CHAPTER XV 



ON DONKEYS TO THE ASSOUAN DAM 



Reverting to the Luxor Gymkhana I don't know 

 why they should have done, but one or two of the 



My skill ladies did ask me to select suitable 

 oras^ses'^'^and ^onkeys f 01 them to ride, and I was for- 



the result tunate enough to choose the winning 

 animals. The same remark appHes to the donkeys 

 ridden by our party to the tombs, the one I 

 chose invariably turned out the best. Through 

 this I must have left a reputation behind me, for 

 on my second visit to Egypt I was asked by Sir 

 Charles Hartopp to go and see the Duke and 

 Duchess of Devonshire on their private Dahaheah, 

 which was anchored at Luxor, and after some little 

 talk about horses, the Duchess said : 



" Mr. Darling, you have left a reputation behind 

 you with the ladies for selecting for them the win- 

 ning donkeys at the Gymkhana, and also those 

 which carried them so well on their journeys 

 visiting the tombs. I knew you were a good judge 

 of horses, but I did not know you were such a 

 good judge of an ass ! " 



9 129 



