The Handoff ~ Part III

The back-to-back trials at Columbus were drawn together, and as soon as the results were out Bob used Arleigh’s smart phone to email the brace sheets to Mr. Brown and his dog man. Next morning Arleigh got a call telling him they would fly up in Mr. Brown’s private jet to see their Rebel derby run in the first derby stake. He invited them to come on arrival to the camp for a cook out and to see where their derby had been trained.

After driving them around the training grounds in Arleigh’s truck they went back to camp for drinks and steaks on the grill. While the three adults talked, drinks in hand, Bob put on at Arleigh’s direction a hoop shooting and dribbling exhibition.

In two minutes Mr. Brown had stopped chatting and was mesmerized watching Bob as he sank three pointers one after another from all angles and every few minutes drove the bucket and dunked. When fifteen minutes later Bob took a break, Mr. Brown and his dog man broke into applause. For the rest of the evening most of the conversation was between Mr. Brown and Bob.

Two of the Rampaging siblings went down next morning in the first and third braces. Then in the day’s last brace Mr. Brown’s Rebel derby, which Bob had named Sally after his mother, went down with an Alabama-based derby that had the season before won the Dixie Puppy Classic.

Arleigh had mounts for Mr. Brown and his dog man and had been careful to introduce them to all the handlers who had come with their dogs to train on his grounds. They all had good things to say about Brown’s Rebel derby. She did not disappoint today, scoring three dug-up finds in an excellent derby race. She looked like a Million on her birds, was steady on the first two, chased a little on her third but stopped on Bob’s quiet command. Arleigh had seen no better performance before hers. One of the Rampaging siblings he had guessed to be carried by the judges in second place at the first day’s end.

Mr. Brown and his dog man were staying in a motel in Crosby and invited Arleigh and Bob to join them there for supper, but Arleigh declined. He was very fatigued, and it showed. Fortunately his camp was just a few minutes from the trial grounds. Bob loaded the dogs and horses on the trailer and drove for camp. Arleigh was asleep in the passenger seat before they arrived. Bob let him sleep there while he tended to the horses and dogs, then helped him in to bed. In two hours he brought Arleigh a cup of soup. He ate it and immediately fell asleep.

Arleigh had expected Mr. Brown would leave after his Rebel derby ran in the first derby stake. But to his surprise Brown announced his intention to stay to the conclusion of both trials. He’s caught the field trial bug, Arleigh thought, and winked at Brown’s dog man. But in truth Brown was more interested in Bob than the dogs.

The first derby stake ended mid-day Wednesday. Brown’s Rebel derby won first, the Rampaging sibling handled by Bob won third (Arleigh was furious at the judges’ call but tried to conceal it without success — Arleigh had never been able to conceal his feelings).

The first open all-age stake was won by Rampaging, and Brown’s Rebel derby won second. Then in the second derby stake, the Rampaging sibling trained and handled by Bob won first, and Brown’s Rebel derby won second

In the second all-age stake Rampaging again placed first, the Rebel derby second, and the Rampaging sibling third, all handled by Bob.

Within minutes after the pictures were snapped the last handler’s rig save Arleigh’s was leaving its dust cloud on the two-track leading to the north-south section road. All the drivers and passengers were mad, as always after a trial.

Mr. Brown asked Arleigh to get in his rental truck and the two drove the section roads around the trial grounds.

“Why are you quitting the circuit, Arleigh,” Brown asked.

“No choice, I am dying,” Arleigh said.

“What from?”

Arleigh told him. Brown was familiar with the ailment.

“What do you want for Rampaging and the three derbies?”

“Depends?”

“Depends on what?”

“Depends on what you can do for Bob Blevins.”

“How about I send him to a prep school for his junior and senior years of high school. One with a good basketball program and a better academic one?”

“Where?”

“Connecticut?”

“What about college?”

“That will depend on Bob. If he does well enough academically and continues to develop physically the way I think he will he will have lots of choices.”

“What about summers?”

“What does he want to do summers?”

“Says he wants to do what he’s done this summer. Why don’t you take over my deal here, send your man and Bob up here with young wagon dogs to train and some trial prospects?”

Mr. Brown grinned. “That’s what I was hoping you might suggest.”

Arleigh felt a sense of joy unlike any he could recall since before his wife died ten years before.

“How much for the dogs?” Brown asked.

“Make me an offer,” Arleigh said, knowing that whatever it was he would take it.