Any one who is a firstrate rider
and is quick with his hands can learn to play polo. The stiffest of arms
can be limbered and the most recalcitrant wrist taught to turn nimbly in
its socket; but the essential condition is, that the player should know
how to ride. This being established, there is no reason why anybody who
likes should not play the game, if he will only use a cetrain amount of
caution, and avoid braining the other players and injuring the ponies by
too wild a use of his mallet. Presently it was found that all who were
to play had arrived--eight of us all told. Kildare had arranged the
sides and had brought the other men necessary to make the number
complete, so we mounted and took up our positions on the ground. Kildare
and Isaacs were together, and Westonhaugh and I on the other side, with
two men I knew slightly. We won the charge, and Westonhaugh, who was a
celebrated player, struck the ball off cleverly, and I followed him up
with a rush as he raced after it. Isaacs, on the other side, swept along
easily, and as the ball swerved on striking the ground bent far over
till he looked as though he were out of the saddle and stopped it
cleverly, while Kildare, who was close behind, got a good stroke in just
in time, as Westonhaugh and I galloped down on him, and landed the ball
far to the rear near our goal.
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