156 REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 



A quarter mile scramble for all ponies, 13 hands and under, 

 bought at the fair, for which the generous young Maharajah of 

 Cooch Behar gave a purse, brought out a dozen competitors. 

 Whack, whack, whack, went the whips from the very start, the 

 result being that Messrs. Barclay and Apples ran a dead heat, 

 the favorite, Mr. Cresswell's Potiphar's Wife, being nowhere. 

 On running off the dead heat, Mr. Barclay not being used to 

 such unusual exertion, want of condition told on him, and long 

 before his pony caved in, the rider was done, so Apples, always 

 fit as a fiddle, cantered home an easy winner. This finished 

 the Sonepore Races of 1882. The course was perfect, prizes 

 good, lotteries well filled, and the management had the full 

 confidence of the public. At the supper in the evening Mr. 

 Cresswell in a feeling speech proposed the health- of Mr. 

 Abercrombie, who in reply, said that the success of the meeting 

 was entirely due to Harry Abbott's exertions in rescuing the 

 racing from utter failure, by inducing the Maharajah of Jodh- 

 pore, Lord William Beresford, and other owners to send horses 

 and thereby show the public the good racing they had witnessed. 

 Harry elevating himself in a chair, declaimed any praise 

 whatever, saying truthfully that from start to finish it was to 

 Mr. Abercrombie, whose excellent arrangements of the camps, 

 balls and suppers had really contributed to make the meeting 

 such a pleasant one. As far as racing was concerned, he asserted 

 that he would guarantee next year to show them some of 

 the best horses in India running for their cups, and that instead 

 of Ichabod being applicable to Sonepore, it should be termed 

 the Phoenix Meeting. He also alluded very feelingly to Mr. 

 and Mrs. Mangles' approaching departure, and called on the 

 company to give them a farewell ovation of cheers, which they 

 did uproariously. Mr. Butler proposed the health of the ladies, 

 to which Bob Lockhart replied in his usual graceful style, and 

 all retired to their virtuous couches, thoroughly well pleased 

 with the ten days' picnic. 



