The Tramper's Bet
0 METEOR was a likely colt, and Sue a gallant hilly, But all the share o' cash I had I banged on Squintin' Billy. A squintin' woman gave me meat from a cottage as I .cattle, And so the tramper's money went to back the lucky name. And co • ' to the course, I heard a splendid thing besides : " There's luck on any Leinster horse that Andy Doolev rides."
Meteor and Sue ; a scrawny bay ; a chestnut ; and Sir Din, An' Conlon Bloo, an' Peek o' Malt --Faith, Choice for any titan!
A hedge, a ditch, a grassy bank, a hurdle, and a wall, A brook-- -you'd wonder how a horse could hell the like at all. Three rounds of it, and at the end a furlong straight to run. The field had narra'd down to six before they'd.finishcd one. The chestnut tried to clear the brook an' landed on her head, Missiri her rider by an inch : I thought to see 'm dead. But up with him, and mopped his gob, and hobbled to the side With cursin' talk of lammin' sense into the filly's hide. Sir Dan strud out a goM' gait—I didn't like his look lie ruz the ditch, he ruz the stones, he ruz the tricky brook. lie led the second round, and lads was givin' three to one, Till at the bank he flung his man : the fella up and run To mount again, but all the field was by, and 'twas too late. " That same's an awkward horse to sit, for all his gain' gait," A fella says ; and now they come to the start of the third round.
Bedani, but I'd have backed me man to win for twenty pound They cleared the hedge, and then I seen Meteor was goin' lame ; His rider Checked 'm at the ditch (a likely colt, that saute) : The bay was leadin', Sue was next, with Andy toxin' third Aye, foxin' : when the hurdle came he tuk it like a bird ! Then conic the stones, and there we seen the last o' Cordon Bloo
And curses at the next fence came from them as folley'd Sue. The bay and Billy :• then, bedam, 'twits Billy and the bay 1 For Andy had the legs of 'in, an' run for holiday I Aye, Squintin' Billy, he's the colt, and Andy, he's the boy ! Now where's the man that grudges me me winnin's and
Previous page
