REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 257 



joined me at Jaintpore. For a couple of years he acted as 

 Secretary and Sub-Editor of this paper, and then went to 

 Nirgie where the bungalow was very damp and here, I 

 fear, he contracted the malady which eventually carried 

 him off. I never shall forget his remark when first taking 

 him to look at my chase and flat courses. He had dis- 

 mounted and was kicking up the soft soil with the toe of 

 his boot and said " By Jove, old chap, what a lovely coun- 

 try to tumble about in." He rode after this occasionally for 

 me at Sonepore and Mozufferpore and once or twice went 

 down to Raneegunge and Assensole, winning several races 

 both on the flat and over hurdles in brilliant style, but 

 I do not think he had a cross country mount since going to 

 Tirhoot. About four years ago he took charge of the Gaig- 

 hat Concern in Chupra and his race-riding days virtually 

 came to an end. Few more intrepid riders ever got into a 

 saddle, his hands and temper with a horse were perfect, but 

 he was simply infatuated with steeplechasing, his chief am- 

 bition being to turn every horse he could get hold of into a 

 " lepper" ; and it was a treat to see him schooling raw young- 

 sters. Bertie Short was a genius, as a sporting writer he 

 was without equal in this country, and he also could write 

 well on most subjects, in fact he had the pen of a very ready 

 writer ; but he hated such work and it always took a lot of 

 coaxing to get him to sit down to the desk. He was a good 

 Latin, Greek, and French scholar, and had he possessed appli- 

 cation might have risen to any height in any profession he 

 chose to adopt ; he would have made a dashing soldier and 

 it was a great pity he ever left the Police, for as a frontier 

 officer, or in places where pluck, dash and decision, were neces- 

 sary he would have been all there. He liked the free life 

 of the Planters and certainly worked Gaighat in a marvel- 

 lous manner. Although a born Bohemian he had many 

 loveable qualities and there are few who have come across 



