An Easy Winner

'We used to have some great times there boat racing on Sunday," began the man who had helped build a southern rallroad. "There was a good deal of money flying around, bettihg was as common as eating, and it was all right to turn a Sharp trick lf you didn't get caught at it. I had a partner, and we worked a scheme that coined money for a time. He never entered the races, but always backed me heavily, and we spilt the winnings. He had inventec a miniature propeller with a big spring as a motive power, on the same principie as a watch. At the slde o the boathouse a llttle wharf rat use to dive under my boat and attaoh this machine. When the starting gun sent us off I only had to touch a button, the propeller set to work, and I could regúlate my speed by rowlng as the sltuatlon demanded. I was a champlon, and I won money against a; corners, untll the boy was seired with a cramp one day. He carne up yelling, holding the machine over hls head. My partner and I escaped in the confusión and never went back." "It'a odd," said a brawny and griziled listener. "I joined that crowd Just af ter you left, and there was a standln' ufier of a thousand fur any one that would brlng you into camp. I was somethin' of an oarsman myself, but the company was a little too tast, bo.I edíicated a big catflsh that was as strong as a yoke of steers. I had a collar with a ring on that I 'tached to a hook under the boat. Mr. Oatflsh would hitch himself on there wlen the gun cracked, an' 111 be durned lf I dldn't have to back water sometimes to keep frum makin' exprees time. In my laat race I capslzed, and that durned flsh just got skeered an' took th' boat down th' rlver like a rocket. I swum to th' other shore In a hall of bulista an' got away." The man who had told the flrut story solemnly removed hls hat, and every other llstener followed his ; example. "Take the money, pard," I was all he could brlng himself to say,