"LINE BOYS." Ill 



regimental records. It was, indeed, a proud moment for the 

 Sirmoor Rifles when the Prince of Wales, during his Royal 

 Highness's visit to Delhi in 1875, addressed a few kind words 

 to them as they stood on the very ground the battalion had oc- 

 cupied during the siege. And had it not been for the stanch- 

 ness of the 66th (now 1st) Goorkhas, the European residents 

 at most of the stations in Rohilcund would, in all probability, 

 have met with the same sad fate as those at Cawnpore. 



As the Goorkhas are encouraged to bring their families 

 with them from Nepal, many of them look upon their regi- 

 ments as their homes ; and their sons, who, as they grow up, 

 are, if physically fit, always enlisted, know no other. These 

 lads, who are called " line boys," are often among the smart- 

 est-looking and sometimes the best men in their battalions. 

 Even when children, almost as soon as they have found the 

 use of their legs, they may constantly be seen inarching about 

 in squads, with sticks for rifles, the band being represented 

 by one or two of the urchins, who have picked up some popu- 

 lar English tunes, strutting in front, and singing them at the 

 top of their voices. 



The men join eagerly in all athletic sports and games. 

 Putting the stone is one of their national amusements, and in 

 this many of them excel. They are undoubtedly the best of 

 shikarees, numbers of them spending all their spare time in 

 hunting and fishing, of which they are passionately fond. On 

 one occasion I remember an old Goorkha commissioned officer 

 of sporting tastes entering his hack at some sky races, and 

 finding his own Goorkha jockey, who surprised the spectators 

 by cleverly winning his race. 



I used to get up capital games at football with my recruits 

 at Shore. As some of these wild lads were rather hot-tem- 

 pered, their scrimmages were occasionally attended with slight 

 ebullitions of warm feeling. I once saw a lad with the head 

 of an opponent " in chancery," punching away unmercifully at 

 it with his clenched fist. 



