48 Indian Racing Reminiscences. 



would play no more, pocketed the money, and here I 

 am." I may observe that we did not bet at all, and 

 that he ^^as only poking fun at me. The story, as 

 stories do in dull Indian stations, "took" immensely in 

 the regiment, and Mr. Brooke, one of the subalterns, 

 was so tickled with it that he vowed he'd play me the 

 same game on the first opportunity. 



As luck would have it, I called on the 92nd mess 

 when returning from Umballa shortly after this. I met 

 Mr. Brooke in the ante-room, and he asked me to have 

 lunch with him. The weather being sultry and my host 

 pressing, I did ample justice to the excellent fare, and 

 to more than one bottle of Christopher's Terrier Jouct. 

 After lunch, Mr. Brooke proposed a game of pyramid 

 pool. I replied that nothing would delight me more. 

 He asked me what stakes I would play for, and I ex- 

 pressed my willingness to gamble for anything he chose 

 to name. We finally agreed to play for stakes which 

 were quite high enough for my pocket, although I knew 

 that, bar some extraordinary accident, I was certain to 

 win, as I was then much the best player in the Punjab. 

 I was in grand form that day, " went out " for everything 

 "possible," and made it. My opponent didn't mind 

 losing the first game, but when he lost the second and 



