MR. STEVENS 185 



because he used to bring over the proper sort, did not 

 invent salt-water pedigrees, and was reasonable in his 

 prices. He was one of the best friends we had in India, 

 and we would go a long way to see him again. But before 

 doing so, it was necessary for me to put my books in order, 

 by writing a new edition of Riding on the Flat and Across 

 Country ; the present one, and a book on stable-management 

 in England, the plan and many of the details of which were 

 already arranged in my head. My wife also was busy on a 

 bright and interesting review of Russian history, which will 

 soon be published ; so we were only too glad to be left to 

 our own devices, as far as social intercourse was concerned. 

 Besides the pleasure of seeing Mr. Stevens and other old 

 Colonial friends again, I was looking forward to importing 

 into England New Zealand and Australian horses of the 

 high-class hunter type, which I knew were badly wanted 

 in The Shires. 



On one occasion I casually mentioned to the officers at 

 the school that I intended later on to go to New Zealand 

 and Australia, and hoped to bring back some nice horses 

 with me. " But there are no horses there," said one young 

 subaltern, proud of the world - wide knowledge he had 

 acquired at his college. I pointed out to him that the 

 European cavalry and artillery in India and a large portion 

 of the native cavalry are mounted on Colonial horses ; that 

 these animals are the best all-round saddle horses in the 

 world ; that I had owned many scores of them ; and that 

 several Australian horses had won good races in England. 

 "The English must hate that," chimed in one or two who 

 were listening. " Englishmen," I replied, " have many faults ; 

 but they have one very big virtue, namely, that of liking 

 to see the best horse win, no matter what his nationality." 

 And then I went on to explain how well the victories of 

 Gladiateur, Fille de 1'Air, Iroquois, Foxhall, Plaisanterie 

 24 



