556 OUR HUMBLE HELPERS 



the rider. The amble is, however, rapid, for as there 

 is no support on the side of the two uplifted legs the 

 animal keeps from falling only by the rapidity of 

 its motion. 



"In galloping a horse covers ten meters a second, 

 or at most fifteen when going at top speed. In trot- 

 ting it covers from three to four meters, and in 

 walking, from one to two." 



"Let me reckon up what that would be in an 

 hour," Emile interposed. "I will take the highest 

 figures." With his pencil he wrote some figures on 

 a piece of paper, and then said : ' ' That would make, 

 by the hour, thirteen leagues of four kilometers each 

 for the horse at its fastest gallop ; only three leagues 

 for the horse when trotting ; and a league and a half 

 when walking. ' ' 



"I must inform you, my friend," rejoined his 

 uncle, "that though a horse can keep up a trot for 

 whole hours at a time, it is impossible for it to gallop 

 even one hour without stopping. The speed that 

 would give the enormous distance of thirteen leagues 

 an hour lasts fifteen minutes at the most in racing, 

 after which the animal is exhausted. Note in pass- 

 ing the superiority of the railway engine, the loco- 

 motive, in regard to rapidity. This speed of thir- 

 teen leagues an hour, which blows a horse in a quar- 

 ter of an hour's race, the locomotive keeps up and 

 even exceeds as long as may be desired. No com- 

 parison, you see, is possible between the iron steed 

 and the steed of flesh and blood. 



"Let us turn to the subject of the horse's strength. 



