10 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



kinds of capers, and I was obliged to flog the 

 wickedness out of him ; then he tried all he knew 

 to throw me, but finding his efforts in vain, he 

 bolted, and, having a good plain before me, I 

 allowed him his head, and gave him such " a 

 gruelling " that in less than an hour he became 

 perfectly passive in my hands, and we began to 

 understand each other. I found him to have great 

 bottom, and was altogether so pleased with his 

 going that, in spite of his character, I made Fred 

 an offer, which was accepted, and the horse be- 

 came my own with half his engagement. I 

 now devoted a good deal of my time to training 

 and getting him into running condition. I had 

 trenches dug and hurdles constructed in a quiet 

 place behind the lines, where I could give him 

 his gallops, and by the time of the races he was 

 perfectly fit, whilst by dint of firm but kind treat- 

 ment he had become thoroughly gentle and much 

 improved in temper. 



The flat races passed off with great eclat, the 

 whole cantonment turning out to witness them. 

 The Resident, General Frasei* and his suite, the 



