REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 25! 



He proved as big a madcap at school as he did afterwards 

 through most of his adventurous career in this country. After 

 Jeaving Marlborough he was sent to Hodson's, the then well- 

 known London crammer, to try for the Indian Civil Service, 

 but the many escapades he played there made old Hodson so 

 sick that the latter asked him to seek fresh fields ; and then Mr. 

 Hughes of Baling took him in hand, but he nearly blew the 

 whole school up practising gunnery and had to leave in con- 

 sequence. Messrs. D'Artois and Watkins of St. John's Wood 

 got him through for Direct Commissions at Chelsea and he 

 came out to this country, but instead of going in for the army he 

 joined the North -West Police in 1870, and was gazetted to 

 Bareilly, being afterwards sent to Pilibheet, where he showed 

 his grit in a row that occurred between the rival races of Hin- 

 doos and Mahommedans. Unfortunately the two feasts of the 

 Ramnomi and Mohurrum fell on the same day, and in spite 

 of the sensible arrangements made by the Cbllecter, Mn 

 White, the two factions got to logger-heads and a regular 

 Donnybrook was the result. Messrs. White and Short in en- 

 deavouring to quiet the mob were mobbed and assaulted, 

 as also was a respectable native Honorary Magistrate who 

 tried to reason with the ringleaders. As a last resource 

 Bertie Short got the Magistrate's leave to fire on the rioters 

 which had the result of putting them to flight, leaving five 

 men severely wounded. Of course a Commission was appoint- 

 ed to enquire into the affair and the officers were not only 

 exonerated but praised for their action which undoubtedly 

 saved the town from being wrecked. In 1872 Bertie, who 

 had ere this proved himself a rare good man after pig, or 

 over a country after the wily jack, began to develope a love 

 for racing and particularly for steeplechasing, which never left 

 him. His first mount in the pigskin with the colours up was 

 at Bareilly on Colonel Pennycuick's Australian mare Lassie 

 in the Hurdle Race, which he wort easily. In November 1872 



