28 SPORTING AND 



and a bottle of " fizz," I strolled about, 

 looking up my military friends ; for, 

 short though my stay had been in Cal- 

 cutta, I had formed many friendships. On 

 looking back I am astonished at the facility 

 with which I made acquaintances, and 

 even intimate friends, in those days, com- 

 pared with the difficulty I have now in 

 doing the same. After paying a few 

 visits, I ordered the unhappy pony to be 

 again saddled, and it was nice and cool 

 when I started ; he took me back with the 

 greatest ease in two hours and a half, just 

 in time for a late dinner at the mess, to 

 the astonishment of all the detachment. 

 Next morning the taps went at five o'clock, 

 and we marched off much as we had done 

 yesterday, barring the tumble over the bul- 

 lock, which, happily, I avoided, as I sup- 

 pose I kept a sharper look out. At the 



