horses, that the ground was
very uneven and covered with huge ant-hills, while the riders were not
expert--at least, not at polo.

We got sticks, however, and went at it. Half a dozen men cut and
levelled several ant-hills, and marking off a square patch of ground,
four of us--I won't say who--were placed, one at each corner, while the
ball, a football, was put in the middle of the square.

Our innocent horses stood quietly there till the signal was given to
start. Then each cavalier essayed to reach the ball first. The sudden
urging of the steeds to instant action seemed to confuse them. They did
not spring, as they should have done like arrows from bows. One rider
wildly kicked with his heels and shook his reins. The horse turned
round, as if in contempt, from the ball. Another applied his whip with
vehemence, but his horse only backed. A third shouted, having neither
whip nor spur, and brought his polo-stick savagely down on his animal's
flank, but it plunged and reared. The only horse that behaved well was
that of a gallant youth who wore spurs. A dig from these sent him into
the field. He reached the ball, made a glorious blow at it, and hit the
terrestrial ball by mistake. Before the mistake could be rectified
three of the other players were up, flourishing their long clubs in
reckless eagerness; the fourth rode into them; the horses then lost
patience and refused obedience to orders--no wonder, for one club, aimed
at the ball, fell on a horse's shins, while another saluted a horse's
ear. Presently the ball spurted out from the midst of us; the horses
scattered, and one was seen to rise on its hind-legs. Immediately
thereafter one of the players--I won't say which--was on the ground and
his horse was careering over the plain! Regardless of this the other
three charged, met in the shock of conflict; clubs met clubs, and ears,
and shins--but not the ball--until finally an accidental kick, from one
of the horses I think, sent it towards the boundary at a considerable
distance from the players.

Then it was that the power of spurs became conspicuously apparent.
While two of the champions backed and reared, the gallant youth with the
armed heels made a vigorous rush at the ball, miraculously hit it, and
triumphantly won the game.

On the whole it was a failure in one sense, but a great success in
another, inasmuch as it afforded immense amusement to the spectators,
and pleasant excitement as well as