On the face of it the whole thing was a steal on the part of the
gamblers, who had evidently decided beforehand that if the race went
against them to claim a foul and bluff it through.
But they had argued without their host. They did not know what they were
opposing when they ran against Ted Strong.
Ted was sorry that he had gone into the affair at all, but once in he
was there to stick to the finish. The fellow whom he had knocked down
had retired to the rear to attend to his broken nose, and to give his
friends an opportunity to fight his battle.
The foreman of the Running Water had disappeared. He had foreseen
trouble when the gamblers got together, and attempted to force the race
through, and had gone to collect the cow-punchers and others who had
been induced to bet on Hatrack.
Ted stood his ground patiently, waiting until a decision should be
handed down by the judges before declaring himself.
Stella was sitting in her saddle on Hatrack a few feet away from the
stand watching the proceedings, and listening to the arguments on both
sides made by the angry men.
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