"Seila wins! Seila wins!" the officers shouted.

But it seemed to Isobel that this was well nigh impossible, but foot by
foot the mare came up, and as they passed the Hunters' carriage her head
was in advance.

In spite of the desperate efforts of the rider of Mameluke, another
hundred yards and they passed the winning post, Seila a length ahead.

CHAPTER VII.

The exultation of the officers of the 103d over Seila's victory was
great. They had all backed her, relying upon Prothero's riding, but
although his success was generally popular among the Europeans at
the station, many had lost considerable sums by their confidence in
Mameluke's speed.

Isobel sat down feeling quite faint from the excitement.

"I did not think I could have been so excited over a race between two
horses," she said to Mrs. Hunter; "it was not the bets, I never even
thought about them--it was just because I wanted to see Mr. Prothero's
horse win. I never understood before why people should take such an
interest in horse racing, but I quite understand now."

"What is your size, Miss Hannay?" Wilson asked.

"Oh, I don't care anything about the gloves, Mr. Wilson; I am sorry I
bet now."

"You needn't feel any compunction in taking them from me or from any of
us, Miss Hannay; we have all won over Seila; the regiment will have to
give a ball on the strength of it. I only put on a hundred rupees, and
so have won four hundred, but most of them have won ever so much more
than that; and all I have lost is four pair of gloves to you, and four
to Mrs. Doolan, and four to Mrs. Prothero--a dozen in all. Which do you
take, white or cream, and what is your size?"

"Six and a half, cream."

"All right, Miss Hannay. The Nana must have lost a good lot of money;
he has been backing his horse with everyone who would lay against
it. However, it won't make any difference to him, and it is always a
satisfaction when the loss comes on someone to whom it doesn't matter a
bit. I think the regiment ought to give a dinner to Prothero, Major; it
was entirely his riding that did it; he hustled that nigger on Mameluke
splendidly. If the fellow had waited till within half a mile of home he
would have won to a certainty; I never saw anything better."

"Well, Miss Hannay, what do you think of a horse race?" Bathurst, who
had only remained a few minutes at the carriage, asked, as he strolled
up again. "You said yesterday that you had never seen one."

"I am a