58 Indian Racing Reminiscences. 



custom now-a-days. As soon as the bottle was empty it 

 was promptly replaced by a full one. 



Not long after I joined the 35th Native Infantry, our 

 adjutant, Captain Bunbury, died. Among other effects 

 his charger, a smart bay stud-bred gelding, of mature 

 age, was put up to auction and fell to my bid of £6 los. 

 I bought him for some sky races which were got up at 

 Umritzur by Captain Maxwell and a few of the local 

 talent. My new purchase was an animal which had 

 enlisted my sympathies on various occasions, for the 

 extremely rough time he had during and after almost 

 every parade to which he went. The syce — as grooms 

 of every nationality will do — always put the regulation 

 bit so high up in the horse's mouth, that whenever the 

 Adjutant touched the curb reins — which was often — the 

 pain inflicted by the chain on the sharp edges of the 

 animal's lower jaw was so severe, that the poor horse 

 threw his head about and evinced his discomfort, with 

 the result of incurring abuse, digs of the spurs, raps 

 over the head with the flat of the sword, and, after 

 parade, an hour's punishment drill for "unsteadiness 

 in the ranks ! " It was no use my interfering on behalf 

 of the more intelligent animal of the two, by a gentle 

 remonstrance and an offer to put the bridle right ; for 



