6o 



•enemy, but so it must be until we all meet again at the 

 •covert side next season. 



1891. 



" For in his hunting hath he such delight 

 That it is all his joy and appetite." 



Chaucer. 



The "(Father of English Poetry" expressed our feelings 

 at the present moment in a way which I must say was 

 neat without being effusive ! " All our joy and appetite" 

 is now gone until next season ; perhaps, it is a rather good 

 thing for the heavy weights amongst us that the latter is 

 the case, as, by putting the muzzle on, they may next year 

 manage to ride lighter ! 



As I remarked last week, having to chronicle the last 

 of our cold weather fun is the very reverse of a pleasant 

 duty, and I really hardly know where and how to begin. 



The weather always being a safe sort of topic to talk 

 about, I think it may be as well to let it come first in this 

 veracious narrative. After having been already once put 

 off by the rain, the race for the Cup looked as if it stood a 

 good chance of again being further postponed, as rain fell 

 pretty heavily on Monday evening, and gave promise of a 

 sticky and heavy ride on Tuesday. 



As it turned out, however, the going was nothing like 

 as bad as was expected, and although it was heavv, it was 

 not sufficiently so to make galloping over fences either 

 dangerous or impracticable. Tuesday morning was a nice 

 clear one and fairly cool for the time of the year, and con- 

 sequently the turn-out was large. All sorts and conditions 

 of horsemen and riders, and coachmen and people, Avho sit 

 on coach boxes were there, as well as a good many on foot, 



All the elite of Jodhpur Society were out, including 

 the Paperchase Mali and Mrs. Paperchase Mali, and their 

 large and handsome family of colts and fillies. Then there 

 was a strong and fashionable contingent from the police 

 station — I mean Jodhpur Thannah — headed by that fat and 

 oily looking native "peeler" who never seems to have 

 anything to do but sit in the front garden of the lock-up 

 and take in provisions ! Talking of policemen, it is with 

 the deepest sorrow that I have to record that that eminent 

 " Copper Samivil " of Howrah has deserted this part of 



