Page:The Slave Girl of Agra.djvu/79

 "Ay! win thou shalt, I verily trust, and the prize of this evening shall not go to Birnagar if I rightly estimate thy skill. Go to our young friend Sirish, and he will name the boat which has come first."

Sirish went to name the winning boat, but Noren's brow was clouded. Was not Nobo Kumar the final judge? And was it fair of him to show his leaning towards the boatmen of Debipur and almost to promise them the prize? But the cry rose in the air, "The Birnagar boats have started!" Noren rushed to the river bank in his excitement.

Louder and louder was heard the splashing of the oars and the chant of the boatmen, and clearer to sight were the gallant boats speeding over the broad river. But as the boats came near the winning-post men perceived that the result was somewhat different from that of the former race. The three first Debipur boats had come in almost together, within a boat's length of each other. But among the Birnagar boats one shot far ahead of the rest. Noren recognised his favourite boat and screamed in joy; and the old retainers of the Birnagar House, who had watched in silence so long, raised a cry of triumph which startled Nobo Kumar himself. The Debipur men uttered an answering shout, and a tumult seemed imminent. Old Gokul Das rose and made a sign, and the noise subsided.

All the assembled men saw at a glance that the first boat of Birnagar had no peer among the boats which had come to the race that afternoon. Noren's eyes spoke the approaching triumph of Birnagar as he stood expectant.

Nobo Kumar's face, so gracious and smiling half