30 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



Hallim and Mr. Ross, the former offered to bet ten 

 to one that no English horse could go through a 

 week's gazelle-hunting with him in the desert ; he, 

 of course, always riding the same Arab horse. Mr. 

 Ross at once accepted the challenge, and a bet was 

 consequently made, the Prince laying 1,000Z. against 

 100?. The affair was originally fixed to come off in 

 January, but for some reason was deferred again and 

 again until the present month. The Prince chose 

 from his stable for this undertaking his little Arab 

 horse Al Cissi, who, it may be remembered, won the 

 grand Egyptian, prize of 500 sovs., three miles, at 

 the last Alexandrian race-meeting, he being then in 

 Mr. Smart's possession ; whilst Mr. Ross depended 

 upon his chestnut mare Beechnut to accomplish the 

 task. The Prince rode for himself ; but Mr. Ross, 

 having business matters to occupy him at home, 

 entrusted his mount to a friend. Having been an 

 eye-witness to the affair, I am enabled to give you 

 an accurate account. 



* On the 14th inst., the competitors having met 

 at Shoubrah Palace, the residence of the Prince, we 

 started off at a canter for the first encampment in 

 the desert at a spot near a small village called Khan- 

 kah. An hour and a quarter brought us to our des- 

 tination, neither of the horses having at all suffered, 

 thouch it is to be remarked that, not having started 

 till 4 P.M., in the cool of the day, and proceeded at a 

 pace less than an exercise canter, there was nothing 



