Read the excerpt from the land.
mister ray sutcliffe from alabama did not look . "all right. all right. i'm going to pay you what you asking, this four times a rider's wages—but only if you win, you hear? you lose, boy, and you get nothing."
i was taking a big risk with my daddy, to walk away with nothing for it. but i figured i'd struck the best deal i could with ray sutcliffe, and despite the risk, there was something in me that wanted to prove to my daddy not only that i could ride this stranger's horse, but that i was a man now. i nodded. "i understand," i said. "but if he wins, i'll need my money right after the race."