Few games require so little preparation and so few preliminaries as polo, descended as it is from an age when more was thought of good horsemanship and quick eye than of any little refinements depending on an accurate knowledge of fixed rules.  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.  As we wheeled quickly, I saw that one of the other two men on our side had stopped it and was beginning to “dribble” it along.  This was very bad play, both Westonhaugh and I being so far forward, and it met its reward.  Isaacs and Kildare raced down on him, but the latter soon pulled up on finding himself passed, and waited.  Isaacs rushed upon the temporising player and got the ball away from him in no time; eluded the other man, and with a neat stroke sent the ball right between the poles.  The game had hardly lasted three minutes, and a little sound of clapping was heard from where the spectators were standing, far off on one side.  I could see Miss Westonhaugh plainly, as she cantered with her uncle to where the victors were standing together on the other side, patting their ponies and adjusting stirrup and saddle.  Isaacs had his back turned, but wheeled round as he heard the sound of hoofs behind him and bowed low in his saddle to the fair girl, whose face, I could see even at that distance, was flushed with pleasure.  They remained a few minutes in conversation, and then the two spectators rode away, and we took up our positions once more.