REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 185 



my intense satisfaction, I heard them grope their way to their 

 own tents, yet not to go to sleep. No ! they kept on remind- 

 ing one another with yells and shrieks of laughter of the 

 different smart tricks they had played the public at diverse 

 race meetings in their career, interlarding their astonishing 

 reminiscences with the most fearful language ; and only an 

 hour ago did they cease talking." Harry soothed the old 

 gentleman and had his tent put out of danger, but his lecture 

 to the delinquents had not the smallest effect on the pair of 

 mad-caps. There is another story of poor Bertie's love for 

 practical joking which convulsed the district with laughter 

 that year, and which is too good not to be chronicled. Bertie 

 was veritably a bete noir to Mr. Rigby, Manager of the Tirhoot 

 State Railway, for he would sometimes travel on the top of 

 the train, sometimes on the engine, sometimes under the seat, 

 and all for sheer devilry, and was always playing some new 

 prank or other ; he was adored by the European guards and 

 drivers, but dreaded with holy horror by the Bengali Station 

 Masters who looked on him as a "pucca shaitan. " 



This is his own account of the story I allude to, written 

 to Harry Abbott during the latter's absence at Meerut, and 

 published by him in the I.P.G : 



DEAR MASTER, If " Sporting Notes " are a bit meagre 

 this week it is owing to my time having been taken up in 

 preparing my defence. The boss of the Tirhoot State Railway 

 is running me in for having attempted to revive that closer 

 rapprochement between the English and natives, which used 

 to exist in the ante-Mutiny days and the absence of which 

 is so universally regretted by all writers on the subject of 

 social reform. The Station Master at Motipore is my medium 

 for the receipt of Macgavin's Whisky (for my own consump- 

 tion) andNeurasthenipponskelesterizo (for thejaintpore stable). 

 He most unaccountably took umbrage at my mode of address- 

 ing him, and forwarded my communication to that toffiest 



