174 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



"There was nobody within sight, and the horse by his 

 manoeuvre instantly discovered the profession of his former 

 owner. Instead of pursuing his journey he laid his counter 

 close up to the chaise and stopped it, having no doubt but his 

 rider would embrace so fair an opportunity of exercising his 

 profession. The clergyman seemed of the same opinion, 

 produced his purse unasked, and assured the astonished 

 lawyer, that it was quite unnecessary to draw his pistol as he 

 did not intend to offer any resistance. The traveller rallied 

 his horse, and with many apologies to the gentleman he had 

 so innocently and unwillingly affrighted, pursued his journey. 

 The horse next made the same suspicious approach to a 

 coach, from the windows of which a blunderbuss was levelled 

 with denunciations of death and destruction to the hapless 

 and perplexed rider. In short, after his life had been once 

 or twice endangered by the suspicions to which the conduct 

 of his horse gave rise, and his liberty as often threatened by 

 the peace-officers, who were disposed to apprehend him as 

 a notorious highwayman, the former owner of the horse, he 

 was obliged to part with the inauspicious animal for a trifle, 

 and to purchase at a large price one less beautiful, but not 

 accustomed to such dangerous habits." 

 The Horse's Of the larger quadrupeds the horse is said to 

 intelligence, be only second in intelligence to the Elephant, 

 and many proofs could be given of the high standard of 

 intelligence to which he sometimes attains. The Rev. F. O. 

 Morris says, "We knew a blind coach-horse that ran one 

 of the stages on the great north road for several years, and 

 so perfectly was he acquainted with all the stables, halting- 

 places, and other matters, that he was never found to commit 

 a blunder. He could never be driven past his own stable; 

 and at the sound of the coming coach he would turn out, of 

 his own accord, into the stable-yard. So accurate was his 

 knowledge of time, that though half-a-dozen coaches halted 

 at the same inn daily, he was never known to stir till the 



