186 The Hunting Grounds 



in that famous Mussulman capital, but he had been 

 detained by illness on the road, his cash was nearly 

 gone, and moreover, the back of his mare, which had 

 been presented to him by the Oomraootee JSTawab, on 

 the occasion of his son's recovery from illness, was so 

 galled that he could not ride her, and did not know 

 how to proceed on his journey. 



His mare was a blood-looking little creature of the 

 Mahratta caste, with a running sore on her withers 

 nearly the size of the palm of my hand ; and although 

 at the time I thought the wound was incurable, and 

 she would never again be fit for work, I offered ten 

 rupees for her, which the old man very gladly ac- 

 cepted. I had an old Arab syce who was famous for 

 his knowledge of herbs, and under his care she got 

 rapidly well, doing me good service for several years. 

 " Gooty " was one of her progeny by " Chunda lal," 

 (the Red Moon), formerly the property of the late 

 celebrated Dewan of the Deckan, of that name, a 

 magnificent chestnut Arab of remarkably pure caste, 

 well known in the Nizam's dominions as the winner 

 of the great Moul Alii steeple-chase. 



Gooty proved a " chip of the old block," and com- 

 menced his career by carrying off the pony races, 

 Galloway stakes, and hurdle-race (weight for inches) 

 at Hydrabad, under the name of the " Eed Bover," 



afterwards beating General W 's celebrated black 



pony " D. I. O." in two matches, and distinguishing 



