REMINISCENCES OF SONEfORE. 



god. Being busy checking some accounts he did not attend at 

 once to Horace, who walked up and down, fussing and fuming. 

 At last he looked up and said, " I'll attend to you, Sir, in one 

 minute, please take a chair." "Take a chair," roared Horace, 

 " do you know who I am, Sir ? I am Mr. Horace B, Cockerell, 

 Secretary to the Government of Bengal/' " Oh indeed/' simpered 

 the youth, " then will you please take two chairs/' Horace 

 nearly exploded, but the story leaked out, and he got terribly 

 roasted over it. Poor Rowland was of very different calibre, 

 and the grief at his untimely demise was general. Held in 

 high estimation, both as an official and as a member of society, 

 his loss was felt by natives and Europeans alike. Blackboy, 

 the steeplechaser, who carried everything before him at Cal- 

 cutta the year before, was one of his best horses. He was a 

 Steward of the Turf Club and a valuable one ; he was, more- 

 over, one of the strongest advocates for a new Stand and 

 afternoon racing in Calcutta. Messrs. Abercrombie, Paddy 

 Hudson, and Richardson, were Stewards of Sonepore for 

 1873. There was a bad show of horses at the fair that 

 year, but the meeting was a big one as far as a gather- 

 ing went. Genial Albert Mangles and the Bankipore con- 

 tingent were all there, and the capital Band of the 

 2nd N. I. was daily lent by Colonel Shaw to play during 

 the races. The Planters were there in great force; burly 

 Harry McDonald had been induced to go in for a horse 

 with Polly Studd, and the huge Highlander was a host in 

 himself at the lotteries. A rare good chap was dear old 

 Harry ; one who left the district universally liked, and never 

 having made an enemy. Polly Studd was a demon of mis- 

 chief, always playing the most risky practical jokes on Harry ; 

 in more than one case nearly breaking his neck, for twenty 

 stone does not fall lightly, when shot out of a dogcart, from 

 the wheel of which the pin has been previously removed. 

 Mr. Bates from Madras had intended to run his horses at this 



