like to have anything--well, I don't want my name associated with
anything shady, you understand, Langdon? You are to buy The Dutchman as
cheap as you can, and run him as your own horse in the Eclipse. I think
Porter's mare will win it, so we needn't lose anything over The
Dutchman."

Langdon started. With all his racing finesse he was a babe. The
smooth, complacent-faced man in front of him made him realize this.

"But," he gasped, "there was a row over Lauzanne's race. If The
Dutchman runs in my name, an' a lot o' mugs play him--it's dollars to
doughnuts they will--an' he gets beat, there'll be a kick. I can't take
no chances of bein' had up by the Stewards."

"Wait a bit," replied Crane, calmly. "Supposing Porter's mare worked
five and a half furlongs in 1.07, how would she go in the Eclipse?"

"She'd win in a walk; unless The Dutchman was at his best when he might
give her an argument."

"Well, if I thought The Dutchman could beat the mare, I'd make him win,
if he never carried the saddle again," declared Crane, almost fiercely.
Then he interrupted himself, breaking off abruptly. Very seldom indeed
it was that Crane gave expression to sentiment; his words were simply a
motor for carrying the impact of his well-thought-out plans to the
executive agents. "It will be doing Porter a good turn to-to-that is, if
Lucretia wins. I fancy he needs a win. Bad racing luck will hardly
stop the mare this time--not twice in succession you know, Langdon," and
he looked meaningly at his jackal. "You buy The Dutchman, and be good
to him."