This was no exaggeration. The squadron, for all its hard work, literally brought back every horse with which it had started fit for duty, excepting only those that had been killed or wounded in action; surely a performance of which any officer might well be proud. [Sidenote: 1859.] The troop-horses, it may be added, were mostly Arabs, and stood the work, by Sir William Gordon’s testimony, remarkably well; and it is worth noting that in the supreme trial of two hundred and thirty miles in six days, several “walers” dropped dead under their riders, one or two Cape horses gave out, but no Arab was ever off his feed. We have already seen how Sir William Gordon took care of his horses, and we may now, by his kindness, catch a glimpse of his method of providing for those of whom he was even more careful--his men. He writes as follows:-- As a rule we had not much difficulty in getting supplies for men and horses, but occasionally had to resort to force. I remember on one occasion marching into a town called Samrood at 7 A.M. The head-man of the town kissed my feet in the saddle and promised that I should have all supplies at once. I thanked him, but as no supplies came I sent Evelyn Wood into the town with six men about 11 o’clock. They found abundance of everything required for men and horses, but no preparations to let us have what we wanted. So I ordered the head-man three dozen; after which he could not do enough for me, and supplies were plentiful. All was of course paid for; and the occurrence was reported by me to the authorities. Let us not omit to add that the officer who took such care of his men and horses was himself a perfect horseman, having won the Regimental Challenge Cup within a few months of joining as a cornet; that, as we have seen, he fought the Russians at Balaclava till his head was almost cut to pieces; that at Mungrowlee he killed three men with his own hand, and throughout the Central Indian campaign frequently distinguished himself in personal combats; and that he has characteristically left the present writer to gather these latter details from any source except from himself. [Illustration: INDIA 1858.]