242 Among Men and Horses. 



tance men/ on account of their always averring, when seek- 

 ing temporary assistance, that they are waiting for a remit- 

 tance from home. Such folk, as a rule, are no good either to 

 themselves or to the colony in which they reside ; for with 

 few exceptions they prefer to ' cadge ' and * loaf ' on anyone 

 who is good-natured enough to listen to their tale of woe, 

 than to pull off their coats, roll up their sleeves, and work. 

 However graphically they may ' tell the tale ' about the love 

 which their rich relations in England bear to them, the fact 

 remains that the said ' friends ' are delighted to have seen 

 the last of them, and would on no account send them money 

 to return and annoy the family. Making them ' shift ' for 

 themselves is the truest kindness. To give a case in point, I 

 may relate that of Captain Goodwood (which is not far from 

 his name), who was in the service when I knew him in India. 

 He was then a tall, smart, good-looking fellow, fond of 

 horses, hospitable, * good company,' member of a very old 

 family, and close to the succession of an earldom ; but 

 volatile. In fact, so much so that he took no pleasure 

 in doing anything that was staid. On account of his 

 connections and pleasant manners, his colonel ' stood ' him 

 as long as he could, and then gave him the best possible 

 advice. The next place I met him was at a horse show at a 

 country town where he was a local magnate on account of 

 having married a charming young lady of great wealth, 

 every penny of which her guardians, knowing their man, had 

 insisted on putting under her entire control. I lost sight of 

 him for a year, and then met him in London, looking as de- 

 bonnaire and well dressed as ever, though with a slight sus- 

 picion of anxiety in his eyes. He appeared overjoyed to see 

 me why I could not just then tell and begged me to come 

 that evening to supper at his rooms ; the address of which 

 he gave me. I went there, and met, besides my host, his 

 brother, and a couple of men who had that undefinable some- 

 thing about them which indicated more the bird of prey than 

 the homely pigeon or goose. We sat down to play a game 



