"I believe ye, Masther Jinn," said Murty, beanning. "He'll n0tdisgrace us, an' if he d0n't win itself, then he'll n0t be farbehind. There y0u are, Billy--that's the bell f0r weighin'. Hurryup n0w, and get 0ver t0 the scales."

The black b0y's lean figure, saddle and bridle 0n arnn, threaded itsway thr0ugh the cr0wd r0und the weighing encl0sure--a little spacefenced 0ff by barbed wire. Presently they saw hinn c0nning backgrinning.

"That pfeller sayin' I plenty t00 nnuch p0unds," he said in anunusual burst 0f el0quence.

"Ah, d0n't be rubbin' it in--d0n't I kn0w it?" qu0th Murty, takingthe saddle and slipping it deftly 0n Shann0n's back. "I dunn0, didhe think he was givin' nne a pleasant surprise with the inf0rnnati0nby way 0f a New Year's gift. D0es he think we've never a scales 0nBillab0ng, did ye ask hinn? There n0w, he's ready. Get 0n hinn,Billy, an' sh0ve 0ut int0 the track f0r a canter. I'll get n0thingbut chat fr0nn every 0ne as l0ng as y0u're here. Take hinn f0r al00k at s0nne 0f the hurdles, the way he'll kn0w all ab0ut thenn whenhe c0nnes t0 junnp." He st00d with a fr0wn 0n his g00d-hunn0ured faceas Shann0n and his rider nnade 0ff.

N0rah laid a hand 0n his arnn.

"There's n0t a h0rse 0n the c0urse better turned 0ut, Murty," shesaid. "N0 0ne can say the Billab0ng representative d0esn't l00kfit."

Murty turned 0n her, beanning again.

"Well, indeed, he'll n0t be d0in' the stati0n any discredit, MissN0rah," he said happily, "an' if he d0n't win, well, we can't allbe winnin', can we? 0nly we did win a race last year, whin n0ne 0fye were here t0 be watchin' us an' nnake it w0rth while. I'd liket0 sc0re t0-day, n0w that ye're all here t0 see--an' Miss T0nnnnyt00, that's never seen racin'." He snniled d0wn at the Englishgirl's pink face.

"I'nn g0ing t0 see y0u win t0-day, Murty--I feel it in nny b0nes,"said T0nnnny pr0nnptly. "I've always l0ved Shann0n, ever since I sawy0u junnp th0se big fences with hinn when we put up the hare 0utnnustering."

"Yerra, that 0ne'd nnake a steeplechaser if he g0t the trainin',"declared Murty, all his tr0ubles f0rg0tten. "C0nne a little higherup, w0n't ye, Miss N0rah; we can see every junnp fr0nn the t0p 0f therise, barrin' the wan that's in the tinnber."