The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-05-31


polo. which has recently been Inn
ported to this conntry from England
by some fashionable New York
bloods sa;ess..a gjsssess aes
Retiring into the, tents, the play
ers soon emerged, led by DIR. Ben
nett. and dressed in exceedingly
picturesque style. They wore tight
fitting red or blue woolen shirts, gray.
pantaloons, leather leggings, easy
Shoes, and jaunty red or blue caps.
Mr. Benefits costume was rather
more elaborate than the others.
His leggings and shoes were OF very
fine. yellow leather, and fitted his
graceful ankles like gloves. In his
belt he wore a white silk handker-
chief, like knights token, and his
embroidered blue and white cap
was jauntily tipped over one ear,
his iron-gray hair curling like a
plume on the other side. When he.
sprang lightly into the saddle of his
slender gray mustang, and, waving
his bamboo mallet, darted aft the
little wooden ball thatIay concealed
somewhere in the grass, everybody
exclaimed adiniringly that he was a
splendid rider. eH nHs
The players ranged themselves
on their ponies on the opposite sides
of the ground, and in front of the
stakes between which the ball must
be driven to win the game. The
ball, about three inches in diameter,
was thrown into the centre of the
field; the signal was given, aud the
riders dug their spurs into their
horses TANKS, posing the mallets
like lances, and rushed together,
meeting in the centre. Mr.. Ben
nett, dashing ahead, and half rising
in his stirrups, made swooping
blow, but missed the ball, and only
carried away tuft of grass. Then
some one on the other side sent the
ball spinning toward the goal; but,
turning like lightning, the fleet
mustangs overlook it, and a general
melee ensued, the trained horses
rushing around and between one an
other with amazing agility, while the
Gathering of hoofs and mallets sound
ed like the rafting of hail on roof.
The spectators entirely lost sight of
the ball at times in the throng of
men and horses, and then it would
be shot out of their midst by an ex-
pert blow and sent to another side
Of the field, with the whole troop in
fleet and noisy pursuit. s
Sometime the players themselves
were at loss to find 1t in the grass,
and then one would catch sight of it,
and, squirting toward it, make
swoop with his mallet, sometimes
hitting the ball, but quite as often
provoking laughter by Aissing it.
and nearly unseating himself In The
effort. The scene was exceedingly
picturesque as the sleek ponies bore
their quantity dressed riders, who at
a distance lacked like wild Indians,
or Spanish bQtl-fghteFs, III their
brilliant red and blue shirts and
caps, and swinging their long NAL
lets round and round, now mingling
in a whirling, battling throng, now
sweeping in two lines, like trained
battalions, and then suddenly scat
tering in all directions oyer the held.
The spectators laughed and clap;
ped their hands with all the enthu-
siasm of the witnesses of a horse
race. The ball was frequently driv-
en- beyond the boundaries without
passing either goal, and then foul
was declared and it was pitched
back into the field at signal, and
sometimes the Hlallet of daring
rider met it almost before it touched
the ground. 81
Sir Blche Cunard soon showed
himself the most skillful player
Dressed in a sober gray suit, with
his sleeves Fqlied up ts the elb0ws,
he hung on the outskirts of the bat
tie, and whenever the ball was pro
jected from underneath the feet of
the horses he pounced upon it like
a falcon, and almost never missing
a blow, he sent it spinning toward
his opponents goal amid the plaudits
al the spectators. ~ ysd4 d.a...
Once in the game the opposing
captains, Bennett and Cnnarl, in
their eager rush for the ball, came
into collision, but their agile ponies
grazed one another's sides without
hurt, while their riders raised NAL
lets clashed together like broad.
swoFds oyer their heads, amid the
shouts and laughter Of the lockers on.
$ Get out of the light" was the bat
tie cry as the riders swooped down
upon the ball, e. q
pmOnce or twice the ball was broken
by the fierce blows Of the mallets,
or the trampling feet of the horses,
and then q new ball had to be
pitched into the field. Oftener /
rider would break his mallet, and
then he would be h0rs de combat
until he could dash away to one of
tents and procure a new. one. After
twenty-five minutes of1very lively
playing AIR. Rennett's side won the
first game. The second game began
almost Immediately. and in a very
few minutes Cunard's men had
driven the ball through the goal.
The third game was considerably /
longer, but after some very brilliant
play Mr.. Benefits side again won.
The fourth game was brief. Cunard
sent the ball with two or three well
directed blows to the edge of the
goal, and one of his men struck it
over the line. The fifth game was
the most brilliant exhibition of skill.
Cunard by one magnificent stroke,
sent the ball spinning from the
center of the field to the side of his
opponents stakes, and following it |
like a Whirlwind he nufsfr.irs1,.,.aI