the man who could not lose-第8部分

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Dolly；　holding　back　her　tears；　smiled　mournfully。　〃Make　it　a
hundred；〃　she　said。

Half　of　the　forty　thousand　at　the　track　had　backed　Delhi；　the　other
half；　following　Carter's　luck　and　his　confidence　in　proclaiming　his
convictions；　had　backed　Beldame。　Many　hundred　had　gone　so　far　as　to
bet　that　the　three　horses　he　had　named　would　finish　as　he　had
foretold。　But；　in　spite　of　Carter's　tip；　Delhi　still　was　the
favorite；　and　when　the　thousands　saw　the　Keene　polka…dots　leap　to
the　front；　and　by　two　lengths　stay　there；　for　the　quarter；　the
half；　and　for　the　three…　quarters；　the　air　was　shattered　with
jubilant；　triumphant　yells。　And　then　suddenly；　with　the　swiftness
of　a　moving　picture；　in　the　very　moment　of　his　victory；　Beldame
crept　up　on　the　favorite；　drew　alongside；　drew　ahead　passed　him；
and　left　him　beaten。　It　was　at　the　mile。

The　night　before　a　man　had　risen　in　a　theatre　and　said　to　two
thousand　people：　〃The　favorite　will　lead　for　the　mile；　and　give　way
to　Beldame。〃　Could　they　have　believed　him；　the　men　who　now　cursed
themselves　might　for　the　rest　of　their　lives　have　lived　upon　their
winnings。　Those　who　had　followed　his　prophecy　faithfully；
superstitiously；　now　shrieked　in　happy；　riotous
self…congratulation。　〃At　the　MILE！〃　they　yelled。　〃He　TOLD　you；　at
the　MILE！〃　They　turned　toward　Carter　and　shook　Panama　hats　at　him。
〃Oh；　you　Carter！〃　they　shrieked　lovingly。

It　was　more　than　a　race　the　crowd　was　watching　now；　it　was　the
working　out　of　a　promise。　And　when　Beldame　stood　off　Proper's　rush；
and　Proper　fell　to　second；　and　First　Mason　followed　three　lengths
in　the　rear；　and　in　that　order　they　flashed　under　the　wire；　the
yells　were　not　that　a　race　had　been　won；　but　that　a　prophecy　had
been　fulfilled。

Of　the　thousands　that　cheered　Carter　and　fell　upon　him　and　indeed
did　tear　his　clothes　off　his　back；　one　of　his　friends　alone　was
sufficiently　unselfish　to　think　of　what　it　might；　mean　to　Carter。

〃Champ！〃　roared　his　friend；　pounding　him　on　both　shoulders。　〃You
old　wizard！　I　win　ten　thousand！　How　much　do　you　win？〃

Carter　cast　a　swift　glance　at　Dolly。　he　said；　〃I　win　much　more　than
that。〃

And　Dolly；　raising　her　eyes　to　his；　nodded　and　smiled　contentedly。






End