I Own the Racecourse! by Patricia Wrightson Read Free Book Online Page B

through Joe’s front gate and sat on the steps.
    â€˜What do we want to talk to her for, anyway?’ said Matt. ‘She can’t do anything. Andy’s been taken for three dollars, but I don’t reckon she’d know who did it.’
    â€˜If they get away with this,’ Terry pointed out, ‘they’ll be selling him the Harbour Bridge next.’
    â€˜We’ll have to see about that, won’t we? Andy must know who he gave the money to. We’ll have to find out from him.’
    Terry smiled fiercely.
    â€˜And how are you going to explain to Andy?’ demanded Mike. ‘You saw him back there. Are you just going to tell him he doesn’t own the place after all?’
    â€˜Poor old Andy,’ muttered Joe, beating his fist softly on the step. ‘He won’t believe it.’
    â€˜He’ll get over it in a week or two,’ Terry suggested. ‘If we take him gently till then, there won’t be much harm done.’
    For once Mike disagreed violently with his younger brother. ‘Don’t be a lunatic! He’ll go round acting as if he owned the place, making himself a laughing stock. Half the kids in Appington Hill will be having a go at him.’
    Matt jumped up impatiently. ‘He can’t really believe he owns Beecham Park! How does he think he’s going to run it? All those tough types down there— they’ll tell him pretty quick if we don’t. He’ll just have to listen to sense for once. I’ll tell him myself tomorrow.’
    â€˜You can try,’ said Mike.
    Matt was a little surprised to find the matter being left to him like this. He stalked home feeling important and very determined. He was waiting for Andy when he called early in the morning, and went out with him to the quiet streets.
    â€˜Got to pick up the others,’ said Andy happily. ‘I bet they want to come.’ He headed for Joe’s back gate, and Matt followed. Andy collected all his friends and took them down to the lower gate of Beecham Park to watch the men sweeping.
    â€˜Quiet, isn’t it?’ he said proudly. ‘Not like last night.’
    This was the moment, Matt decided. He caught Terry’s glance and frowned importantly.
    â€˜Look here, Andy,’ he began, ‘where’s your sense? You know you couldn’t really buy this place for three dollars, don’t you?’
    â€˜I just did,’ said Andy, smiling warmly and nodding hard.
    â€˜You wasted your money, that’s all. How do you think you’re going to keep it going? Eh?’
    Andy looked at him in a puzzled way and laughed uneasily.
    â€˜Come on, snap out of it,’ urged Matt. ‘How do you think you can run the place? What about those men, sweeping up the rubbish? They’ll be wanting their money in a minute, won’t they? What are you going to pay them with? Bottle-tops? And what about the men that water the track? And the ticket-sellers? You don’t think they’re going to run around doing your work for you for nothing ?’
    Andy thought deeply. A lot of people had bought tickets last night; and there were the men now, sweeping. ‘They are doing it,’ he pointed out. ‘Look, I just showed you. You can see ’em, can’t you, Mike? Can you see the men sweeping, Joe?’ He nodded earnestly at Matt. ‘They’re doing it, all right. See ’em?’
    â€˜But what about the money ?’ shouted Matt.
    â€˜Steady on,’ said Joe. Andy’s face was beginning to look stormy. He struggled for words, and tried to explain to Matt.
    â€˜I said about the money already. I told you three dollars, and a long time getting that last one.’
    Matt took a deep breath and tried coaxing. ‘Andy, old boy, three dollars is just crazy. Why, what about the new stand, the one they’ve just put up? That cost thousands of dollars, just by itself.’
    Andy laughed delightedly. ‘He said