TIGERLAND 



new-made army, and presenting myself at the head- 

 quarters of the Bengal Mounted Constabulary was enlisted 

 as a trooper. 



We left a few days later for the front, by rail as far as 

 the line was laid and thence on foot by road, for although 

 a " mounted corps," of horses as yet we had none ! These 

 were to be purchased on our arrival at the base camp. 



Our saddlery-equipment and camp equipage accom- 

 panied us on bullock-carts, hence our progress was neces- 

 sarily slow, two and a half miles an hour being the limit 

 of a native bullock's pace. However, by a judicious 

 manipulation of their tails, we increased their pace to three, 

 finally reaching our camp well within our time. 



Here a crowd of horses of every shape and size were 

 presently paraded for selection, amongst them an animal 

 so remarkable in appearance as to merit a description in 

 a paragraph to itself. 



The beast was a snow-white stallion of exceptionally 

 good make, with grey-blue eyes and nose and ears of a 

 delicate pale pink ! Thus far, however, the animal was 

 as Nature had created it, but its owner, evidently dis- 

 satisfied with her work and being apparently of an artistic 

 turn of mind, had added to its " beauty " by dyeing the 

 mane and tail sky-blue ! 



This extraordinary-looking object, led by two atten- 

 dants, was brought up to our " C.O.," the owner remarking 

 as he pointed proudly to it that " an animal so magnificent 

 in appearance was eminently suited to carry one of his 

 exalted rank ! " 



However, the latter, an ex-cavalry officer, having his 

 own ideas on the subject, was not to be persuaded, and the 

 beast moreover presently showing an inclination to savage 

 one of its attendants, was speedily rejected altogether as 

 unfit for the troop, much to the disgust of its master, who 

 had probably looked forward to making a good bargain. 



The selection then proceeded, and the hundred odd 

 animals required being eventually purchased, were made 

 over to each trooper, according to his number on the 

 Roster as being the simplest way of dealing with the 

 matter. 



But, as was soon discovered, this haphazard method of 

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