50 Among Men and Horses. 



I am afraid it will be seen from a perusal of the foregoing 

 incidents, that the claim often made on behalf of Christian 

 martyrs for a monopoly of indifference to torture and of 

 fearlessness of death, is not altogether valid. 



The fact that a violent, nervous shock deadens the sense 

 of pain seems to hold good with the lower animals as it does 

 with men, if we may judge by the behaviour of big game 

 which die fighting after having received several serious 

 wounds. In such cases, as those of tigers and wild boar, all 

 experienced sportsmen are unanimous in declaring that the 

 first bullet or spear-thrust produces a far greater comparative 

 effect than any of the subsequent ones in stopping the 

 animal. That peerless old-time fighter, Owen Swift, and 

 also Young Reid, have often told me that when fighting 

 according to the rules of the London Prize Ring, it was 

 better, after hitting one's opponent hard, to wait until he had 

 time to feel its effects before repeating the dose, than to 

 expend one's strength in giving him a rapid succession of 

 punches. Their conclusions on this subject were derived 

 from long practical experience. 



