That first he stared, laugh'd, frown'd, then coolly Surveying me from head to foot, Turned up his eyes as if in mute Disdain, then, more in pet than play, Gave a short cough and rode away. But had you seen his quivering lip When first I let this proud boast slip, Not angry merely, no,-it had As tho' to Holland he had been Leighton. That night my spirit had become star Twinkled amidst the misty grey, Nay, once it e'en had gone so far That drums and fifes began to play, Sections were formed in strict array When my heart failed, the halt was sounded And the vexed troops, ready to tramp, Were countermarch'd again to camp. How could I quit a spot which he Or lost or won, made all to me Beyond a dinner or a dance, Beyond mess picnic, jest or joke How move, whilst there was a chance Of giving him at least one poke! No matter what the chief might say Of all this loitering about— my prey Than all his compliments with out But to my tale: that very day, Whilst we the sugar-cane were beating, A picnic of the young and gay Had pitched on Casselsye for meeting; And we, chagrined and weary too, Soon ceased our toil and join'd the jovial crew And what a crew it was!-there sat The young, the middle-aged and old, The herring-gutted and the fat, The cool, the rash, the shy, the bold; And then the Griffs and old residers, Some few civilians and some scores from the Poona Union Hunt established in 1815; it consisted of four members-legs as they were called of the tablewho derived their title from the cir. cumstance of their taking no furniture with them on their hunting excursions, except a common deal plauk, which served them for a dresser and dining table. Bristlers-a set of jolly subs and not-on-the-staff Captains whose purses would not admit of their joining the festive parties of the Claret Hunt, but whose merry meetings were notorious for goodfellowship and the true spirit of sport. Claret Hunt-established at Seroor in the happy days of that once most happy Cantonment. And mingled there the well-known fishers For river-fords-the flying-lcapers, The craners and the rasperswishers, While draught on draught went down, till all Were well sew'd up-but Iwas beastly! The judgment jockies and the Now hear the rest-the Bugle's jungle-peepers! † He too was there the friend sound Summon'd the Hunters to the field; All sallied forth, and somehow found Their steeds, to which they ran or reel'd: In maudlin tenderness one cries, Yet inly wondering why he weeps 80; A second every effort tries To mount, and, mounted, tries to keep so; A third thick mumbles his surprise (Tho' quiet his gelding) why he leaps so. For me, my Madcap seem'd to fly, And on I rode as bold could be, With red flush'd brow and rolling eye And face of drunken gravity. At length we reached the sugar cane Again beat thro' it, and again For home-for home-our hopes were o'er, Yet as I turned my horse about, Clipping the King's English, I call'd out And thus apostrophized the Boar: Well, be it so-if back to camp I must without thy grey head tramp, Grim Patriarch of the styWithout one gallop just to try Who could go fastest, thou or I,One spurt like those the craning crew Take after tiffin, when they feel two, Or more than two upon their heel! One moment show thyself and then The next and you shall see me bound Homeward to dreary camp again. While thus I drivell'd, the grizzly brute, Quivering in most egregious funk, Was crouching almost at my foot : But when I blew, tho' vilely drunk, I know it now, tho' bother'd then, Instantly when my horn I blew, Out rush'd the monster from his den! Straight tow'rds the right hand path he flew With lightning speed, and I, alas! Sole self-placed guardian of the pass, Too drunk to ride, had let him through! But did I tamely let him slip ? Did I not use both spur and whip, (The short neck'd spur with half inch rowels) That almost gash'd my Medcap's bowels, Had caught his tail's last lingering hair, As o'er the height of Casselsye Frank-is the place where hogs resort to feed-as Shakespeare makes Prince Hal to say, speaking of Falstaff, "Doth the old Boar feed in his old frank?" EGHAM RACES.-This, the last of the meetings, commenced on Tuesday, and fully answered our expectations. But a few seasons back they were of a very inferior description, and they would soon have dwindled into insignificance, had not the leading men of the neighbourhood, and some of the highest members of the Turf, come forward to support them. Of the latter, the Duke of Richmond, Lord Egremont, and Lord Mountcharles, were the most influential; to whom, and a few others, is the present high character of the races owing. The Stewards this year are, the Earl of Stradbrooke (late Lord Dunwich), Colonel Wood, M.P., and W. H. Sumner, jun., Esq.; to the exertions of these gentlemen in providing sport for this year, may be imputed the promising appearance of the lists, and the full attendance of the Nobility and Gentry which graced Runnymede yesterday. The show of company was extremely numerous. Amongst the fashionables we observed their Graces the Duke and Duchess of Richmond, the Marchioness of Worcester, Earl and Countess Mountcharles, Lord and Lady Maryborough, and Lady Paget, Lady A. Chichester, Lady Charlotte Greville, Lady Caroline Wood, Earl and Countess of Harcourt, Lord W. Lennox, Lady Bentinck, General and Mrs. Harcourt, Lord Ashbrook, Sir John Shelley, Colonel Wood, M.P., Hon. Mr. De Burgh, Captains Jones and Locke, Messrs. Smith, Greville, Sumner, Ramsbottom, Thellusson, &c., &c. Lord Stradbrooke was prevented attending by the decease of his father, and Mr. Ramsbottom officiated for him as Steward. The day's running was very good, and came off thus: The Gold Cup, value 100 gs., by subscribers of 10 gs. each; the owner of the second horse to re ceive back his stake, and the winner to be sold for 500 sovs., &c.; 3 6st. 7lbs.; 4 yrs, yrs, 8st. 5lb.; 5 yrs, 8st. 10lb.; 6 yrs, The following paid-Mr. Ramsbottom's Agamemnon, Duke of Richmond's Toil and Trouble, Lord Mountcharles's Brother to Richmond, Lord Egremont's Por poise, Mr. Byrne's c. by Androssan, Lord Exeter's Recruit, Mr. Foster's Omen, Mr. Theobald's Sir Geoffrey Pevril, Captain Lockename's Border, and Mr. Smith's Interpaid. Betting-4 to 1 on Link Boy, 9 to 1 agst Selina, and any odds against Elephanta. was Sweepstakes of 25 sovs. each; 4 Subscribers. This race compromised, and Lord Egremont's f. by Partisan, out of Silvertail (Paris), walked over. The Egham Stakes of 5 sovs. each, and 30 added; 3 yrs, 7st. 7lb.; 4 8st. 7lb.; 5 yrs, yrs, 9st.; 6 and aged, 9st. 5lb. 3lb. alyrs, lowed, &c. The winner to be sold for £250, &c. Heats, one mile. Mr. Sadler's Tears, 4 yrs.. 7 1 1 1 2 3 Duke of Richmond's Busk,3 yrs 1 dr 4 dr dr dr First heat-2 to 1 agst Tears, 7 to 2 agst Conrad, 7 to 1 agst Charnwood. Second Heat-5 to 4 on Busk, and 5 to 2 agst Tears. The latter got the front when near home, and won by good length. Third Heat-4 to 1 on Tears, who had all the best of the running, and won very cleverly by two lengths; Busk rode by J. Day; Tears, by Pavis; Zulieka, 3 2 Mr. Day's Nimrod, aged Second Heat, 3 and 4 to 1 on Inglemere. Nimrod again took the lead, and looked well for a good part of the race; Inglemere, however, mending his pace as they neared the winning chair, quickly gained upon his antagonist, and at last got in front, and won the race by a length or two, but not without some pressing. Wednesday. The number of spectators on the Course to-day was more than usually numerous, owing no doubt as much to the anticipated attendance of Royalty, as to the superior quality of the sport generally appointed for the second day. H. R. H. the Lord High Admiral, accompanied by the Duchess and H.R.H. the Princess Sophia, arrived on the Course at half-past one, in a barouche and four, the Royal Suite following in a second carriage and four. Their Royal Highnesses were received at the Grand Stand by her Grace the Duchess of Richmond, the Ladies Paget, Chichester, C. Wood, Mountcharles, and several others of distinction. About a quarter of an hour after, H. M. the Queen of Wurtemburg arrived in an open chaise drawn by four horses, accompanied by H.R.H. the Princess Augusta, the Royal attendants following in two other carriages |