A CAVALRY HORSE. 313 



grim military aphorism, that soldiers are wanted for 

 service and not as corpses or patients in hospital. 

 However, he at last reluctantly gave his consent. 



The man at once went to take possession of his 

 new charge, and almost immediately verified the 

 sergeant-major's predictions. He had hardly begun 

 to groom the horse, when it seized him by the side, 

 lifted him from the ground, and banged him against 

 the manger. He was rescued by his comrades, and 

 though much bruised, was not seriously hurt. 



The other men wanted him to beat the horse 

 severely as a punishment for its conduct, but he 

 steadily refused, and tried to conciliate the animal 

 by kindness. It was some time before the horse 

 could be made to understand that his new master 

 did not intend to hurt him ; but in the course of 

 a month or two the animal's feelings underwent an 

 entire revulsion, and it conceived the strongest affec- 

 tion for its master, following him like a dog, and 

 allowing him to do anything with it. 



After a while, the soldier had a furlough of six 

 weeks, and went away, begging his comrades to treat 

 the horse kindly, feed it well, and not trouble them- 

 selves about dressing it, an operation which it had 

 always resented. 



He had only been away a day or two when he 

 received a letter saying his horse was in hospital. 



