[[4]] As King Theebaw was at that time an independent friendly sovereign, there is nothing contrary to any regulations in Gatacre's association with him in this matter.
Iolanthe
In the summer of 1882 the regimental officers and others in the station got up a performance of Patience, in which Gatacre figured as one of the Dragoon Chorus. In the following year Iolanthe was produced. Gatacre was anxious that the audience should include persons of all nationalities; and in order that those who could not understand the English words should have some key to the action, he made a précis of the play, and, having written it in Hindustani characters, had it lithographed, and distributed with the programmes. A copy of this curious document, which covers three sides of foolscap, and is signed in full, is still to be seen in the scrap-book of the officer who joined the 77th Regiment for love of his tutor at Sandhurst.
At the end of September Gatacre heard of the birth of his third son, John Kirwan, now in the 11th Bengal Lancers.
In December 1883 the regiment left Rangoon for Secunderabad.
CHAPTER IV
1884-1885
SECUNDERABAD