A Scion of the Kumpani Bahadur

Hastings Standard, Issue 243, 10 February 1897, Page 4

A Scion of the Kumpani Bahadur

A TALE OF INDIAN SPORT,

[Specially written foe the Hastings 'Standard.]

By F. D'A. C. De Lisle. (AU rii/hts referred by the author./ Chapter Vlll.—Jones' Jingling Johnny ! After the tamasha he had had at Amritsar Carr-Jones had some months of uneventful life at Pmdi, Avhere he devoted himself to his regimental duties with such assiduity that he gained the unstinted praise of his senior officers.

Each man in the regiment had gained brevet rank upon the departure of Major Bruce for England, which rank was confirmed when Major Bruce exchanged. So that the subaltern no longer found himself the junior officer of the regiment, that position being occupied by Lieut. Ferdinand Wilson who was also a descendant of the great Kumpani Bahadur. He was a fine young fellow with a strong strain of Scotch blood in him, to which ft.ct may be attributed his engagement to Miss Ypres Armas ; to whose charms and six 'undred 'tousand rupees in the Agra bank he succumbed after a very brief siege ; making but one proviso, viz., that Miss Armas should go to England for two years and study English and accomplishments under capable teachers. Then she was to return with the usual shipload of brides elect in the wedding season and become Mrs Lieut. Ferdinand Wilson and a hurra Jielati mcm-iahih.

The Armenian beauty saw her ambitions fulfied on the horizon of the near future, and really liking the fairhaired stalwart Saxon boy, she packed up her traps and set off for a swagger ladies' seminary at Brighton on the Sussex coast of England. Of her we shall hear more anon.

One day Lieut. Carr-Jones received orders to proceed with an escort down to Balwal in the Dhoon country, on the unpleasant service of arresting a deserter and bringing him back to the

headquarters of the 28th B.L. for court-martial. The 48th Prince of Wales' Own Carabineers were stationed at Balwal, and Jones received the usual invitation to their mess. Now, the 48th P.W.O. were real old Indian veterans. Pucca old warriors, who had seen thirty years' service in India, and who knew more of Indian soldiering than any other army men in Hindustan. And no mistake, they thought a lot of themselves !

Another equally distinguished and more self-conceited regiment quartered at Balwal was the 42nd Life Guards, only out from Colchester twelve months yet putting on more side than a whole army of Native regiments. Tliey had not been in India more than three days before they were christened " Wolsley's darlings" and " Wolsley's darlings" they remains to this day. Unfortunately for Carr-Jones' comfort he met with an adventure by which he was brought into antagonism with this very swagger regiments only two days after his arrival at Balwal: from which centre he and his troopers were scouring the neighboring country for the deserter, and this how it occurmL They were lunging a big chestnut waler on the parade ground at Balwal, and from appearances it looked as if lie was going to be one too much for the breakers of the 42nd Life Guards. The waler had only just been brought up from Calcutta, where the Damascus had landed him at Garden Reach straight from the bush of Gippsland, his native home. -Never had he looked through a bridle until one of the hands engaged in shipping him at Port Melbourne had shoved a halter over his head through the windows of the truck in which he had beeu brought down from Warragul, and the halter had remained on his head from that day to this. Ile had proved a veritable terror on board, and the boys were glad to see the last of him when he passed the Government Vet. in Calcutta and was drafted away as a cavalry remount to the 42 nd Life Guards at Balwal. And, oh ! my sacred sister Sarah! (new form of Persian adjuration) didn't he give the thin red line of " 'eroes " an idea of what an Australian nag can really do in the way of buckjiimping when he has got his heart .set on it. lie was a magnificent specimen of the " aboriginal article," as Lieutenant Plantagenet said. This august personage, one of the perfumed darlings of Piccadilly, was looking on at the lunging with three or four of his brother oflicers. The waler was destined to be the second charger of this pigeon-chested British he ro. Tlie horse was fully l(r2 in height, big boned, with a deep long barrel, and he was tin; picture of a troop horse.

After about twenty minutes lunging a saddle was placed on his back. He stood dazed and trembling. The whole earth wis revolving round him at the rate of knots, and the poor beast was in a pitiful condition of fear and dizziness.

" Now then, Rogers," sang out the Lieua-nant before mentioned, 11 nip on to him, and give him hell !" The rough rider of the regiment touched his etp with his whip and vaulted into the saddle. Taking a firm grip with his knees, he dug his heels into the horse and made him move along. Quivering all over, the animal staggered along for a few paces, lurched huavity forward, and fell head loilg on the grass. /* Quick, up with him I" .shouted the Piccadilly darling. But the waler refund to move and lor five minuter ho lay regardless of whips and kicks and hammerings on hid defenceless carcass.

At last he struggled up, and quick as thought the cough rider was on his back. But alas ! for the vanity of human hopes. Five minutes rest had restored the dazed animal. All his youthful vigor, all the fiery spirits of his native wilds rushed through his throbbing heart, and with a plunge and bound that would have disgraced a cannon ball he went to market like a demon. At the second buck the rough rider went skyward with the velocity of a shell-rocket. At the fifth the saddle described a graceful parabolic curve, comet fashion, with the girths, surcingle, and martingale acting as tails, and descended with a vicious "whop" on the head of no less a personage than beautiful, bountiful Bertie, the august Plantagenet of that ilk. Words fail me to describe the profanity of the most interested personages in this little episode. A cloud of dusky syces, grass-cut-ters, native troopers, and watercarriers pursued, surrounded, and brought back the demon plunger. (N.B. —Should have been named Benzon !) More profanity welcomed him. The graceful Plantagenet was wroth at having his helmet jammed over his eyes by a two stone breaker's saddle. Once more the lunging, followed by thrashings unmerciful by the Piccadilly swell and the rough rider. During this interval a dapper little fellow, with sandy hair, light moustache, and a beetroot complexion, trotted up on a beautiful chestnut waler. He pulled up to see what was going on, and as he watched the beetroot turned to purple in his face, and his clear blue eyes flashed like steel. Riding up to a native " gharri-wal-lah " who flogging the waler round with an enormous bamboo, he gave him a succession of " rib-roasters " that made the man howl for mercy. The new-comer was dressed in the undress uniform of the 28th 8.L., one of the smartest native cavalry regiments in India. " Sahib ! Sahib ! Iluzzoor ! " implored the " gharri-wallah." " Ki-ko irasti ! Xai-nai!" shouted the man on the w T aler laying about him.

His majesty, the lordly Plantagenet could not brook the interference of a stranger in his business, especially as that stranger wore the uniform of a native regiment.

" Who the devil's that fellow Dawson," asked Lieut. Plantagenet in a voice load enough to be heard in Calcutta.

" The fellow will tell you him self" said the stranger, and he pre sented his card.

"A. F. B. M. Carr-Jones, Lieut. 28th Bengal Lancers, Eawal Pindi," read the Life Guardsman. " Haw ! for what reason d'you-ah-interfeah—" The little man screwed his glass into his eye and looked the Guardsman up and-'down.

" Well upon my word," he said, " you are a fine specimen of the British soldier! One of Wolsley's own specials, I can see. I interfered becauso 1 will never stand by and see a dumb animal punished by a pack of curs. You stand by and allow that horse to be " waled" till the blood spurts from his wounds, and yet you are afraid to get on his back. I'd like to give you the flogging you have allowed to be inflicted on him." " Aw—what the devil—aw—how dare you," gasped the astonished lord of creation.

" I dare anything against a cur," said Carr-Jones. "If you want that that horse broken, see that it is done humanely, if not, you may find yourself reported at head-quarters. ' Our Bobs ' is a man, and he will see that this is stopped." " Aw, aw, perhaps you would like to break the-aw-animal in," sneered the Life Guardsman. " You talk deucid big, bai Jove !" Jones once more surveyed tho wonderful sample of tho British Cavalryman before him ; and then as if suddenlyjmaking up his mind, said: "Yes, I'll break him in for you. Upon these conditions. You belong to a ' swagger ' regiment, where weight of metal usually carries tho day. I'll break that horse in for you if you will bet me fifteen thousand rupees that he throws me."

"W— w what'? " gasped LieutPlantagenet. l> I'll bet you an even fifteen thousand rupees that that horse never throws me fairly. All accidents to gear excepted," said Jones. "Done," .said the Piccadilly lily with alacrity, and ho wished in his heartjthat this intrusive stranger would break his neck in the attempt.

Jones dismounted, and commenced handling the waler. In one moment it was seen that he was an experienced hand. The very way in which he approached the, horse showed it. " Ah !" said an old Indian skipper in the crowd, " that man's a horseman. My sugar's on him !"

It was tint mere bravado that made him out his own light hunting saddle on the back of the waler. Iks had ridden 'cm with nothing but a surcingle before that day. The horse seemed instinctively to understand that he was in better hands, for ho submitted to be saddled without any demur.

Then the Lancer mounted ami the fun The Waler bucked, and plunged, and turned, and twisted all lie knew and upheld the glorious reputation of his country, iiut still .lulus ivhntuied nil his back—a veri table old man of the sea. For ten solid minutes the Waler pii_\id played up. And then he walked, trotted, eanti red, and raced round t! " parade ground obedient to all of hi- rider's wishes.

i To ii*i Costisi t.u.j