REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 



Mr. Vincent retired to England at the end of 1868. He was a 

 constant writer to the old Oriental Sporting Magazine his 

 racing nom de plume being " Castor " and his shikari one 

 " Shikar." He used to spear bears on his old pony Ginger. He 

 eventually gave the Barh stud and its relicts to his brother- 

 in-law H. B. Simson for the nominal sum of Rs. i,ooo. Jimmy 

 soon closed it. 



CHAPTER XV. 



YEAR 1869. 



Fortunately for the fortunes of Sonepore Mr. R. J. Dick- 

 enson, volunteered to take up Teddy Drummond's mantle for 

 1869, and with Brigadier-General Milne, Fraser McDonell, Fred 

 Collingridge, Ralph Abercrombie, then in the zenith of his 

 glory, and Dick Jenkins, as his henchmen, a capital programme 

 was issued. These were Sonepore's halcyon years, all the 

 cracks of India racing on its course, hospitable camps filled 

 with fair women and brave men, and thorough good fellowship 

 abounding. Never did prospects open more brilliantly, for was 

 not the mighty Australian horse Melbourne coming over from 

 Madras to fling down the gauntlet to the Bengal, Behar and 

 North-West horses ; heaps of outside owners were booked, and 

 Jimmy was to introduce us to his gallant bay Australian Delphos, 

 the very best, and most honest chaser India has ever seen. 

 Ned Urquhart, the Tirhoot Planter, had at this meeting the 

 unparalleled luck of, with a single ticket in two lotteries, 

 drawing Melbourne in each, and realising Rs. 900 in one and 

 Rs. 800 in another. Ned was a living wonder to us, every- 

 thing he touched seemed always to turn to gold. Young Stuart 

 Jackson, now the well-known burly and popular Sylhet tea 

 planter, was then a Beharite and a guest of Mr. Abercrombie's; 

 filled with his host's good cheer, and champagne, he entered a 



