Colonel Blackwood. 59 



in those days I had written no book about horses, and 

 no one would have heeded what I might have said. 

 " Ours " was an odd regiment at that time. It was 

 commanded by Colonel Blackwood, who was a son of 

 the original old man whose portrait adorns the cover of 

 the monthly magazine of that ilk, published in George 

 Street, Edinburgh. He had a sleeping interest in the 

 concern, and right royally did he spend his private 

 income and his pay. The old man had a passion for 

 backing his luck at games with those fatal bits of paste- 

 board. I never knew him refuse a bet at cards, and can 

 well believe the story told of him when playing whist 

 at the Agra club one evening. His two opponents 

 happened to be a couple of very distinguished English 

 tourists, who had come for the cold weather to see India. 

 One remarked to the other that India was a stupid 

 place, and that it was impossible to back one's opinion 

 there ; while if he was at his club in London, he could 

 have a " monkey " on the rubber if he liked. " Sir," 

 cried the old Colonel, as he put his glass in his eye with 

 a delighted chuckle, " you express my own feelings, so 

 let us have a ' monkey ' on each rubber for the rest of 

 the evening : or," said he, pausing, as he observed the 

 boaster's face lengthen, "let us have a ' monkey' on each 



