ROSINANTE 11.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 105, 5 May 1915, Page 2

ROSINANTE 11.

STORY OF AN INDIAN REMOUNT PRACTICAL PATRIOTISM Beyond the fact that a slow goods train had brought the horse down from the United Provinces to the coast, swathed in three thick horse rugs, and that he had borne the journey in the heat of an Indian October extremely badly, nothing (writes K.T., in the Englishman, Calcutta) was known about him. His unexpected arrival caused considerable surprise in the Remount Depo£, and even the usually phlegmatic syces arose from their noonday slumbers to see the horse stabled. "Kiska gora hai?" they ejaculated, as they puffed at their hookahs. "Bote Joona hai ! Ney chelaiga!" Tho Remount Officer was sent for, and christened the horse Rosinante, for his bones projected like the skeleton of% a ship in frame, and even Don Quixote would have thought twice before mounting him. Later, f a short in•spection showed that Rosinante the Second was in a thoroughly unhealthy state, both as regards his muscular and nervous system. Why, then, had this decrepit animal been sent to join the selected horses in course of shipment to France? Where had it come from? Who was the owner ? Why did it bear the thickest of horse-clothing in a temperature of over 90deg. ? Rosinante 11., tired of life and scarcely able to sta'ntl, was put in a stall, where a kindly syce gave him a pick-me-up of gruel and a daily feed of kulthee. Otherwise he remained forgotten until one day a letter was received by the Remount Officer from his owner. The astonished soldier read as follows :—: — "Honourable Sir,- — Germany must not win the battle and Indian peoples must help the King Em'p^eror, who is. best friend of all Indians, and Germany, who is a bad man, no doubt must be totally beaten. lUnglaud very good man, very kind ; and Belgium small, but very fine and very brave. Turkey big fool. Turkey kalasse hai ! (Turkey is finished). Germany think he first-class man and Burra-Sahib of whole world, like big fool. English soldiers. Indian soldiers all fighting. Best men, no doubt. Too many killed and every one very sad. Horses killed too much. English soldiers want horses to catch Germany. English newspaper say send horses, plenty horses. "I am poor man, poor family man, more than forty people in my house feeding. Buffaloes got plenty, horses only one got. One 'horse I send for the King Emperor's soldiers go to war. British 'Raj very good for Indians. T send many horses, but only one horse got it. Very good horse; very good friend Bincc many years. "Very nice horse. Now little thin ; little old no doubt, but little grain make him strong as Haiti. "Honourable, sir, one- thing I aak before horse go on Kala pani, horoe please put in photograf with one sowar on back of Sir Warren Hastin statue by Maidan. Very nice with doob and lucerne horse very strong for war And soldier sitting on back. France too cold and horsa with plenty warm clothes and not wanting warm hair cut off it. Horse want Utpee tfhen very nice. God bless British. My horse, only one horse for to catch. Germany Afridi. Please excuse the trouble.— Your humble and obedient servant, — Milki Ram, Zemindar." A DON QUIXOTE MOUNT. "What on earth is this all about?" enquired the Remount Officer of his assistant. "What sort of horse is it? Waler, Arab, or country-breed?" "That poor old screw, sir You «aw him in the stables. He has~ not a leg to stand on, and all the oate in India would never get him in condition again. You christened him Rosinante II." " I remember now. Well, this poor old Don Quixote from up-country means well. His sentiments are quite sound if his remount isn't. Mount a sowar on the beast to-morrow morning and have him photographed on the Maidan by the Warren Hastings statue. After that you may dispose of the horse. Acknowledge this letter; thank Mr. Milki Ram for his gift, and send him the photograph. That is all we can do." The remount officer was soon engrossed in a pile of papers and the problem of how it was possible to import 10,000 horses from Australia when the Government at Simla had instructed the Government of the Commonwealth to stop shipping horses out of Australia until further notice. Next day Rosinante 11. was sent to the kennels. A fortnight elapsed. One day an elderly native gentleman was shown into the office. It was no .other than Milki Ram himself. After a few friendly remarks anent the war and the position of the Allies in Belgium, the remount officer politely enquired what there was that he could do for his visitor. COME TO SAY GOOD-BYE. " Sir, "'replied old Zamindar, " I thank you very much for photograph of my horse with sowar on back, and now I come to say good-bye to horse before he go to war. Little thin no doubt, but very good horse, and like son to me." " Oh, yes," said the officer, sitting up in his chair, "of course. Your horse. You — cr — presented him to Government. Very good ot you, sir. Let me sseee — cr — chestnut Waler, wasn't it— sixteen hands, rising seven? I remember. And you want to see him? " " Just have little talk with him, sir. Very old friend. Nearly thirteen years." "Really! " replied the officer. "Well, if you could make it convenient to look in this afternoon we'll try to turn the horse out for. you. By the way, you must be prepared for a great change in his appearance. What with change of climate and food and ono thing and another he looks quite another horse now." "That is good," said Milki Ram. " Very good. Now horse strong, no doubt." The remount officer's assistant spent the best part of an hour in hurriedly selecting a suitable substitute for the departed Rosinante, and at last he was successful in finding a horse something like him — in colour and height. Milki Ram was escorted to the stables. Though the horse did not appear to remember him he remembered the horse, which he addressed affectionately in Hindustani, telling him to be brave in battle and do what his rider told him. " Such an old friend," he explained to the officer; "like brother. Little sad to say good-bye. But British must win battle, and if I had more horses I send them. England kind to poor. Germany Kaiser worse than hundred devils. I am very proud man my horso going to Franco for King-Emperor and Sirkhar. Germany get his jewab now! Germany kalasse hai ! "