Langdon if dere was anyt'ing doin'; an' Dick says to me, says he,
puttin' hot' t'umbs up"--and Mike held both hands out horizontally with
the thumbs stiff and vertical to illustrate this form of oath--"'there's
nottin' doin', Mike,' says he. What d'ye t'ink of that, sir, an' me
knowin' there was?" asked Mike, tragically.

"It's the biggest tip that always falls down, Gaynor; and they've got to
be pretty swift to beat Lucretia."

"That filly's all right; she's worked out well enough to do up that
field of stiffs. I ain't no rail bird, but I've hed me eye on her. But
I ain't doin' no stunt about horses, Mister Porter; I'm talkin' about
men. Th' filly's honest, and ye'r honest sir, but ye don't roide th'
mare yerself, do ye?"

"You think, Mike--" began Mr. Porter, questioningly; but Gaynor
interrupted him with: "I don't think nothin', sir, an' I ain't sayin'
nothin. I ain't never been before the Stewards yet for crooked work, or
crooked talk; but there's a boy ridin' in dat bunch to-day w'at got six
hundred for t'rowing me down once, see? S'elp me God! he pulled Blue
Smoke to a standstill on me, knowin' that it would break me. That was
at Coney Island, two years ago."

"And you don't remember his name, I suppose, Mike?"

"I don't remember not'in' but that I got it in th' neck. But ye keep
yer eye open, sir. Ye t'ink that none of the b'ys would t'row ye down
cause ye've been good to 'em; but some of 'em are that mean they'd steal
th' sugar from a fly. I know 'em. I hears 'em talk, cause they don't
mind me--t'ink I'm one of th' gang."