MILITARY INSPECTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1052, 4 June 1912, Page 4

MILITARY INSPECTION.

AIuUSiING 0 N lUlitLßriil bill!) IN CIJJILxN i. Outs Lime when Hits general commanding tUc district came Lo inspect the troops at JJmuperc—no was a very distinguished soluicr, long since gouts over Lo Lius great majority —lit* oxpress<stl a wish to see Lilts subalterns ol Lius lino battalion ntlts, ■ seeing tliat ho hud to report on tiusir capacity m tins respect. ilo arranged that they should an mount tlnsir ponies tor other people's pomes;, sUouid proceed lo the end oi Lho ' ‘straight" ol the local racecourse, stiauld there ioriu up m line across Llie course and draw thoir swords, and should thtsu, on word ol command given by the adjutant, advance down me courtc at a nice steady trot wim uioir swords at the “carry,” keeping tueir dressing as they passed him, ana should puli up a Uundred yards beyond the winning-post, whore no intimated that ho was going m take up hie position.

Aow, the straight was about hall a mile iu length, a good many ol the pomes wore not wholly unused to engaging iu competitions along Lius streten, and all ul thorn had their heads towards home. Moreover, although several oi tho subalterns were capital horsemen anil good polo players, their ranks included, certain weaker vessels who wore none too secure in tho saddle. Wliat the spectators, grouped respectfully two horses’ length in. reax ol tho General, witnessed was tliis; the subalterns were soon afar oh, formed up in line across the course as for a race. Then there suddenly was a violent commotion, and tho whole party came tearing along like a hurricane, ” ventre a terre,” in a cloud ol dust. Many lengths ahead-of the ruck a chestnut mare had singled herself out, galloping like on© possessed, ilr rider had abandoned hie etirrups ami had thrown away hie sword, his helmet was on one side of his head, and he was holding on grimly to tho pommol ol his saddle; but even in that awful moment ho never lost his presence of mind, for as ho flashed past the General he made a dab at the side of his head with his oiiLcr hand by way of salute, and then the pair of them disappeared out into the road, and he was not seen again until he was found on a long chair iu the mess verandah, with an empty "peg” tumbler by hie side, after the ins-paction had concluded.

The rest of the troop camo rushing past the General in a wild, irregular swarm. A few of the riders were endeavouring frantically to keep some sort of control over their sabres and their steeds. Others eat in correct military pose, their swords at the carry and with the stirrup on the ball of the foot and .the heel down on the side that was vis.blc—but it seemed not improbable that heels on the far side were hard at work. -uui AacqiiJiu u p uo;pupu[[i in: sy uoeuvro carried out with a rigid steadiness and precision the experiment could hardly ho called an unqualified success; but the General was much pleased, and lie laughed till the tears ran down Ids cheeks.—Col. Callwoll, (J. 8., in Blackwood's Magazine.