THE WILD PONIES OF SABLE ISLAND 213 



and forward, pausing from time to time to toss the tangled masses 

 of mane from eye and ear. At length the rivals closed, and after 

 a desperate conflict waged by savage biting and striking with the 

 forefeet, ' Jack of Trumps ' was found with a prodigious hole 

 in his neck, and had to be shot. 



' Flying Frenchman ' was the next victim. This horse is said 

 to have gone crazy after galloping round all the herds in succession, 

 and being severely handled. Still the Department persisted in 

 their efforts and sent down successively, Pretoria, Black Hawk, 

 Telephone, Columbus, and finally Sable Prince, a fine young 

 Canadian pony. As the precaution was taken of deporting the 

 leaders of the ' gangs ' before turning the animals loose in the spring, 

 this experiment proved more successful. It remains to be seen 

 if the offspring of these crossings, although undoubtedly improved 

 in size, will have sufficient hardihood to withstand the conditions 

 to which the Sable islander has become acclimatized. We are 

 indebted for the continuation of the original breed only to the young 

 horses, who are driven out by the leader with furious bites when 

 they arrive near maturity, and are thus obliged to live in small bands 

 on the outskirts of the herds. Sometimes an old or disabled mare, 

 unable to keep up, drops behind. She becomes an object of the 

 greatest attraction to the young horses and soon produces foals, 

 Thus the nucleus of a new herd is formed. Vastly interesting is 

 it to witness the victim of the leader when the troop is close pressed. 

 The old stallion boldly faces the approaching danger while he takes 

 pains to keep the foals and mares in a close pack as a general retreat 

 is begun, first at a slow trot, presently at a gallop ; at length he 

 deems it expedient to retire, he joins his herd, but always keeps 

 between them and the enemy. In this respect the nobler horse 

 in his wild state differs from the deer tribe, for notwithstanding 

 that stags fight furiously on occasion between themselves, usually for 

 the favours of the coveted hind, contrary to general belief, in time 

 of danger they will desert their consorts in a cowardly and ungallant 

 fashion, only intent on preserving their own hides intact. 



The horses of Sable Island are seldom seen lying down to rest. 

 They often sleep standing. They persistently refuse the shelter 

 of a stable, or even the rough sheds erected for their comfort, 1 

 and shun the near presence of man. In the mildest weather, 

 escaping from the stable, they will put a mile or two between them 

 and it before they stop to graze, in this respect differing from the 

 semi-wild cattle which formerly besieged the barn doors with their 

 lowings during the winter-time. 



1 Quite recently a rough shelter with a stack of hay in the middle has 

 been found to attract the ponies in bad weather. 



