A VICIOUS HORSE. 



263 



but since his arrival in Turkey he had manifested 

 such vicious habits that his owner had never 

 mounted him. He was said to have killed one 

 groom by jumping upon him after he had knocked 

 him down with his fore feet, to have bitten the 

 chin off a second, maimed several, and, amongst 

 other crimes, to have half-eaten a marechaUde-logis 

 (Serjeant-Major), who had attempted to ride him. 

 I found him tied fore-and-aft by huge cords, besides, 

 having his head fastened with a heavy chain, in a 

 small thatched mud-hut, about eight feet by seven ; 

 and even in this confined space no one could ap- 

 proach him, for he lashed out with his heels, and 

 tried to seize any one going near him with his 

 teeth. He was a beautifully shaped animal, with 

 a blood-like head, wide and deep chest, good 

 shoulders, and great length between the hip-bone 

 and the hocks, but in woful condition, for he had 

 not been groomed for a couple of months. I saw 

 at once that he would be just the animal to suit 

 me, if I could only gain the mastery over him, so 

 I went to his owner to inquire the price. 



Although it was past mid-day I found the gal- 



