"Thank Heaven," muttered Hector, "I’m alone at last, now, what’s to be done to pass the time? Confound this waiting, my nerves are all anyhow. Hullo, there’s Cyclops, I’ll go and have a look at him." He walked away to where a native was standing holding a pony, a dun-coloured beast, rusty-coated and hideous. One of his eyes was gone, the result of a blow from the fork of a revengeful sais, whose arm Cyclops had playfully chawed; the other was small, and, as usual, vindictive-looking.
Not an engaging-looking mount for a steeplechase, it must be admitted, though the look of the brute appeared at the present moment to give satisfaction to Graeme, particularly the red eyeless socket, at which he attentively gazed. Nevertheless, despite his unengaging appearance, Cyclops had his good points, being hard as nails, a perfect fencer, and possessing the pluck of the devil with the temper of a fiend.
"Khabadar,[#] sahib," said his guardian, as Hector came up. "Ai bainchute,"[#] jerking at the bridle just in time to save Graeme’s arm from bared yellow teeth, "Hamesha aisa hai, sahib, bôt bobbery bainchute wallah."[#]
[#] An untranslatable term of abuse reflecting on female relations.
[#] "Always like this, sir, a violent..."
"Horrid beast," muttered Graeme, looking at him. "I’ll take the steam out of you, my friend; there won’t be much bobbery about you when I’ve done." He walked away, and stood for a moment leaning over the enclosure rails. As he did so, a thunder of hoofs struck on his ears, and Tabby Legge flew past, his mount, a splendid chestnut Arab, fighting for his head as he went.
"Grandee," said Graeme, "that’s the certainty, is it? Hum, and here’s Tinker, Jackie up too, ’tisn’t often he rides. Betty still to come—oh, here she is. Lord, what a commoner, different class altogether. I wonder what they’re up to, some silly knavery, I suppose, from the way they talked in the Mess. It can’t be Grandee, or they wouldn’t have said so; still, that might be part of the swindle, for they know no one would believe them. All the same, I don’t think it’s Grandee, but Tinker, especially as Jackie’s riding, they know they’d get a better price with him up. Hope to goodness they get done, though I don’t see how they’re going to, unless Betty wins, and she can’t if the others stand up. Hullo, they’re off, and one left at the post, which is it, Grandee, I suppose? No, it isn’t; it’s Tinker, then they do mean Grandee, after all. Funny, I could have sworn it was the other.