Riding High Page #9

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to the races, huh?

My old sleeping bag. You'll be all right.

We'll get you zipped up here,

and you'll be snug as a bug in a rug.

- How that?

- That's fine.

- That better?

- Thanks, Dan.

You're a sweet kid, princess.

No kidding.

OK. Get some rest now.

- Dan?

- Hey?

Don't worry, everything will be all right.

Yeah. Sure.

- Sick animal.

- It's pretty bad, huh?

He's running a high fever.

I just gave him a shot of penicillin.

But with a cold like that, it may be

some time before the horse runs.

He looks so pathetic.

Every two hours, give him these.

Send the boy with me, and I'll send

you back some capsules.

- OK.

- Save a lot of time.

Say, doc, he's entered in the big race

Saturday. What am I gonna do?

Saturday? Well, I don't know,

that's a week off.

Horses are very funny. Sometimes

they snap out of it just like that.

And sometimes...

But don't work him until the fever

disappears, and he starts eating again.

Even then, I wouldn't work him

too hard. Give his heart a chance.

Rest him till the very

last minute. All right, Whitey.

Come on, Bill. Come on.

You're not gonna let Dan

down now, are you?

You're not gonna let

a little cold stop you.

Come on, try and get up.

Well, do we or do we not

call this whole thing off?

I don't want a fiasco happening around

here. They're hinting at it already.

Father, don't you dare call anything off.

It's my wedding.

I warned you, Margaret, you and

your hockey players and jockeys.

And it's coming off

according to schedule,

and neither you nor

any horse is going to stop it.

Why don't you do something about it?

What's Alice doing down there?

Oh, she took him down

a pet rooster or something.

Rooster? Has she gone crazy too?

I don't like it.

That's no place for her, the little imp.

Oh, stop worrying about Alice.

She'll be back, and so will Dan.

- Yes? Perhaps.

- That's what I came to see you about.

I know the others have been talking

to you about the paper-box factory.

Well, I can't hold his job

open indefinitely.

You owe it to me to hold it open

for him. It was your fault he left.

My fault the man

doesn't like paper boxes?

You thought you could order

him around,

the way you do Mary's husband,

and Mathilda's.

He didn't wanna leave. He loves me.

You drove him away.

We always get around to this,

don't we?

Imagine the position

that you've put me in.

People are saying I have a horse for

a rival, and the horse is winning out.

Well, it's true, isn't it?

And you're not doing a thing to stop it.

If that horse wins a race,

you'll never see Dan Brooks again.

Oh, Father, be your age.

The day of miracles is over.

I inquired about Broadway Bill.

The man at the nightclub

said he was a pig.

Pig?

Yes?

A man by the name

of Butch calling, sir.

Butch?

Oh, yes. Yes. Put him on.

Hello, Mr. Butch?

Are you prepared to accept

a wager on a pig...? A horse?

Come on, let's get up.

Try. Come on, get up.

Dars out there worrying. You don't

want Dan to worry over you, do you?

Come on, Bill. Come on, try.

Try to get up. We gotta

win that race Saturday, Bill.

Come on, boy.

Come on, now, try real hard. Try.

We're going up this time. Come on.

Here we go. This time, we get up.

Come on. Come on. Come...

Come on, boy.

Up you go. Dan, he's getting up!

- Dan! Dan, he's up!

- Oh, you old goldbrick artist.

You're gonna be all right. Come on,

get up on your toes. On your feet.

Whitey! Whitey! Oh, Whitey!

Whitey, bring us a carrot. Come on.

Oh, I got some right here.

Here, Bill. Here.

Look, he's eating. Oh, this horse has

got a heart as big as a grandstand.

- He's gonna be OK.

- Think he'll be able to run on Saturday?

Run? He'll dance!

A do-si-do and away we go! Do-si-do...

What are we doing dancing here?

We got work to do.

- Come on, Bill. Come on, boy.

- But the vet said not to work him.

Oh, he don't know this horse.

This is a different horse.

Come on, Bill. You big sissy, you.

Come on, boy. Come, Bill. Here, Bill.

Come on, you big, black...

Come on, boy.

He's gonna run Saturday.

He's gonna win Saturday. Come on.

Big old goldbrick, in there

goldbricking on me, werert you?

You was goldbricking on me.

Yes, you was.

- No, professor, I...

- Oh, I nearly forgot.

- Compliments of vinegar-puss.

- Well, isn't this dandy? Fine.

Oh, sinkers again. Don't you ever

have any meat over at your house?

Meat? Meat? What's meat?

Professor, I don't think

we can take a chance.

The vet told me not to dare

run this horse until Saturday.

So we gotta find some other way

to raise the $500. Are you with me?

- To the bitter end, my friend.

- Now, I have a suggestion.

Of course, it's likely to jar

your tender sensibilities,

but suppose we go to work for it?

Oh, my allergy.

It's our only hope.

There's a lot of ways you can pick up a

little quick scratch around a racing town.

Why don't you go collect Happy

and see what you can do.

Well, the shock will probably kill him,

and I feel slightly nauseous myself.

Godspeed, professor. Whitey?

- Yes, sir?

- You got any ideas?

Oh, yes, sir.

My acrobats are ready to perform.

- Can I help too?

- That's a handsome offer, honey,

- but it's a mars job.

- Five hundred is a lot of money.

I just let Whitey and the professor

in on it so they'd feel good.

I could raise the whole

bundle myself.

Matter of fact, I'm on my way now,

down to the bank where they know me.

Open. Let's see. Boing. So long.

I tell you, that dog was leading

all the way and got beat by that much.

- Mr. Bagley?

- Yes, ma'am.

- Did you see that last race?

- I wouldn't bet him with your dough.

He hadrt had a horse out of...

Say, bud, they still giving 15 bucks

a pint for this stuff?

Where you been?

Twenty-five, as long as it's red.

Oh, happy day.

Well, they can drain me dry, boy.

I'm gonna leave here loaded.

Hey? Who do you like in the fifth?

Oh, I gotta pick up a fast 500.

I need a long shot.

There's a thing in there called Fancy

Felice, gonna be about 30-for-1. Yeah.

I'm betting my pint on her, boy.

Well, it's your blood.

- Fancy Felice.

- Mr. Brooks.

Hit me with that happy needle.

- Leave me enough to get home on.

- Roll your sleeve down.

- What?

- Your blood count's rather low.

You haven't been eating regularly,

have you?

Oh, you must have got ahold of

a bad corpuscle or something, sister.

- Here, try the other arm.

- Yeah, I know.

We have a fund for fellows like you.

Go out and get yourself a good meal.

- Mr. Shaugnessy?

- Here.

I'm Dan Brooks.

I own Broadway Bill.

He's gonna win the derby.

Not if he hasn't been eating any better

than you have. Go in, Mr. Shaugnessy.

- What's with you?

- Late scratch.

I'm just a drip without a drop, I guess.

Right at the captairs house.

Come on, dice.

- Ten is the play.

- A dollar and six bits on ten.

- Ten.

- Wait a minute.

- Loaded.

- You double-crosser, you!

- Hello.

- Yes?

How do you hock something?

First time, huh? Just put it

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