Colonel Plunger; or, The Unknown Sport

Colonel Plunger; or, The Unknown Sport This serialized story by Captain Frederick Whittaker, published in July 1904, follows Colonel Plongeur, a mysterious gentleman with a foreign accent who arrives at a racetrack to observe "human nature." The narrative opens at a betting pool where the protagonist, a wealthy young man named Frank Noble (nicknamed the "Baby," "Pigeon," and "Lamb" because he is being systematically fleeced), places a wager with "the Boss Better," a professional gambler named Crooke. Colonel Plongeur emerges as a subtle investigator, discovering Crooke's true identity as someone named Sharply with California connections. Through careful observation and psychological pressure, he extracts a large wager on a horse named Ambition, whose jockey he has previously bribed with five hundred dollars. As the climactic race unfolds, Ambition moves from rear to contention in the third mile, setting up a confrontation between colonel and gambler over substantial stakes.