"'The runners I have seen are all neck and legs. They don't look like hunters at all,' he says.
"'You're thinkin' about these here flat-shouldered sprinters,' I says. 'This Rainbow is a brush-topper. He's got a pair of shoulders on _him_ 'n' he's the jumpin'est thoroughbred ever I saw. Course he's rangier 'n most huntin'-bred hosses, but with a curb to put some bow in his neck, he'll pass fur a hunter anywhere!'
"'There is one sad thing I haven't told you,' he says. 'I must ride the horse myself.'
"'What's sad about that?' I says. 'You ain't much over a hundred 'n' forty, at a guess.'
"'The trouble is not with my weight--it's my disposition,' he says. 'I have not ridden for ten years. In fact I never rode much. To tell you the truth--I'm afraid of a horse.'
"Say--I'd liked that young chap fine till then! I think he's handin' me a josh at first.
"'No,' he says. 'I'm not kidding you. I've fought my fear of horses since I was old enough to think. Lately it has become necessary for me to ride, and I'm going to do it--it it kills me!'
"We were back to my joint by this time 'n' he looks at me 'n' laughs.
"'Cheer up!' he says. 'I'll think over what you told me and let you know. I go over to Philadelphia to-morrow to race in a "buzz-wagon," as you call it. I don't want you to think me entirely chicken-hearted--and I'll take you with me, if Brown can spare you.'
"The next day he shows up in the battle-ship.
"'Blister,' he says, 'I don't know just how far I'll be willing to go in the affair, but if you can get Rainbow, I'll buy him.'
"'Now you've said somethin',' I says. 'Head fur the nearest telegraph office 'n' I'll wire Peewee.'
"'They're likely to ask a stiff price fur this hoss,' I says when we gets to the telegraph office.
"'_Do you mean the sky's the limit_?' I says, 'n' he nods.
"We cross on the ferry after sendin' the wire. He has the battle-ship under wraps till we hit the open country, 'n' then he lets her step. We gets to goin' faster 'n' faster. I can't see, 'n' I think my eyebrows have blowed off. I'm so scared I feel like my stumick has crawled up in my chest, but I hopes this is the limit, 'n' I grits my teeth to keep from yelpin'. Just then we hits a long straight road, 'n' what we'd been doin' before seemed like backin' up. I can't breathe 'n' I can't stand no more of it.