HISTORY IN THE MAKING 231 



bought in a region of which the ancient city of 

 Nogent-le-Rotrou was the commercial center. And 

 so it transpired that the Perche proper famed in 

 song and story as "the land of good horses" was 

 "discovered." 



MARK DUNHAM was a student. He took nothing 

 for granted. He wanted to know more about the 

 horses of the different regions, and while little in 

 the way of authentic information was available at 

 the time, he began, in person and by proxy, important 

 investigations. He was not long in convincing him- 

 self that the heavier types produced in the Perche 

 were bottomed upon blood that gave them a value 

 for American uses beyond any other race of drafters 

 in France. The district had for generations been 

 noted for its big, long-distance trotters and diligence 

 horses, capable of drawing heavy loads at a rapid 

 pace. Tradition has it that the activity and endur- 

 ance of these animals was due largely to the use 

 of Oriental blood, but recent investigations indicate 

 that at least some of these legendary Arabian an- 

 cestors were more or less mythical. 



Gen. W. T. WALTERS, a wealthy resident of Balti- 

 more, who had spent some years in France and 

 was a great admirer of a good horse, had already 

 made up his mind that the Percheron of the lighter 



