REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 77 



to win with Dervish, Brewty up, but the pestilent native lad 

 on the really best horse, Jiram, and who had received instruc- 

 tions not to win, unless Dervish was beaten by any of the 

 others, either out of spite against Brewty, or because he had 

 a few dibs of his own on his mount, came with a rush on the 

 post, and won easily. The face of " 'Is 'Ighness' drunken 

 jockey" as Brewty termed himself, was a caution to see. 

 Always as red as a peony, at that moment it was purple, but 

 like the coster he " hadn't a word for it." He never opened 

 his mouth, but even still blacker looked the Aga's party, for 

 they were out over two thousand rupees by the scamp's piece 

 of folly. I'd like to know what happened to that boy when 

 he got back to Bombay, he was probably transferred to the 

 door-keepers' department in the Harem. I can't say my 

 sympathies were with the losers, it served them right for in- 

 tending to allow their best to be beaten by their worst. It 

 was racing law then in India, but one which has since been 

 sensibly cut out of the rules. Now came a race over which 

 there was no end of fluttering among the local dove-cotes, for 

 three of the jeunesse dore of Behar were to do battle in a 

 half mile hack scurry. 



Brave Mr. Frank was the Jockey on Shanks, 

 And Jimmy steered Warrior bold, 

 While Arthur Forbes on Venture declared 

 That he would not be left in the cold. 



Fashions were different then to what they are now, Jimmy, 

 as he rode past the post with his Picadilly Weepers flowing 

 in the wind, looked every inch a horseman, so did Frank, 

 (Gilbert Nicolay) and if little Arthur's nose stuck out, as if anxi- 

 ous to get in front of his horse's head, while the sitting down 

 portion of his frame formed an acute angle in the opposite 

 direction, yet the hopes of the Civil Service were in their plucky 

 representative; and Jinks, Albert Mangles, and Thoby shout- 

 ed encouragingly to him as he cantered down to the post. 



