“The Dark Horse.”

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 245, 10 January 1889, Page 2

“The Dark Horse.”

Quits a tremor of excitement was caused In sporting circles on Tuesday night by tbe report that a “ dark horse ” had been brought from Napier to compete in the hack events at the forthcoming race mooting, and thus, I rading upon the ignorance of tbe local sports, earn a sensational totalisator dividend for the foreign speculators. A well known Gisborne man who is known to be partial to sporting and equally partial to a good joke, gave it out in strict confidence that he had seen the stranger, that it was a real beauty, and he believed that it could knock all bur trained cracks into a cocked hat—take that in any sense you like, one party tells us it meant the dark ’un could put tbe “ kibosh ” on the trained local cattle, an equally lucid explanation which we should certainly not ask a parson to interpret. The same gentleman gave out he had examined tha wonderful animal, that it was located in Mr Peter M’s place, and that as a great favor and in the most implicit confideifbe, you know, he would undertake to point out the mysterious visitor. It had just come overland from Napier, inquisitive people on the road being informed that it was Tom Sawyer or some other hot«e whose name is well-known, and had been stealthily brought into Gisborne just at dusk, One gentleman who is suspected of being a sporting scribe got an inkling of something mysterious afloat, and kept open as wide as his anatomical would admit, and looked as near the semblance of the innocence of a new born babe as he could manage. After a period of much anxiety and the following up of many delusive clues he accidentally overheard a whisper that at once gave the cue as to where ho might begin bis researches, and then ho trusted to bis own cleverness to bring them to a successful issue. He at leqgth succeeded so far as to obtain the confidence of the previously mentioned gentleman fond of sporting and fond of a joke. Seeing that the scribe had got on the scent the gentleman of sporting and joking proclivities made a virtue of necessity, and consented to act as guide to the exact spot. Stealthily they approached the scene and were just about to enter the gate, when Peter M. was seen to cross the yard. Then there was a bolt—not the horse, the prowlers. Pater was allowed to qnietly domesticate, when another approach was carefully male. This time success followed, but the horse being completely covered, and the scribe not very keensighted, he could do no further than satisfy himself of the truth of the rumours and resolve by some strategem to make a daylight visit. Yesterday m roing, by v>me unaccountable means, the rumors became general, and the gentleman that is fond of sporting and fond of a joke separately took several ardent sporting men into his eonfi.

dence and whispered to them of the phenomenal time which the dark one had recorded for the distance. In each ease irwas resolved to keep the matter as quiet as dumb people could make it, and many were the " treats ’ that were made in tbe undivulged prospect of hauling in a tremendous div. during the coming week. In each instanoa the secret visit of inspection was arranged, undua advantage being taken of Peter M’s absence from home, while in tha prosecution of his routine labor. Yesterday afternoon the mystery became seemingly much extended, and the matter became such an open secret that it was decided to allow the general public to inspect the animal. We have not been able to make a second inspection of the horse, and possibly we will not have a future opportunit*-, and therefore leave those interested to make a personal-inspection or keep their eye on the totalisator.