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 At the word Halsey drew back as though the benevolent old gentleman had struck him a blow in the face. Then he thought he must have heard wrong, so he stammered:

"Sell him, did you say? Sell Palo'mine?"

"Why yes," laughed Major Huxley, who owned one of the best stables in Lexington, "Why yes, sell him. Men have done such things before. But I can well understand that the idea shocks you. Of course you love him if he has been your pal ever since he was a month old."

"Yes he has," cried Halsey. "That is his real name, Palo'mine. We called him King Crescent just for the race."

"Humm, yes, I see," said the old gentleman reflectively. "So he is your pal. Well, I hate to make the suggestion, but he has taken my fancy. I want him bad. What would you say to twenty thousand dollars for him? Twenty thousand in cold cash?"

Halsey groaned. This was just the sum that uncle Hillery needed to Eaton