Hoof Beats 



from your boot. But it cawn't go on forever and 

 the capt'in bides 'is time. Then 'e jabs 'ome the 

 spurs and goes 'ard to the whip,when they're arf 

 a mile from the judges. The Bishop gives one 

 switch to 'is almighty neglected tail and responds 

 like a bloomin' hexpress train, never touchin* 

 'is 'oofs to the ground. 'E looks like a streak 

 painted along the rail and 'e comes rompin' under 

 the wire fully six lengths ahead. 



"Then I leads 'im back so that th' capt'in can 

 weigh in. Gawd ! can I ever forget it, that 'orrible 

 din in my ears. 'E just roars with indecent 

 delight and brays until I thought I'd kill 'im. I 

 knew my life was a failure if I 'ad to 'andle that 

 mule arfter 'e'd won the race. 'E acted like a 

 blarsted fiend, 'e did, with 'is jumps and kicks 

 in the air. 



"The crowd all swarmed around 'im, the people 

 'arf foolish with joy. Someone offered to buy 'im 

 and I caught the capt'in's heye, but 'e only smiles 

 and pats 'im. The major somehow disappears, 

 though the crowd keeps callin' 'is name, until the 

 capt'in raises 'is 'and, 'That's enough,' he says, 

 'that'll do.' 



"Delhi near went mad that night and the men 



in the Black Watch fought the men in the other 



'til mornin', in places, they say. I knows I licked 



one bloomin' Tommy for callin' the Bishop o' 



96 



