REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 177 



the one man in India who has been on two separate occasions 

 knocked over by tigers and lived to fight again. 



"INSAF." 



But we did not want a tiger slayer. We wanted an open- 

 handed, genial sportsman to boss our show, and nothing was 

 actually done till September, when Mr. Clay, at last seeing 

 the error of his ways, consented to be a cypher Secretary. 



The programme was like those of its two predecessors, 

 purely " Sky." Bad floods in October made the course during 

 that month in an awful state, and it was feared the camping 

 ground would be dangerously damp ; but the meeting com- 

 menced fairly. The course, which a month previously had 

 been completely under water, was in really splendid order, 

 chiefly owing to the exertions of that most indefatigable of 

 policemen, Mr. Robertson Pughe. He was aided in a great 

 measure by the judicious advice and undoubted prestige of 

 Mr. R. S. Lockhart, a close connection of the sportsman of 

 the same name so well known in those days at Raneegunge 

 as " the well preserved old gentleman." Mr. Clay merely lent 

 his name for the executive to conjure with, but it was not 

 found of much use, as Harry, Bob and " Toast " Macintosh had 

 to do all the work. 



The delay in issuing the prospectus no doubt militated 

 against the success of the racing, which happened to be fixed 

 at a time when up-country and Calcutta horses were idle. 

 A crowd of them would have come from Lucknow had 

 earlier intimation been given and racing weights been in 

 vogue. The only thing that did arrive from the capital of 

 Oudh was Mr. F. G. Johnson, who said he had come to ride for 

 Mr. Abbott. He did not, however, take much by his journey, 

 occupying on the first two days that back seat so dear to the 

 humble minded. 



Raneegunge was represented by the genial Mr. Roy 

 Campbell, who turned up with his beloved totalisator, without 



