ROSINANTE II.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 377, 26 April 1915, Page 10

ROSINANTE 11.

MAKING THE MOST OF A GIFT HORSE. A WELL-MEANT DONATION.

I Beyond the fiict that a hlow goods i train had brought the horse down from jthe United Provinces to the coast, swathed in three thick horse rugs, and that he had home the journey in the heat of an Indian October extremely badly, nothing was known about him. Jlis unexpected arrival caused eonsiderable surprise in the Bemount Depot, and even thn usually phlegmatic syces arose front their noonday slumbers to see the horse stabled. "Kiska gora hai'" they ejaculated as they putfcd at their hookahs. "Bote Joona hai! Ney chelaiga! " Tlie Remount Officer was sent for,-and christened the horse .Bosimiute, for his bones projected like the skeleton of a'ship iu frame, and even Don Quixote would have thought 'twice before mounting him. Later a short inspection showed that Rosinante the second was in a thoroughly un- ' healthy state both as regards his muscu- | lar and nervous system. Why, then, j had tliis decrepit animal ' been sent to | join the selected horses in course of j shipment to France"? Where had it come jfrohit Who was the owner? Why did jit bear the thickest of liorse-clothing in a temperature of over 90 degrees? Bosniant.e IT., tired of life and scarcely able to stand, 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 Bemount Officer from his owner. That astonished soldier read as follows: "Honourable sir, —Germany must not win the battle and Indian peoples must help the King who is best 'friend of all Indians, and Germany, who 'is a bad man, 110 doubt must be totally ; beaten. England 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, everyone 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 10 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. I send m9.ny horses, but only one horse got it. Very good horse; very good friend for many years. Very nice horse. Now. little thin; .little old no doubt, but little grain make him' strong as Harti. Honourable sir, one thing 'I ask'before horse go on Kala j)ani, horse please put in photograf with one Sowar on back of Sir Warren Hastiu statue by Maidau. Very nice with doob and

lucerne lior.se very strong for war ami soldier sitting on back. France too cold and horse with plenty warm clothes and not wanting warm hair cut off it. Hopse want tapee then very nice. God 111 ess British. My horse, only one horse for to catch Germany Afridi. Please excuse the trouble.—Your humble and obedient servant., MILK I RAM, Zamiudar. "What on eartli is this all about?" enquired the Remount Qnicer of his assistant. "What sort of horse is it? Waler, Arab, or country-bred? " "That poor,old screw, sir. You saw hi in in the stablos. lie has not a leg to stpid on, and all the oats ill India would never get him in condition again. You christened, him liobinante II." 11 1 remember now. Well, this poor old I) 011 Quixote from up-country means vfcll. 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 Warran 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 j>ile of papers and the problem of how it was possible to import 10,000 horses from Australia wlienj the Government, at Simla had instructed j | the Government of the Commonwealth ; to stop .shipping horses out of Australia j until further notice. '.Nextday Rosi-; rtantc 11. was sent to the kennels. A; fortnight elapsed. , One day an elderly J native gentleman was shown into the | office. It was no other than Milki Ram j himself. After a few friendly remarks anent the war and the position of the Allies iu Belgium, the Remount Officer p.olitely enquired what there was that he could do for his visitor. "Sir," roplied' the" old Zaniindar, "I thank you very much for the photograph of mv hotse with sowar on back, and now come to s'ay good-bye to horse before he go to war. Little thin, no doubt, but very good jiorse, and like son to inc." "Oh, yes," said the officer, sitting up in his chair, "of course. Your horse. You—er —presented him to Government. Very good of you, sir. Let me see—-er —chestnut Waler, wasu't it—l 6 hands, rising seven? I remember. And you w.int to see him?"' " Just have little talk with him, sir. Very old friond. Nearly 18 years.". .

A Horse of the Same Colour. 4 '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 one thing and another he looks quite another horse now." "That is good," said Milki Earn. "Very good. Now horse strong, no doubt." The Remount Officer's assistant spent the bost part of an hour in hurriedly selecting a suitable substitute for the departed Rosinante, arftl 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 lie addressod affectionately in Hindustani, telling him -to be bra ve in battle and to do what his rider told him. "Such an old friend," he explained to the officer; "like bro- | ther. 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 horse going to France for King-Emperor and Sirkhar. Germany get him jewab now! Germany kalasse hai!"