Part 7 (1/2)

he answered, as he went down the steps with the messenger.

Allis breathed more freely when he had gone. Somehow his presence had oppressed her; perhaps it was the fierce stephanotis that came in clouds from the lady behind that smothered her senses. Crane had said nothing--just an ordinary compliment. Like an inspiration it came to the girl what had affected her so disagreeably in Crane--it was his eyes.

They were hard, cold, glittering gray eyes, looking out from between partly closed eyelids. Allis could see them still. The lower lids cut straight across; it was as though the eyes were peeping at her over a stone wall.

”What did I tell you about Crusader?” Alan said, triumphantly. ”There's another.”

”Alan!”

”I wondered why Mr. Crane was so deuced friendly; but there's nothing to get cross about, girl, he's a fine old chap, and got lots of wealth.”

He leaned forward till he was close to his sister's ear, and added, in a whisper, ”Her ladys.h.i.+p behind, Belle Langdon, is trying to hook him.

Phew!--but she's loud. But I'm off--I'm going to see what the row is about.”

IV

When John Porter left the stand, the horses had just cantered back to weigh in. The jockeys, one after another, with upraised whip, had saluted the Judge, received his nod to dismount, pulled the saddles from their steeds, and, in Indian file, were pa.s.sing over the scales.

As Lucretia was led away, Porter turned into the paddock. He saw that Langdon was waiting for him.

”Well, he won, just as I said he would,” declared the latter; ”you've got a good horse cheap. You'd ought to've had a bet down on him, an' won him out.”

”He won,” answered Porter, looking straight into the other's s.h.i.+fty eyes, ”but he's a long way from being a good horse--no dope horse is a good horse.”

”What're you givin' me?” demanded Langdon, angrily.

”Just what every blackguard ought to have--the truth.”

”By G.o.d!” the Trainer began, in fierce blasphemy, but John Porter took a step nearer, and his gray eyes pierced the other man's soul until it shriveled like a dried leaf, and turned its anger into fear.

”Oh, if you want to crawl--if you don't want to take Lauzanne--”

But Porter again interrupted Langdon---”I said I'd take the horse, and I will; but don't think that you're fooling me, Mr. Langdon. You're a blackguard of the first water. Thank G.o.d, there are only a few parasites such as you are racing--it's creatures like you that give the sport a black eye. If I can only get at the bottom of what has been done to-day, you'll get ruled off, and you'll stay ruled off. Now turn Lauzanne over to Andy Dixon, and come into the Secretary's office, where I'll give you a check for him.”

”Well, we'll settle about the horse now, an' there'll be somethin'

to settle between us, John Porter, at some other time and some other place,” bl.u.s.tered Langdon, threateningly.

Porter looked at him with a half-amused, half-tolerant expression on his square face, and said, speaking in a very dry convincing voice: ”I guess the check will close out all deals between us; it will pay you to keep out of my way, I think.”

As they moved toward the Secretary's office, Porter was accosted by his trainer.

”The Stewards want to speak to you, sir,” said Dixon.

”All right. Send a boy over to this man's stable for Lauzanne--I've bought him.”

The Trainer stared in amazement.

”I'll give you the check when I come back,” Porter continued, speaking to Langdon.