana be lived in a small town in New Zealand, where the frozen mutton and the famous footballers come from. Bobby’s here was the butcher bey who camp round each day mounted on a great thoroughbred horse. Bobby admired this horse more than anything else in the world, and when the butcher boy told Bobby that the horse which was called Tha Charmer, was going to run in the Hack Hurdle Bare at the.next race meeting, Bobby’s admiration knew no bounds, and lip secretlyl' resolved to see race. To many it will seem strange that a butcher’s hack should be a thoroughbred fit to race, but that is not by any means an unprecedented occur- . rouge on the West Coast'of the North Island, where grand thoroughbreds are very cheap, and 1 the hack of today is the cup horse of to-morrow. The day of the great race meeting drew near, and Bobby’s excitement became greater as the time grew shorter, and he noticed The Charmer’s silken coat glistening and his muscles standing out clean-cut and hard as nails. One day The Charmer did not come, and Bobby’s friend explained that he was getting the finishing touches put on Ins preparation for the hurdle race.

The great day cam© at last, and Bobby, who had much against his will been sent to school, for ho’knew all his people were going to the races, “bunked out,” as he;called it, directly be got a. chance. He went home, and, as lie expected, found everyone away at the races except the cook. Her lie tried to tap for the small loan of one shilling, which Bobby was wont to. call a bob; but cookie did not care for Bobby’s security. Robert was of a resourceful nature, however. He went upstairs and hunted about until lie found his sister’s money-box, then with the aid of a table-knife lie induced a skilling to desert its lawful abode, feeling sure he would in due course be, able to meet this liability, and with the consciousness of a good deed well done Bobby hied him away to the racecourse. Here lie saw a ticket at the gates, “Admission One Shilling.” Now Bobby’s whole capital consisted of that purloined shilling, and he had no intention of paying to get in to see- that race meeting if be could avoid it, co he wandered carelessly on past the grandstand until lie came to a knot of other little boys like himself who were gazing longingly through "the cracks in the fence hoping for a chance to scale it and dash across into the crowd on the course; but it seemed hopeless, for inside walking up and down was a mounted policeman—and lie bad a whip. Bobby took in the situation at a glance. “It’s no ns? you trying it on here, boys,” he said. “Go down to the corner and make a rush aTI together while pretend to get over here. Somo of you’ll get over, and some’ll get cut off, but its worth trying.” To Bobby’s huge delight his advice was followed. Directly Bobby saw them well placed he climbed up on the fence and put his leg over as though lie was going to drop down. That was what the policeman was there for. In an instant lie was bearing down on Bobby at full speed, when lie heard a roar of laughter from the crowd. "Without a moment’s hesitation lie wheeled his horse and dashed down the course with circling whip, but too late to oatc-h the fleeing conspirators, who melted into the friendly crowd as the pistol-like crack of the policeman’s whip echoed in the rear not so very far from their heels.

The policeman dragged his horse up on his haunches, wheeled him, and era Hoped back to cut Bobby off, but. that young gentleman was too good a judge of pace. He was sauntering away amongst the crowd now, feeling that things were moving very well with him.

Bobby’s next problem was how to get some money to put on the totalisator, for he had made up his mind to have a bet on The Charmer. He wandered across the course until he came to the shooting gallery. Here were all kinds of weird machines for luring the money out of the stockmen’s pocket. Bobby saw a .large disc going round like a wheel with the legend, “A shilling a shot. Ten shillings to anyone hitting the white ball.” Needless to say the white ball was not very large, and when anyone adjudged likely to hit it was firing, that disc was not going very slowly. There was quite a crowd round that little saloon, and they looked on with interest when Bobby planked down liis shilling and elected “to have a go at the' white.” Bobby with his pea rifle could pick the eye out of a rook up in the tallest gum-tree. He hit that disc plumb hi the centre, gathered up liis earnings, and tunning a deaf qar to the solicitations of the proprietor to win some more, he wended his wav to the totalisator.

Putting down liis money manfully, Bobby asked for a ticket on The Charmer. The clerk said, “Run away, we don’t take money from boys, and any way The Charmer isn’t in this race, and even if lie were, the tickets were a pound each/’ This upset poor Bobby very much, for he saw that after all his trouble he would not be able to back The Charmer. Now Bobby, it is sad to relate, was only twelve years old, and this sudden shock was too much .for him. Retiring to the rear of the totalisator house, he gave vent to his grief. Presently he heard someone saying. “Wash marrer, my boy?” and looking up through his tears by saw a jolly old fanner who had been enjoying his winnings. Bobby soon made liis new friend understand his trouble. The kind oldi boy quickly fond a way out of the difficulty. “I’ll take thuzzer half,” he said, so Bobby gave him his money; and together they sallied forth. Hie horses having gone out for the Hack Hurdle Race, the old farmer went in and took 9/ ticket on The Charmer, which he gave to Bobby. Now although Bobby’s friend the butcher boy had talked very largely to Bobby about The Chan mer’s Chances, he did not fancy them very much himself, nor did anyone else, for everyone thought that Magpie,. a fine performer with, the hounds, was sure to win, so that although there were three hundred pounds bn the machine Bobby" held the only ticket on The Charmer,, This meant that if he woni Bobby would, get the whole of the three hundred pounds, less the commission deducted for the totalisator. , • " ' . . ’ . / ; The dream of his life seemed to have • oome true as Bobby stood on the hill and watched them away. ■■ Magpie s jockey had a bright yellow ; jacket, and Bobby had. no difficulty in following him- and The Charmer, for lie knew him as well as he did his friend the butcher boy, even without.his jockey-s crimson jacket. ' Bobliy saw the-flag dip. There was a flashing of color, a cloud of dust, and they were off'in the blazing sun haze, which danced and . shimmered across the course. A mist that was not heat-haze swam-before Bobby s eyes, hut presently' things began to sort themselves out. a bit. Yes, there was Magpie going splendidly in front, something in blue and white jacket next, The Charmer moving in greil style and : fencing faultlessly third. Sc they went round 1 until it came to the bend into the straight. To' Bobby s eyes the world seemed 1 to resolve itself into a red speck. Presently it went out. Bobby gasped.’ It.was behind the blue and white jacket. It. glided into view again.. Again it went out, and was away for a- longer tinio than before. Bot>by nibbed his* eyes; The Charmer and Magpie were coming round the bend together. The red spot swung into. view, again, and again Bobby drew breath.. Only two more hurdles to go. .They rise together, two dots of color, yellow and red, to

Bobby. Will it last for ever, bo thinks, as lie stands breathless and watches them rise at the lust hurdle. The Charmer clears it in faultless style. Magpie hits it and pecks badly, his jockey is shot forward nearly cut of his saddle, hut hoi so and rider make a wonderful recovery, yet that mistake cost Magpie several lengths. There is still about twoli undred yards to go. and Magpie’s jockey is riding a finish such as only a ; born horseman can. Horse and rider are''one, and whip and spur ancl hands and legs are doing all that can he done, as, with a final gallant spurt, Mugpio closes on The Charmer and they dash past the post locked together—But Magpie’s blunder settled him. He came a head too Late. , and The Charmer’s number went up first. Bobby raced down to the total-Ba-tor and lianded in, his ticket. He liad to wait a few minutes, and lie count not understand why there were so few people waiting for their dividends, for lie knew that generally there ' were quite a number of people waiting to be paid after each race. Bobby, was' nearly paralysed when the clerk began, to count out piles of bank notes for him. Bobby put them all on the counter, and-when the clerk stopped lie put all the gold and silver into, his pockets and took up his bundle of' notes, as big as his hat, between his two hands, and went round to the back of the totalisator house.

On the hill watching the race were Bobby’s father and some friends. To one of them cams an* acquaintance breathless, saying, “Do you know who’s got all the money?” “That little beggar Bobby Burton had the only .ticket on the winner, ancl 1 The Charmer lias paid three hundred pounds.” He tto whom this was told went swiftly down and came upon Bobby, who still stood embarrassed with his riches grasped between liis hands.

“Bobby, you little idiot,” lie said, “put that a way. Your father will "he down hero in a minute.”

“Will lie?” said Bobby. Then without hesitating ho bent his head forward, caught a ten-pound note in his teeth, gently extricated it, and turning to his friend, said, j But that down my nock, will you?” _ 0 The obliging friend did so none too soon, for Bobby’s father hove in sight a moment later and bore down on liis hopeful son with every sign of wrath, for lie had also heard of Bobby’s escapade, as was natural. “Give that stuff to me,” lie said, “and go up to the carriage at once.’’ Bobby did as he was hid, and walked straight away, although the ten-pound note was tickling his spine, but before lie went up to the carriage he slipped round and looked for his old friend, who, however, was nowhere to he seen. Bobby was in rare disgrace over this exploit, but ho acted well according to his code of morals. He changed that note for sovereigns and squared liis patty larceny by inserting a yellow shilling in liis sister’s money box. hie gave the hutcher-boy enough for that young gentleman to “have the time of liis life on,” as ho expressed it, although Bobby could not resist the temptation to ask him wliev lie didn’t have a bet on Tlie Charmer himself. Bobby’s father put the money in the savings bank for him, hut many a time and Bobby thought of the old gentleman who 'liad been enjoying himself, and who really owned half of it, and he. was uneasy .in his mind about it.

One day some months afterwards Bobby went for a long drive with his mother to see a tenant on a distant part of tli eestate, who had once been a servant of his mother. They were very poor now, and the woman was telling Bobby’s mother what a hard struggle they were having, and liow she was afraid the bad season was goins to ruin her and her husband, who was really getting too old to work hard. He was away now, she said, in the bush, and she expected him back at any moment. While they were talking he came in. Bobby knew in a moment. He was the owner of half his bank balance. Bobby bad hard - work to bottle up his words and feelings, but he managed it. Directly lie got home lie went and mads a. clean breast of it to liis father, and old Lorimore got- his half of the money and interest, 'and no one was better pleased or more surprised than liimself. for lie knew nothing about it.