REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. l6l 



charming friendly gipsy life in the fresh air under the trees ; 

 of the strains of the band floating through the but semi- 

 conscious brain at early dawn as a summons to the races ; of 

 the good- racing ; of the pleasant balls; of the fair faces ; of 

 the good fellows full of fun and jollity ; of the wondrous and 

 endless diversity of sights throughout the fair ; of the many 

 old friends always met there, etc., etc., (without end) do I 

 appeal. Shall Sonepore end, shall it suffer for the want of 

 a few dirty rupees ? Never.' This is what he said in 1868, 

 and now in 1883 the words of the present Secretaries are 

 that they will bring it out next year in more than all its 

 pristine glory, guaranteeing that it shall not clash with 

 Hyderabad, and that both visitors and horses shall be 

 ensured." 



CHAPTER XXX. 

 YEAR 1884. 



As early as May 1884 Messrs. Abercrombie and Abbott 

 issued a four days' programme and had fair promise of sup- 

 port. Mr. Arthur Forbes, a genuine little sportsman, was 

 now at Chupra and determined it should not be his fault if 

 Sonepore did not buzz. On the Stewards' list Gwatkin Wil- 

 liams replaced Mr. Butler, who, after the lamented death of his 

 wife, had gone home. Harry Abbott caught smallpox in April, 

 fortunately his family were at Darjeeling, but it didn't bother 

 him much ; he kicked out the doctor and cured himself with 

 carbolic acid, amusing himself by sending daily wires to his 

 anxious spouse of this sort, " Beauty still unimpaired, nose 

 holding out splendidly." Having now a comparatively empty 

 stable he began to look round for somebody to help him to fill it, 

 and found that bright Armenian luminary of the Calcutta bar 

 Mr. M. P. Gasper, willing to trust to his guidance, so he per- 

 suaded him to buy Paragraph from the Messrs. Apcar, and 



