PEDIGREE OF ARABIAN HORSES 39 



'The hair never grows long enough to cover them 

 entirely ; hence, by the uninitiated, and even by travellers 

 and horsemen who should know better, they have been 

 called " blemishes," and " disfiguring marks." An Arab's 

 first glance at a horse is for these important signs. The 

 more marks the horse has, the longer his pedigree, and the 

 more he is to be coveted. The blood has been kept pure 

 for so many centuries, that any stain in it derived from 

 possible cross-breeding would be considered ineradicable 

 for ever. I will show you the picture of Gherka, an 

 exquisite Arab who was shot under me in battle. 



'I am sorry I cannot reproduce this picture.' 



But she has marks on her flanks also ! I remarked. 



' Certainly ! That on the hind flank represents her 

 family, which was Nedj. The one on the shoulder signifies 

 the province, Oran, where she was born, and the name of 

 the tribe, " Keheilan," is that to which she belonged.' 



She wouldn't have found it easy to lose herself, thus 

 adorned with her family history ; but I imagine few foreign 

 eyes have ever beheld an Arabian of such absolutely pure 

 blood ? 



' Very few travellers who have penetrated into the desert 

 for the purpose, have ever been rewarded by the sight of 

 these, as they are hidden away from strangers ; and other 

 breeds of shorter pedigree, and far less value, are brought 

 forward to show their paces, and perchance bring an 

 incredible price to their astute owners ! ' 



Are these marks not very hard to read ? 



' To the scholar learned in cabalistic lore these hiero- 

 glyphics are easily read, for beginning with the father and 

 mother, they indicate the ancestors for many generations 

 back. Should anyone buy a horse so marked in America 



