CHAPTER XV 



PETERSBURG IN WINTER 



Invitation to New Zealand Good Losers Russian Cab Horses Docking 

 "Thorley" Horses drinking Cold Water Russian Police Detectives 

 Beards Passports The Censor Rule of the Road Swear Words Marry- 

 ing Foreigners St. Petersburg Rag Fair The Fortress Russian Photo- 

 graphersRussian Tea Courting d la 7?usseNa.e Scotchman Trotting 

 Flat Racing Dalmeny The Redan. 



A FEW days after I returned from the cadres, my wife 

 came out from England and joined me at Petersburg. 

 The first two or three visits to the Officers' School made me 

 determine not to prolong our stay in Russia beyond the end 

 of my six months' engagement. We both longed to be back 

 again among horsemen and good sportsmen, the full benefit 

 of whose society we could not enjoy just then in England; 

 for our balance at the bank was not sufficiently large ; and 

 without money, no man can see sport in the Midlands. 

 About that time we received an invitation from Mr. John 

 Stevens of Bulls, Rangitikei, Wellington, New Zealand, to 

 pay him a visit in that colony. While living in Calcutta 

 during the years 1888 to 1891, we saw a great deal of Mr. 

 Stevens, who at that time used to import high-class horses 

 from New Zealand to India. I bought several good animals 

 from him, including that smart steeplechaser, Glaicks, with 

 whom I won some races, and the famous racing pony, 

 Parekaretu. Lovers of horses in India suffered a great loss 

 when Mr. Stevens gave up importing to that country ; 



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