202 Amon? Men and Horses 



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seen a couple of performances which we gave in his circus. 

 His accounts of the fondness of Africanders for horses and 

 of the numbers of wild ones to be found on the veldt de- 

 cided us on making a trip to the land of the Boers. 



Our house in Calcutta was a place of call for all poor and 

 distressed sportsmen. One day a bright-looking lad of about 

 twenty came in during morning stables. He told me that he 

 had worked his passage out from England as a fireman on 

 board a steamer ; that he had been in a racing stable and had 

 ridden some races on the Continent ; and that he wanted a 

 job. As he was a nice light weight and looked a smart, cheery 

 boy, I told him that he could find a room, bed, knife and fork 

 in the house, and that we would go for a ride in the evening ; 

 for of course I wanted to see how he ' shaped ' on a horse. 

 What a boy that was ! Fine, strong horseman, with a heart 

 that knew no fear, and a feeling on the reins as light, yet firm 

 as that of Jack Roberts on a billiard cue. Bill, who happened 

 to have the same surname as I, showed in every possible way 

 his gratitude for the small kindness I had done him, and was 

 so willing and devoted that he quite won my heart. I man- 

 aged to give him a winning mount in a hurdle race, and with 

 that start, he got several other mounts, and saved ^50 or £60 

 in the first month. At that time a great friend of mine, a New 

 Zealand shipper, Mr John Stevens, asked me to let Bill go up 

 country with him to ride his horses. Knowing that the lad 

 would do anything I told him, I felt greatly tempted to keep 

 him with me ; but as it was to his interest to go with Mr 

 Stevens, I consented with a heavy heart ; for the boy was so 

 fearless that I was afraid to let him out of my sight. I begged 

 him not to ride anything over hurdles or across country that 

 he was not certain had been well schooled ; for I knew that 

 many owners of unsafe horses are cruelly indifferent to the 

 risks men run in riding their brutes. The promise was lightly 

 given. Poor Bill, knowing no fear, got a mount on a man- 

 slayer in a chase, with the assurance that ' he is as safe as the 

 bank.' The clumsy, treacherous cur fell at a fence. Bill was 



