1 20 Among Men and Horses. 



quiet horses to handle at the seat of Government in the hills, 

 I brought all the way from Calcutta with me an Australian 

 buck-jumper, which gave a fine and exciting show. Lord 

 Dufferin being a good horseman and an Irishman, was fore- 

 most in wanting to learn, so that, as he laughingly told me 

 he might break-in his own hunters when he got back to 

 ' The Old Country' Though England could badly spare her 

 greatest and most honoured diplomatist, I feel certain that he 

 would be happier in a good hunting county in Ireland, with a 

 nice stable of horses and a well-selected pack or two of 

 hounds, than he is now as Ambassador at Paris. The world 

 knows him chiefly as a diplomatist of extraordinary tact and 

 wisdom ; and yet he is quite as able in winning the love and 

 respect of his fellow men, as he is in securing political 

 victories. He and Lord Mayo, both fine Irish sportsmen, 

 contrast very favourably indeed with other viceroys I might 

 name. Lady Dufferin was a fit wife for a mighty ruler. She 

 is a grande dame, sympathetic, and large minded. On the 

 day I gave my first performance at Simla, the Commander- 

 in-Chief — he was then Sir Frederick Roberts — very kindly 

 asked me to lunch. Referring to the interest he took in my 

 work, he drew my attention to the fact that he had in his 

 library all my books. After acknowledging this very high 

 compliment, I could not help saying in fun, after glancing at 

 them, that he had not the book I wrote on military tactics. 

 The implied suggestion that he should consult my ideas on 

 tactics, of which he is the great past master, was received by 

 the Commander-in-Chief and those of his staff who were 

 present, as a great joke. Before the lunch, I gave Sir 

 Frederick a private seance with a horse of his which would 

 not jump for him. Twenty minutes with the long reins made 

 the animal take in the kindest manner, the fence we had put 

 up on the lawn. Lord Roberts is as good and resolute on 

 horseback as any subaltern in the service. He is a remark- 

 ably nice weight, and is wonderfully fortunate in having kept 

 his nerves in good order. He has a kind spot in his heart 



