LORD ROBERTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 312, 26 September 1908, Page 11

LORD ROBERTS.

: ' SOME CHARACTERISTICS.-.-'.In spite of his .seventy. odd years,' Lord Roberts has been astonishing the good pcople of Canada with his wonderful horsemanship, which has induced ono of tho Canadian papers to describe him as,possessing "all theisprightliness and. nerve of a man of twenty:". It'is not generally jknowii that all through,his .niilitary, career.-Lord .Roberta has been one of tho finest riders in the army. In his younger days ho was. nicknamed 'Jehu," "because he ridefch furiously,"\ and lrianj' and many a time has his proivess in the saddle, astonished the fittest and .hardest equestrians • in the kingdom. Lord Roberts's thoroughness is proverbial, and tho following anecdote is typical- of tho man. When he was ill India complaints reached him of the quality, of the beer which was served- at one. of the regimental canteens. Lord Roberts did nothing at tho time, but a little later on he dressed himself in a private's uniform, and, having skilfully disguised his face, he entered tho abovementioned canteeii and sat down casuaily on a form.. "How's the beer?" lie asked of.-a soldier who was standing-near.'• "Beer?" was the : contemptuous, query. "Call this beer? Why, it's mote than half water!" "Bobs''therefore-ordered a pot for himself and found that his cjmpanioii - was ; right. Next day, in tho full uniform of his real position, Lord Roberts again visited the canteen and asked for some beer oncb -more.A pint of veiy good' ale was immediately handed to him, and. this timo-there was no water in' it. ■... "Excellent I" exclaimed "Bobs" in a cutting tone. "But this is not the same beer "you sold me. yesterday, when, as a private soldier, I sat on that seat'and paid my money." After that;, there were no more complaints from the "Tommies."-.' ' ' Lord Roberts has a reputation for repartee, and on one occasion ho administered a smart rebuke to a bore which, caused a good deal of amusement. It was at a club, and there was a very tall gentleman present, who seized every opportunity of raising a laugh at other people s expense.. Now, as is well known, Lord. Roberts is very short, and when this gentleman was introduced to the famous soldier, ho patronisingly remarked: "I have often heard of you, but"—shading his eyes with one hand as though "Bobs" was too small to bo seen without difficulty—"l ■ have never seen you," IJpon which Lord. Rober.ts promptly replied: "I have often seen you here, sir, but I have never heard'of you!" The rbst' was silence. - . Lord Roberts is very fond or children, and one day in lndia he met with a curious adventure in consequence. He was visiting oiie of the native bazaars, when a pretty little child, tho two-year-old daughter 'of the shopkeeper, ran into the' shop. ' 'Bobs" could not resist the temptation' to : catch the little one in his arms and pretend to carry her off. But. the. child's mother thought ,he was kidnapping her baby in earnest, and rushed upon'him with the leap of a tigress. She plucked the frightened child from him and abusing him soundly iu her native tonguol drove tho astonished hero' of a, hundred fights out of doors. "That day at least " says Lord Roberts, when lie tells the story "I was defeated in India 1" '