The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-17
Even King Albert Takes Day Off to Watch Indian Troopers Compete in Celebrated Gymkana
BOOMING GUNS FROM NEARBY FRONT LEND ATMOSPHERE TO SPORT
Survivors of Trench War
 fare Gather on Small
 Plateau and Root" for Favorites in Cavalry Drill
By FREDERICK PALMER


 British Headquarters in France, June l6.--King Albert of the Bel gians, who has not had many after moons off during the last II months, took one off to see shOw-a gym kama. He has stuck as close to his job in what remains of his kingdom as has many a desk-ridden business man who cannot be induced to go to the mountains or to the seashore.
 Whether living in their own houses or refugees whose houses in the fighting zone have been demolished by shells, the French people in the rear of the British front have not had many afternoons off either. The women, the old, the crippled and every child who could hold hoe has taken the place of the able-bodied men away at war. With the crops all in and the wheat ripening word came that the strange. picturesque mortals from somewhere beyond the Arabian Nights country. known as the British Indian troops, who had been refrigerating through a raw Flanders winter in French barns and outbuidings, were going to give an exhibition of horsemanship
 Everybody was invited and there was no admission fee. It was like free wild west show on the outskirts of a New Eng land village, with chance to see a heroic King and if he were really as tall as people said.
 The scene was a small plateau hardened by hoofs of the cavalry drill, the one ;. space in northern France which the in- ]. dustry of those too weak to fight had not made green with cultivation. Across the sweep of fields and groves which hid the trenches and batteries along the British front was an almost unbroken silence, but farther north section of the horizon was roaring like q gigantic muffled snare drum.
 While Guns Tear Away
 There French guns, hundreds of French guns, were busy tearing away the Ger man works known as ''the Labyrinth. ' There men were being killed or wounded every minute, but those living near the front thought nothing of that. They are used to it as is anybody living in the neighborhood of Niagara Falls to their roar.
 Joy was in the Indians hearts, the joy of warming sunshine to children of the sun fairly out of a winter ice box at last. The joy was shown in their dark eyes, it glstened on their white teeth and 1t gleamed on the forest of their l6nces.
 They were free of swaths, the clothing which the King Emperor had supplied to them to keep out the Flanders cold. Sun shine had oiled their muscles under their bronze skins. Broadway and Kansas in ! dog days would not be too hot for them ] They would be something like India and home And white "sahibs'' said two more months-July and August-which were warmer, still were coming.
 Those who had survived the trench warfare were going to show how well they had kept themselves through the winter Particularly. they were going to show how well they had kept their horses amid the mud and slush. As with the Cossack praise their horses and you praise them
 Contrast and picturesqueness, if yot please, were In the trot past of these customers a bit out of Durban and Delh in an obscure corner of northern France as they were reviewed by this giant, fair. haired King with dropping, straw-colorec mustache, giving him a Viking air
 Groups of Indian officers in the watch ing crowd rubbed elbows with Frencf peasants. The French of different regi ments after a greeting, referred to some comrade who had fallen since they had last met.
 Horrors of War Forgotten
 Then the war and its horrors were for gotten tin the British love of sport. AT Indian. emitting a. fierce. screaming yell ealloped down the field and impaled (Continued on Page Nine)