I won easily, and pocketed a snug sum. Everybody was now
talking horse race. Major Brown said that if Tall Bull could beat the
Pawnees' fast horse, I could break his whole command.
The next day all the troops were paid off, including the Pawnees. For
two or three days our Indian allies did nothing but run horses, as all
the lately captured animals had to be tested to determine which was the
swiftest. Finally the Pawnees offered to run their favorite against
Tall Bull. They raised three hundred dollars to bet on their horse, and
I covered the money. In addition I took numerous side bets. The race
was a single dash of a mile. Tall Bull won without any trouble, and I
was ahead on this race about seven hundred dollars.
I also got up a race for my pony, Powder Face, against a fast pony
belonging to Major Lute North, of the Pawnee Scouts. I selected a small
boy living at the Post for a jockey, Major North rode his own pony. The
Pawnees, as usual, wanted to bet on their pony, but as I had not yet
ascertained the running qualities of Powder Face I did not care to risk
much on him. Had I known him as well as I did afterward I would have
backed him with every cent I had. He proved to be one of the swiftest
ponies I ever saw, and had evidently been kept as a racer.
The dash between the ponies was to be four hundred yards. When I led
Powder Face over the course he seemed to understand what he was there
for.
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