The Horse, as Comrade and Friend 



till he comes to your head. He will smell 

 your ear, your face, your hair, and then make 

 a complete examination, finishing up with 

 your boots. Apparently all is satisfactory, 

 and he is thinking of the next thing. If j^ou 

 still keep quiet, it will intrigue him, and he 

 will lift up a forefoot and paw you with it. 

 Quite slowly and gently to start with, but, if 

 he fails to stir you up he gets impatient and 

 paws quicker and harder, first with one foot 

 and then with the other. Then rise slowly on 

 your elbow and, as slowly, put out your hand 

 and capture his foreleg. He is not afraid 

 and will stop the pawing to bend down and sniff 

 at your fingers. Shake the leg, it mil amuse 

 him and he will himself assist in the shak- 

 ing of hands. At last he will pull back to 

 release it, but he will be quite ready to do it 

 all over again. Then get up — always slowly — 

 and go towards the mare. He will follow ; 

 push into you ; rub his neck against you from 

 intensity of pure affection for you ; make off, 

 as though to run away, and come back to you. 

 That you should be made thus the object of 

 the pure love of a creature so newly come into 

 the world is an experience that you will never 

 cease to wonder at, and for all your life the 

 memory of that entrancing half hour will be a 

 priceless and undimmed treasure.* 



♦This is not a story of the imagination. It happened to 

 the writer exactly as described. Twice since then have his 



208 



