1 64 THE ARAB THE HORSE OF THE FUTURE 



easy stride as easy to himself as to his rider ; there 

 was no necessity to guide him, he followed an animal 

 like a greyhound, and sailed between the stems of 

 the trees, carefully avoiding the trunks, so as to give 

 room for the rider. 



' And once a Hamran,' so Sir Samuel relates, ' who 

 was hunted by a rhinoceros who unexpectedly 

 charged, clasped his horse round the neck, and, 

 ducking his head, blindly trusting to Providence 

 and his good horse, over big rocks, fallen trees, 

 thick thorns, and grass lo feet high, with the 

 infuriated animal in full chase only a few feet behind 

 him, the horse doubling like a hare.' That is nearly 

 as bold and as manly and as dangerous a sport as to 

 run 800 yards on a smooth level sward for a ladies' 

 purse, with silks and satins fluttering along the 

 lawn ! 



Sir Samuel also describes a lion-hunt, where his 

 horse Tetel stared fixedly at the lion and snorted ; 

 but Sir Samuel patted and coaxed him, and he did not 

 stop his advance till his rider checked him, when 

 within about 6 yards from the lion, the horse facing 

 the lion with astounding courage, both keeping their 

 eyes fixed on each other, the one beaming with 

 rage, the other with cool determination. Sir Samuel 

 then dropped the reins on his horse's neck — a signal 

 which Tetel perfectly understood — and he stood as 

 firm as a rock, for he knew his rider was about to 

 fire. Tetel never flinched, Sir Samuel fired, and 

 the lion dropped dead. But what is that compared 



