MORE TALES OF SAHIB LAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 81

MORE TALES OF SAHIB LAND.

By F. DA. C. De L'lsle. (Author of "Tales of Sahib Land," "Tales of the 28th 8.L.," -'The Adventures of a, Turf. Detective," "Sport the World Over,"

etc., etc.)

{AH Rights Reserved.)

THE GRIFFIN'S POLO MATCH.

"Griffin" is an Anglo-Indian word, signifying "newcomer." It is synonymous to tno Australian word "new chum' and the American term 'tenderfoot." The "griffin" in India i« always, painfully in evidence ; firstly, by his exaggerated English clothes, and secondly, by his accent. ■He always says "heah," and 6peaks m disparaging terms of the native, who is usually styled- "nigger," with s6me uncomplimentary .qualifying adjective preceding ifc. This is a solecism that seasoned Anglo-Indiana recent ; snore especially the British officers, in the Indian contingent of the Imperial army, who have learnt to know their men, imd to respect their dog faithfulness and thehr undeniable sourage. Of cotirse, there are exceptions to the rule t and the true British gentleman soon drops the "blanked niggah!" «uid learns to speak decently of the native. And the first men to recognise the grand qualities of the native troops are those who have seen them on active service. British officers .who have had experience of Indian troops ■are dnstinted in their praise, foT these game troops are among the finest in the /world;; as witness the charge of the 'Bengal Cavalry in tho Soudan, when they cut to pieces an Arab square that had ihurled back a British cavalry regiment .with, heavy l«sa- One amongst a hundred instancee of their equality with, European troops. - Ask an Indian army officer •whether he would sooner lead lhe\ 9th OLancers or the 11th Bengal Lancers in a close thing ; whether he would sooner storm, a mountain pass at the head of the Gurkha Brigade or "the Black Watch. The answer will be interesting and instructive. .This is partly why Indian officers think so •much of their men. Away back in the eariy eighties of the nineteenth oentury Captain Polhill, of the 28fch Bengal [Lancers, was down at Dooli, 40 miles from Bundook, for a week's shikari. He put up at the Great Western Hotel. At Dooli the 110 th Hueears had just left for Home, and their place had been taken by *he Imperial vHuesarc, a depot regiment, made 'up oi militia Tecruite for the first time on foreign eervice. The regiment ■was officered by moneyed men of dubious qualifications. Oi Sandhurst they had ihad just enough to qualify for their oommissions; some of them undoubtedly getting squeezed into the service by sheer influence. Lord Northminster, first lieutenant, vacuous, conceited, and downright snob, was of the latter class. Lord Rashleigh, a crammer's "pup," wac another of the same kind ; as also was Captain Leslie, a harmless, over-dressed: bounder, whose [father had made a. out of liver pills. They all had money — tons of it, — and it made these august personages jpopnlar in the society of the cantonments. It was unfortunate that Lord Northminstsr should be out dining at the Great .Western Hotel, «s ihe gaest ot ihe deputyoemmiasioner, on the third evening of Captain Polhill's stay "at Dooli : and it was also doubly unfortunate that he should {have" been placed exactly opposite to that officer at the table d'hote. Lord Northminster was *n ezqvisite o£ a magnificent type. He sported an eyeglass, <and spoke with a supercilious drawl. His ■lineage was obscure, since ue was one of "the -British beerage. The rank was but (the guinea stamp, and tie aristocratic descent of Vere de Vere ptss sonspicuously absent in this con of Beer de Beer.

The deputy-commissioner had' his wife and her unmarried sister -dining there too. ,The women simply fiunj? ihemselvss at the (titled brewer's head, fie was ac sligible parti in every way, according to their per--frerted view of things. When the gong had e-otrnded for dinner (the" regulation boarders at the hotel were first at the table ; the visitors strolled an at irregular intervals. When Captain Polhill entered the deputy had got has party well^ iindar way with their mulligatawny, and the exquifiita was discussing the quality of'-the hotel sherry with the pretensions of a connoisseur. 3STow, it is one of the rules of that undrawn code of polite bshaviaur that a ■ person shall not raise the voice more than is absolutely necessary for conversation in public or at a public table. Lord NoTthjninster was airing his knowledge of the various brands of sherry in a voice that was clearly heard xt the far end .of the very large dining room at the Great ■JVesfcern., With the fish— that beautiful jnango fish that only blesses Indian goufmands with a short periodical visitation — 'Lord Northminster distinctly informed the ■jrtiole room that turbot was a finer flelicaey. His remarks were ostensibly addressed to the lady exf his right, but |y sct«A jn imagining that tie lady was

deaf! As the waiters or hotel khansamahs were changing the plates, Captain Polhill's khajisamah (de rigueur, when one dines out in India, one is attended by one's own khansamah, in livery) approached him with a card: on a salver. >

"Wanting to see the kaptan sahib," he said, with a dignified salaam. Thiu procedure appeared to attract the attention of Lord Northminster. He asked in a loud voice of the lady on his right what that "niggah fellah" was. Thereupon the lady explained volubly the raison d'etre of th.e\khansamah.

On the card that his servant had brought him Captain Polhill found the name of "The Kour Sahib of Ulmur." There was a vacant place by his side. He rapidly gave the khansama-h a message in Hindi, and in a few minutes the Kour Sahib of Ulmur, one of % the most hospitable hosts of the 28th B.L. in the Punjab, was shaking hands very heartily with him, and accepting an invitation to dine there and then.

"I did not care to dine by myself,Polhdll,'-' said Ulmur, in the most perfect English (he was a graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge), "and seeing your name in the hotel register, ventured to inform you that I was here. How did you leave the regiment — all well?" Ulmur was dressed in the regulation hotweather evening dress — a perfectly spotless white khaki shell jacket and white trousers, with a coloured kummerbund. There was nothing " flash " in his turnout, ■but his khansamah was a eight for the gods. Crest, ooat-of-arms, and livery were all the height of Oriental splendour. And Oaptain Polhill distinctly heard the bounder opposite him ask: "Who's the Day and Martin in white, eh?".. r , The deputy commissioner knew the Kour Sahib well. He had once received an invitation to shoot at Ulmur. A slight mistake had cost him the acquaintance of his royal nost,> but he had never forgotten the magnificence of that visit. He turned to Lord Northminster and whispered : " He is one of the grandest of our independent princes. His ancestors were kings in India when pur forefathers were living in saves and using stone axes, 1 ' " Who is the Johnnie who invited him in '/ " said the awe-struck British peer, fixing liis monocle on the Kour Sahib.

"Oh!" gushed the lady on his left, " that's Captain Polhill, of the 28th Bengal Lancers. He's a woman-hater."

" Haw ! Niggah troops ! " drawled Lord Northminster. "They are very familiar heah, I believe."

Bu£ the flunkey (oh, that vile, British aunkeyiem!) in him was dominant throughout that dinner, and he could scarcely take hia eyes off the native Prince for the rest of the evening. Oaptain Polhill talked quietly and interestedly with the Kour Sahib, though his fingers itched to fling the glass of wine ' before him .into the face of the offensive cad opposite. But he controlled himself, and such was his .absolute calm and conduct that the party opposite might not have existed for ail the notice that he took of them.

He had a glorious revenge a few days after. He had one peculiar characteristic : h© could force his hearers to believe and acquiesce in all that he stated as a fact ; and when, a few days later, he met Lord Northminster and was introduced to him, in discussing India, he said : "The Orientals are gentlemen born, and really we English ought to be very glad to associate with them. They teach us manners."

"Bai Jawve! " gasped the startled peer. " You don't mean to say that they go society heah? "

" Oh, but yes ! And the society that receives them is the best in India," answered Polhill.

'■ Oh, bai Jawve! I say, you might introduce ule to Jrour black friend, don't you know," drawled Lord Northminster. '"I must say he behaved like a perfect gentleman at the dinner table last night." 11 You must excuse me there," answered Captain" Polhill. " You see, this gentle- , man is of royal blood and a Prince, and you know that* they must first ask for introductions. I dare not introduce you without his first asking me to do so, because you are not a prince, or of royal blood even."

"Then how ihe dayvle did you come to know him?" asked Lord Northminster, forgetting his manners. "He asked to be introduced to me," serenely answered Polhill, " one evening when the 28th were dining at Rajgunge, his place at Ulmur." •'Oh, well, bring him down to the polo ground this evening ! We would like to show these niggab© how to play the game. They have a game of the kind heah, haven't they? " asked Northminster. Yes," murmured Polhill, with a faraway look, "they have. I've seen them at it, up in Manipud. They ride 12-hand ponies, play 20 to 50 aside, and use both bands to strike with. You would be interested if you could see the natives play ; they are very good in a way." The other laughed, repeated his invitation to PolbilL -to bring the " niggah fellah " down to the polo ground, then trotted off fco his quarters to retail the news to his brother officers over tifiin. Captain Polhill and the Kour Sahib of Ulmur trent down to the Dooli polo ground that evening to see" the Royal Hussars play polo. They were playing — the ■ word t- play " aptly describes their efforts and their antics. Their form «ras hardly equal to the poorest junior form, but their turnout was magnificent, undoubtedly' embarrassing. Lord Northminster played at a slow canter on a fine English pony. He was using a severe curb and snaffle, two pairs of web Teins, a sliding- cheek strap, with a gag on the snafile — about as awkward and cumbersome a furnishing as one could introduce into the tender mouth of a thoroughbred. But when was to this a breast-plate and standing martingale, the effect upon the horse can be better imagined than described. They all used English hunting saddles, awkward in the grip for polo, with licht racing irons

— vile things to recover when loet, as they often are in a hard ride-off. , Captain Polhill and Ulmur walked round and inspected their poni€6. The Royals were playing their first chukker. '" Fine ponies." said Ulmur. " Yes," replied Polhill " Wish we had gome of them." "Useless here," remarked Ulmur.

" Yes," answered Polhill.

Then they turned to watch the play. They found it so uninteresting that they had to make it amusing. Ulmur laid 2to 1 against Lord Northminster striking the bail once in every three times, and Polhill laid the same odds against Captain Leslie. When the chukker was over Lord Northminster had hit the ball once, and Captain Leslie was awarded a hit and a-half — a half-hit because it was doubtful whether his pony had kicked the ball or whether his stick had struck it.

" I say, Kour Sahib, what say if we have some fun with these griffs? " asked Polhill, as the players were returning to the stand.

The Kour Sahib's eyes twinkled, Jones fashion? " he queried.

"Je ha, Kour Sahib," replied Polhill, cmiling. "Very well, Polhill. We'll haze them," said Ulmur.

When the. players had dismounted Polhill walked up to Lord Northminster and greeted him. " I say, Northminster, what's the game you are playing? Something new ; just come out from Home, eh? " he asked.

Lord Northminst&r thought the remark very funny. "Yaas," he drawled. "We call it polo at Home. What do you — ah — fellahs call it heah?

"My boots ! " ejaculated Polhill. "Do you ;all that polo? Well, I'm blest! ij'you mean bo say that you play it at that pace?" " Yaas," replied Northminster, delighted. " Fast, ain't it? " , " Fast ! " 6aid Polhill, speaking slowly. "It may bedfast for your game, which I mistook for shinty. But, my hat, that's not polo." ■" What the dayvle d'you mean? " asked Lord Northminster, fixing his glass in his eye. "Can you play polo?" "A. bit ; but I'm not good enough for my eegimental team. The Kour Sahib there is one of the champions of India, ill tell you what we'll do : if you fellaws would like to see how we play polo in India, the Kour Sahib and I have each got a couple of ponies here, and we two will play your four for two chukkers of 15 minutes each," said Polhill. " What nonsense ! " drawled Northminster. "You are, bragging. You'd have no chow."

Captain Polhill looked seriously at him. "If you "wish to distinguish yourself, Northminster, you'll cross sticks with Ulmur. He could almost play your four single-handed." ' By gad, we'll give your black friend a lesson then ! " said Lord Northminster. After a short consultation with his brother officers they took up the challenge and rode out into the field. 1

What a difference there was in the gearing of the Indian ponies! Ulmur had quite a suite in his party, and his syces quickly brought his ponies on to the ground. Captain Polhill was hacking one of his best, and his syce toie off, post haste, to bring up the other from the stable. Captain Polhill used the Indian polo gear. A short Ward bit with sliding bar and straight, corrugated iron mouthpiece, with no port. No bit could be milder for a pony's mouth. Has standing noseband martingale was also simplicity itself, and he used one of Souter's narrow-grip polo saddles. ' . Ulmur had; almost the same kind of gear, barring his standing mar.tingale, which was composed.of soft white puggareecloth running between the pony's forelegs, under the girth, and back to the head-, stall, where it was tied in a bow at the required length. They both used the Jhcdpur fish-handled sticks, and only a player that has once used them can truly appreciate the feel, grip, and strength of them. There wa6 a big crowd of lat-sahibs, burra-sahibs, and their mem-sahibs on the polo ground, and Ulmur's suite formed a striking and colourful contrast to them, in the stand. All the Royals not on duty turned out as soon, as they heard of the match and lined the boundaries ; and the Dogras, who were stationed at'Dooli, also came out to see the tamasha.

In the opening chukker Ulmur rode his chestnut waler pony Gold — a perfect polo pony. Captain Polhill rod 1 © his black waler mare Tottie, one of the fastest ponies in India. They simply played with the wretched Royals! "You do the scoring, Ulmer. I'll do the riding off!" said Captain Polhill, as they rode on to the ground ; and' as soon as the ball was hit> off Polhill passed it beautifully aoross the left wing at an angle of 45 degrees. Ulmur, who had already started for the point, got the ball, and in two hits was down to the Royals' goal. Lord Rashleigh, taking his time, and waiting far the ball to settle, was violently hurled to one side by a streak of black lightning, as- Polhill rode him off, and Ulmur gently patted the ball through the goal. The natives in the stand gasped and squeezed their heaving sides. They were choking with the paroxysms of laughter that they were trying to suppress. "Hullo !" said Colonel Wingate, of tho Dogras, who had just entered the stand, "another Carr- Jones spoof? By Jove ! it isn't Carr- Jones; it's Polhill and Ulmur! Oh ! bobbery ; here, I'll lay a hundred to one in gold mohure against the griffs!" But nobody accepted' even those liberal odds.

In 10 minutes Ulmur had put on 16 goals! When the 1, 2, -and 3 of the Royals had tumbled-to the game of watching the "niggah fellah," that gentleman would pass the ball right across the ground to the very club of' Captain Polhill's ©tick, and another goal would be

added to the score. Onc%"Gaptain -Polhill made a mishit, and Lord Rashleigh stopped the ball. In another second a white turban flashed past him, and two clear lengths in front a chestnut pony whipped round with a jerk on its forelegs, bang went the fish-handle on the nea.r side, and a magnificent angular shot scored one more to Ulmur. At the end of the chukker the Kour Sahib had put on 21 goals and Captain Polhill six ! The Royals, hot, ridden to a standstill, bumped, bruised, and shaken to ribbons, tumbled, gasping, from their dead-beat ponies. Lord Rashleigh walked up to Ulmur, saying : "By gad ! you're wonderful ! — simply wonderful ! And we've had the biggest spoof of our lives!" Ulmur bowed politely. "Are you going on?" he asked.

"No! I for my part ask you to release us irom any further play. I've had far more than enough !" replied Lord RaeJileigh.

The other Royals said the same.

"Very well," said Polhdll ; "I only trust this lesson may do you fellows some good. You will learn in time that here in India we have invincible players and teams. And- not even champion British teams can ever hope to .beat them. So when you are writing Home, say a good word for polo in India." When he returned to Bundook, ..Captain Polhill found the 6tory "of the spoof common gossip. "TJhey won't speak about 'niggah fellahs ' again in a hurry !" he remarked to his brother officers, who were laughing over the story ; "and I feel morally certain that £hey will never forget the Griffins'- polo match !"