Ambling alongside the general, I asked him casually if he had ridden much in his life.
"Of course I have," says he irritably. "What do you mean, sir?"
"Nothing at all," says I. "I thought I would ask. The admiral——"
"What about the admiral?" cries the general, staring suspiciously at the distant and unconscious officer.
"He was saying he didn't think you knew very much about a horse."
The general lost his temper. He swore. He said he would show the admiral what he knew about a horse.
"You can easily prove it," said I; and before he understood what was happening, he had agreed to ride a race. Then I went over to the admiral.
"Do you know what the general says? He says you look like a monkey on a horse," said I; and it was the admiral's turn to swear.
"D——d impertinence!" says he. "I'll race him, and beat him any day in the week." And he continued to use forcible language.
"You can do that," I said, for the admiral was riding one of my best horses.