Read Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber for Free Online Page B

but remember in time and instead grab his hand and give it a manly handshake. "So good to see you, Petey, oh, it is!"

    "Back in Old Blighty, eh, Jacky?"
    "Oh yes," I exclaim, "and you, too?"
    "Well, yes, now that I'm a man of great renown since I rode the Sheik of Araby to victory at Dovecote Downs, I'm much in demand. So I decided to come back to the old sod and go right famous here, too." He winks and says, "But why are you back in male rig?"
    "It's like this, Petey," I says, and blush in spite of myself, "I'm ... I'm looking for a certain young man who's gonna be here today, and I figured this was the best way for me to get in here to look for him."
    "Aw, our little Jacky in love. Ain't that sweet?"
    "Well, we'll see about that," I simper. "But, Petey, if you could get me a mount, so's I could get about a little easier..."
    "Sure thing, Jacky," he says and leads me over to a stall. "Here, take out Gwendolyne's Fancy for a little warm-up." He gestures to a stableboy, who quickly puts a saddle on the mare and then hands over the reins.
    "Just take her around a few times slow, none of that crazy stuff like you used to pull with the Sheik. She's got to race today."
    "I was wild then, Petey. I've calmed down a lot since then."
    Petey looks me up and down and grins. "Right-o, Jack-o."
    I take the reins and mount up and kick her up to a brisk trot. It feels good to be up in a saddle again and it calms my worried heart a bit. I scan the crowds as I go, trying to spot Jaimy. Would he be at the rail, or up in the grandstand? So many people, all dressed in their best, the men in tight jackets, the women in long, flowing dresses and wide, beribboned hats. Where is he?

    I make one circuit of the track and see nothing of him. I begin to despair—maybe the girl was wrong—maybe he's not coming here today after all? Maybe his mother was right and he really doesn't want me anymore? Maybe he...
    Wait, now ...
I pull up on the reins and slow to a walk, my eye on a figure sitting in a box. Is it? I get closer. I can't see the face, but the set of the shoulders, the way the head is held ... closer ... closer.
    Yes, it's him. Oh, dear God, it is. It's Jaimy.
    He's sitting in a box close to the rail, and I give the horse my heels and head straight for Jaimy, my eyes fixed on his face, my heart pounding in my chest and
Oh, Jaimy, it's been so long, so long
and I get to the rail and jump off the horse and spring up on the rail and look down into the box where Jaimy is sitting and...
    And then my heart sinks. And dies.
    Next to Jaimy is a girl, a beautiful girl, a finely dressed girl, all pink and frothy and fine, and she is holding Jaimy's hand and their fingers are entwined. They are facing each other and then the girl leans over and whispers something in Jaimy's ear and he smiles as her lips brush his cheek as she turns and sees me. And what she sees is a jockey with one leg over the rail, with mouth wide open, and with, unaccountably, tears running down his face.
    The girl looks at me in wonder and Jaimy follows her gaze and his eyes meet mine.
    Oh, Jaimy, you are so beautiful and I loved you so, but you have proved false!
    He looks at me, astounded, as I pull his ring from my ear and fling it at his feet. It hits the deck with a
ding!
and flies off. And then I fly off the rail and run away.

    "Jacky, stop!" I hear him shout behind me. "Wait!"
    But I ain't stoppin', I ain't waitin' no more, no I ain't, Jaimy, no more being stupid faithful Jacky, no more being the stupid fool ...
my mind is churning as I'm running for the door—my chest racked with sobs and tears pourin' out of my eyes.
Oh, Jaimy, you have proved false and all my dreams are dust...
    "Jacky, come back, you don't under—"
    I understand all right, Jaimy, you don't want me anymore! Or you just want me to be your miss, your girl on the side who you come to visit when you can get away from your wife and children, but I ain't gonna be your miss, Jaimy, I ain't never