noon
He was a sad-looking animal , and the word having gone abroad that he was the horse that was to enter the race with Magpie , he was jeered from one end of the street to the other , as Bud led him to the corral at the edge of the town . Bud pretended to be angry at the joshing his steed received , but when he had turned his back upon the jokers he would wink gently to himself in a way that would have been puzzling to the supporters of the spotted horse . Cap Norris had done his work well . Every one in town knew of the coming race , and word had been sent to the ranches in the surrounding country , so that before noon the streets were crowded with people . `` Say , fellows , '' said Ted , when the boys met at the hotel for dinner , `` this fellow Norris is sure a sharp . That talk about his wanting to get enough money to take him back home was a lie . He 's a gambler , and is in league with a bunch of gamblers in this town . ''