Hoof Beats 



gettin' more and more 'ighsterical and wipin' the 

 tears out o' 'is eyes, raises the flag ready to start 

 'em the Bishop just guffaws. At last, everybody 

 sees the capt'in, who 'asn't cracked a smile, pick 

 up 'is reins, clap 'is knees a little tighter, and 'ears 

 'im call out: 'All ready, major?' The major don't 

 answer, bein' far too angry, an' busy with keepin' 

 'is 'orse under 'im at all, but the starter drops the 

 flag with a shout and they're hoff . 



"The people ain't larfin' none now. There's 

 rupees up, an' reputations, because it's easy to see 

 that if the capt'in beats the major, 'e, the major's, 

 got to get 'is transfer. 'E couldn't stand it in 

 Delhi. It ain't like hold Hengland. It ain't 

 like anything but Delhi, where it's 'ot as 'ell most 

 o' the time, and people act different from the way 

 they do at 'ome. They ain't got the patience, an' 

 I've seen a couple o' friends fight like tarriers over 

 nothing — just the orful 'eat. And everyone 

 knows, too, that if the major 'appens to beat the 

 capt'in, 'e's got to keep 'im beat, and that's 

 somethink no man can do. 



*Tt's a heart-breaking pace they makes it, with 

 the major in front goin' steady, and the Bishop 

 fightin' for 'is head like some hold steeplechase 

 crack, a dozen yards to the rear. Personally I 

 'ates 'im — that mule. I never 'andled a meaner, 

 narstier brute in my life, an' 'e don't know what 

 04 



