I have only seen
one, I am thankful to say, and have escaped a bite; but everybody
seems to dread and dislike them.
After dinner we went to a very pleasant ball, given by the Jinkhana
Club, at the barracks. The room was prettily decorated with the racing
jackets and caps of the riders in the races, and with scarlet wreaths
of geranium and hibiscus mingled with lycopodium ferns and
selaginella. We did not remain very late at the ball, as we had to
make an early start next morning; but the drive home in the moonlight
was almost as pleasant as any part of the entertainment.
_Wednesday, April 4th_.--We were called at four o'clock, and
breakfasted at five, everybody appearing either in dressing-gowns or
in habits to see us set off. They all tried to persuade us to stay for
the meet of the hounds at the house to-day. Another ball to-night, and
more races, and another ball to-morrow; but we are homeward bound, and
must hurry on. It was a lovely morning, and we waited with great
patience at the post-house for at least an hour and a half, and
watched the hounds come out, meet, find, and hunt a hare up and down,
and across the valley, with merry ringing notes that made us long to
be on horseback.
We saw all the racehorses returning from their morning gallop, and
were enlightened by the syces as to their names and respective owners.
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