had won, and began
pulling in Hatrack. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Magpie was
already down to a walk a short distance from the wire, and that Cap
Norris and the jockey were talking earnestly.

In a moment she had Hatrack turned, and was going back to where Bud was
waiting for her.

"Bully for you, Stella," shouted Bud. "Yer rode a great race. Jest ez I
wanted it run. Nobody couldn't hev done it better. I told yer ye'd win."

"That was too easy," laughed Stella. "I wish it had been four times as
long."

"That makes it all the better."

"How much did I beat him?"

"A whole length."

"That ought to be enough."

"It was, but I'll bet a cooky they'll make a kick. These crooks always
lay out to win, and won't race unless they can win. If they don't, they
set up a cry of foul, or something of that sort."

"But they can't do that in this case, because I didn't foul him."

Stella became indignant at the very thought.

"Sure you didn't, but that won't keep those wolves from claiming some
sort of a foul."

"You're not going to stand for it, are you?"

"Not in a blue moon. I've got the boys posted. Here comes Norris and his
jockey back."

The old racing sharp walked up to Bud, leading Magpie.

"Well, Magpie's mine," said Bud, not giving the other a chance to speak
first. "Sorry for your sake that you lost, Cap, but the fortunes of
racing often turn unexpectedly, eh?"

"You haven't won," said the old man excitedly.

"Oh, I reckon we won, all right," answered Bud lazily, although there
was an ugly gleam in his eye.

"No, sir, you didn't win fair. Thar wuz a foul at ther start. I see it,
all right; I wasn't shore until I talked with my boy thar, an' he says
as how ther young lady bumped him outer his stride jest ez they wuz
gittin' off."

"Oh, no, you can't work me like that, Cap. They were five feet apart
when the flag fell."

"I tell yer I see it with my own eyes. 'Twas a foul, an' I claim ther
race, er it hez got ter be run over ag'in."

"Never, on yer life. The race goes to the young lady. But I'm not going
to stand here and chew the thing over with you. It's up to the judges."

They all approached the judges' stand, where apparently a lively
argument was in progress.

Ben and the big man who had been chosen by Norris were talking
excitedly, and the other man was listening.

All about the stand an angry crowd of men was surging, all talking at
once, so that nothing could be made out of