THE ARABIAN HORSE. 53 



attention was first called to this unexpected smallness in the 

 numbers of Arabian horses in the seventh century, two hundred 

 and sixty years after the introduction of the original stock from 

 Cappadocia. The flight of Mohammed from his enemies in 

 Mecca to Medina took place A.D. 622. There, setting up as a 

 Prophet, and as holding communications with Heaven, he soon 

 gathered around him a number who believed in his divine in- 

 spiration. Understanding the habits and instincts of his follow- 

 ers, he soon found he must give them something to do. He 

 called them about him, mounted a camel, and at their head he 

 was successful in plundering two or three caravans, which greatly 

 enraged his old enemies at Mecca. Whether the anger of his 

 enemies was kindled anew because some of the plunder belonged 

 in Mecca, or whether he merely deprived the Meccans of the op- 

 portunity of doing the plundering themselves, the historian fails 

 to make clear. Whichever may have been the underlying reason, 

 it led to war. In the first campaign of the Meccans and in the 

 first battle fought, they far outnumbered the followers of the 

 Prophet. There were some camels in Mohammed's train, but no 

 horses. He did not lead the battle himself, but remained in his 

 tent and promised his followers that all who fell in battle would 

 be forthwith admitted into Paradise. They believed the promise, 

 as millions and millions have believed it since; it inspired them, 

 with a recklessness of life, and they were completely victorious. 

 The result of this victory was the capture of one hundred and 

 fifteen camels and fourteen horses, besides the entire camp of the 

 enemy. In the battle of the next year (A. D. 625) between the 

 same parties, the forces were much increased on both sides. Sir 

 William Muir, the historian, informs us that Mohammed had but 

 two horses in his army, one of which he mounted himself and 

 took command of his forces. This battle was not decisive. In 

 subsequent raids he captured many enemies and traded his female 

 captives for horses with the surrounding tribes, so far as he was 

 able to obtain them. The next year he had an army of three 

 thousand men and thirty-six horses, while the enemy had an 

 army of three thousand men, of whom two hundred were cavalry, 

 but there was no fighting. The fame of Mohammed as a suc- 

 cessful and relentless pillager and destroyer had now spread far 

 and wide, and as a means of escape the chiefs of the larger por- 

 tion of the tribes of Arabia hastened to tender their allegiance 

 and obey his commands. From this forward, therefore, we must 



