No doubt there are some people who will say, “Oh! but he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, with plenty of relations and friends to push and help him.” Even supposing for the sake of the argument we allow that, does anybody imagine that if Lord William had been unsatisfactory or incapable he would have been Military Secretary for so many years? and not to one Viceroy but to three, all of whom probably held more or less conflicting views, likes and dislikes, each one in turn passing through anxious times and moments of perplexity, yet all without exception spoke of him in terms of great appreciation and affection. Many have obtained good posts, not all have kept them. Amongst all the successful personages I can think of, there are none who have had so few jealous enemies as Lord William Beresford. Unfortunately everyone who has anything to do with that noble animal, the horse, comes in for a certain amount of criticism and occasional abuse; it appears to be the inevitable or natural sequence of events. CHAPTER VII EARLY RACING EXPERIENCES First Racing Partnership--Some Successful Horses--The “White Mutiny”--Military Secretaries Come and Go--Fleur-de-lys’ Affection--Racing--Paperchasing--An Exciting Drive--Ponto’s Admiration for the Fair Sex--Inverarm--How a Sick Soldier Fared--Love of Children--A Children’s Party and How it Ended--The Home for Lost Dogs--Simla Gymkhanas--A Sore Head--A Change of Mounts--Sipi Fair and Marriage Market--What Some of Lord William’s Friends Said--Why he was like King Solomon Early in 1880 Lord William and his friend, Mr. Monty Stewart, joined hands, forming a racing partnership, and their horse Warrego won the St. Leger at the Umballa meeting. They had also purchased Kate Coventry for 5000 rupees, a big sum for those days. She won the Grand Annual the very next day for them, which was encouraging. At the same meeting Gazelle won the Pony Handicap, Warrego the Trials, and Oliver Twist the Selling Race. On the last day’s racing Oliver Twist rather upset the public’s and everybody else’s calculations by defeating his own stable companion Warrego, who was favourite. [Illustration: _Photo. Rouch, Straua_ LORD WILLIAM BERESFORD’S HORSE DEMOCRAT] [Illustration: LORD WILLIAM BERESFORD LEADING KATE COVENTRY, RIDDEN BY DEWING. CALCUTTA, 1881] At Lahore Kate Coventry won the Maiden Chase, Pompey the Dwarf Chase, Lielle the Arab and Country-bred Handicap, Ronaleyn the All-horse Handicap, and Potboy the Pony Handicap, not a bad performance. Lord William now engaged Ryder as his trainer and jockey; he had been successful for Baboo Mohini Mohun Doss of Dacca. At Dumdum Kate Coventry won the Handicap Chase as well as another race. After this, luck seemed to desert the combined stable, though Kate Coventry still played up nobly, winning the Ballygunge Cup, and Lawyer the Trial Chase Cup. At Deccan, Pot Boy and Lawyer also won a race or two.