It was shortly before the Dufferins left India that Lord William and five other members of the Viceroy’s staff in one of their lighter moments when dressed in their racing kit, jumped into a merry-go-round for a ride and were snapshotted. Lord William is on the extreme right sitting sideways; next to him in front is Capt. Roddy Owen; standing up in the striped jacket is Capt. Burn, generally known as “Handsome Charlie”; then comes Capt. Harbord (now Lord Suffield) riding a finish; behind him Capt. Leonard Gordon and Capt. H. Legge. A light-hearted little party, overflowing with good humour and health, much of which was the result of the amount of exercise they were in the habit of taking. Sportsmen and those of an energetic tendency keep their health much longer when in India than their brethren who resign themselves to the climate with books, eating, drinking, and sleep, the latter being the natural consequence of the former. [Illustration: THE VICEROY’S STAFF IN LIGHTER MOMENTS] Feeling a little holiday would be beneficial Lord William went home in April on three months’ leave, his string of forty odd horses remaining at Dehra Doon in the pleasant cool shade of its many fine trees, but before leaving he attended the March Umballa Meeting, when his Treasure won two races, the Service Stakes 900 rupees, Capt. Macdougall riding, and the open Pony Race 850 rupees, Dunn riding; Eunice the Paget Park Plate 300 rupees, Melbourne Plate with Myall King 200 rupees, Dunn riding. CHAPTER XII A WINNING YEAR On Leave--At the Derby Once More--Lord Lansdowne Takes Office--Conjurer’s Discomfort--A Gentle Reproach--Irishmen in India--Another Racing Partnership--A Turf Club Inquiry--Paperchasers--A Telegram from Lucknow--Lord William’s Health--Jockey in Trouble Again Three months is not a long leave to spend at home, it seems to be all coming and going; it really was not long enough to pick Lord William up properly--he was badly in need of English air and fare. A good part of this brief holiday was spent racing and attending to racing matters. He bought a horse called Pennant, winning a race with him at Croydon value £200. Oberon was another he purchased, but turned out rather unreliable. Clarion was also added to his string. Being at home in time to see the Derby run, he was enthusiastically greeted by all his old friends, and had a great time. I rather think it was at this Derby or Ascot that Sir Claude De Crespigny coming up behind what he recognised as a Beresford back, said “Good morning, Marcus,” and then, seeing he had made a mistake and it was Lord William, asked whom he should apologise to? Without an instant’s hesitation came the reply, “Marcus, of course, you’ve taken the elder brother for the younger.”