From that time the Little Warhorse became the pride of the Irish boy.
Slipper Slyman had been honorably reinstated and Mickey reduced to the
rank of Jack-starter, but that merely helped to turn his sympathies
from the Dogs to the Rabbits, or rather to the Warhorse, for of all the
five hundred that were brought in from the drive he alone had won
renown. There were several that crossed the Park to run again another
day, but he alone had crossed the course without getting even a turn.
Twice a week the meets took place; forty or fifty Jacks were killed
each time, and the five hundred in the pen had been nearly all eaten of
the arena.
The Warhorse had run each day, and as often had made the Haven. Mickey
became wildly enthusiastic about his favorite's powers. He begot a
positive affection for the clean-limbed racer, and stoutly maintained
against all that it was a positive honor to a Dog to be disgraced by
such a Jack.
It is so seldom that a Rabbit crosses the track at all, that when Jack
did it six times without having to dodge, the papers took note of it,
and after each meet there appeared a notice: "The Little Warhorse
crossed again today; old-timers say it shows how our Dogs are
deteriorating."
After the sixth time the rabbit-keepers grew enthusiastic, and Mickey,
commander-in-chief of the brigade, became intemperate in his
admiration. "Be jabers, he has a right to be torned loose. He has won
his freedom loike ivery Amerikin done," he added, by way of appeal to
the patriotism of the Steward of the race, who was, of course, the real
owner of the Jacks.
"All right, Mick; if he gets across thirteen times you can ship him
back to his native land," was the reply.
"Shure now, an' won't you make it tin, sor?"
"No, no; I need him to take the conceit out of some of the new Dogs
that are coming."
"Thirteen toimes and he is free, sor; it's a bargain."
A new lot of Rabbits arrived about this time, and one of these was
colored much like Little Warhorse. He had no such speed, but to prevent
mistakes Mickey caught his favorite by driving him into one of the
padded shipping-boxes, and proceeded with the gate-keeper's punch to
earmark him. The punch was sharp; a clear star was cut out of the thin
flap, when Mickey exclaimed: "Faix, an' Oi'll punch for ivery toime ye
cross the coorse." So he cut six stars in a row. "Thayer now,
Warrhorrse, shure it's a free Rabbit ye'll be when ye have yer thirteen
stars like our flag of liberty hed when we got free."
Within a week the Warhorse had vanquished the new Greyhounds and had
stars enough to go round the right ear and begin on the left. In a week
more the thirteen runs were completed, six stars in the left ear and
seven in the right, and the newspapers had new material.
"Whoop!" How Mickey hoorayed! "An' it's a free Jack ye are, Warrhorrse!
Thirteen always wuz a lucky number. I never knowed it to fail."