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All around Alry he could have eaten them all But he dared not touch even a crumb

At last he and Father got places at the long table in the dining-roo, but Almanzo si and cranberry jelly; he ate potatoes and gravy, succotash, baked beans and boiled beans and onions, and white bread and rye ’n’ injun bread, and sweet pickles and ja breath, and he ate pie

When he began to eat pie, he wished he had eaten nothing else He ate a piece of pumpkin pie and a piece of custard pie, and he ate alar pie He tried a piece of mince pie, but could not finish it He just couldn’t do it There were berry pies and creaar pies and raisin pies, but he could not eat any more

He was glad to sit doith Father in the grand-stand They watched the trotting-horses flashing by, war up for the races Little puffs of dust rose in the sunshine behind the fast sulkies Royal ith the big boys, down at the edge of the track, with theon the races

Father said it was all right to bet on races, if you wanted to

“You get a run for yourmore substantial for mine”

The grand-stand filled up till people were packed in all the tiers of seats The light sulkies were lined up in a row, and the horses tossed their heads and pawed the ground, eager to start Almanzo was so excited he could hardly sit still He picked the horse he thought would win, a slihbred

So down the track, the croas one roaring yell Then suddenly everyone was still, in astonishment

An Indian was running down the track behind the sulkies He was running as fast as the horses

Everybody began to shout “He can’t do it!” “Two dollars he’ll keep up!” “The bay! The bay! Come on, come on!” “Three dollars on the Indian!” “Watch that chestnut!” “Look at the Indian!”

The dust was blowing on the other side of the track The horses were flying, stretched out above the ground All the croas up on the benches, yelling Almanzo yelled and yelled Down the track the horses ca “Come on! Come on! The bay! The bay!”

They flashed past too quickly to be seen Behind carand-stand he leaped high in the air, turned a handspring, and stood, saluting all the people with his right hand

The grand-stand shook with the noise of shouting and sta, “Hurrah! Hurrah!”

The Indian had run thathorse He was not even panting He saluted all the cheering people again, and walked off the track

The bay horse had won