6o Indian Racing Reminiscences. 



odd trick." It took a long time to make him understand 

 that his opponent did not mean as big as he talked, and 

 then his disgust knew no bounds. He was a good loser 

 and never but once, so the story goes, showed that he 

 "felt the needle." On the occasion in question he 

 backed No. 1 1 for the maximum at one of the German 

 gambling - tables for ten successive times. He then 

 stopped, and had the mortification to see No. 1 1 come 

 up the very next time. Had he but ventured once more 

 than he had done he would have won an enormous 

 stake. I do not know if the facts happened exactly as 

 I have told the tale, but the very mention of No. ii 

 was certain to send him away from the place in which 

 he had heard it named. He had a fine old Indian way 

 of keeping men steady on parade. If he observed any 

 sepoy of his regiment looking about in the ranks, he 

 rode up to him and whacked him on top of his head, 

 where the folds of the turban are thin, with a little stick 

 which he carried, and which had a convenient crutch 

 handle. The old man was hospitable, and liked to drink 

 in company, so he always asked, by turns, one of us — 

 there were only three dining members — at mess to help 

 him through his champagne. Wc appreciated the kind- 

 ness, as we were thirsty subalterns. 



