Forse and Man. 359 
experiment by taking the bit in his teeth, and 
violently pulling the reins out of my hand. His 
miraculous sense of smell measures the exact posi- 
tion of every hidden kennel, every treacherous spot, 
and enables him to pass swiftly and securely over it. 
On the desert pampa the gaucho, for a reason 
that he knows, calls the puma the “ friend of man.” 
The Arab gives this designation to his horse ; but 
in Europe, where we do not associate closely with 
the horse, the dog naturally takes the foremost place 
in our affections. The very highest praise yet given 
to this animal is probably to be found in Bacon’s 
essay on Atheism. ‘‘ For take an example of a 
dog,” he says, ‘‘and mark what a generosity and 
courage he will put on when he finds himself main- 
tained by a man, who is to him in place of a god, 
or melior natura, which courage is manifestly such 
as that creature, without the confidence of a better 
nature than its own, could never attain! ’’ Can we 
not say as much of the horse? The very horses 
that fly terror-stricken from the smell of an Indian 
will, when ‘‘ maintained by a man,” 
into a whole host of yelting savages. 
I once had a horse at home, born and bred on 
the place, so docile that whenever I required him 
I could go to him where the horses were at 
pasture, and, though they all galloped off at 
my approach, he would calmly wait to be caught. 
Springing on to his back, I would go after 
the other horses, or gallop home with only my 
hand on his neck to guide him. [I did not often ride 
him, as he was slow and lazy, but with timid women 
and children he was a favourite; he was also fre- 
66 
readily charge 
