FxVITHFUL MARES 409 



banks before them. Of all the frantic crowd but five 

 mares responded to the call. To these noble steeds duty 

 was higher than suffering. They turned in their tracks, 

 came bravely back, pleading in their eyes and anguish in 

 their shrunken flanks, and stood before the prophet. Love 

 for their masters and a sense of obedience had conquered 

 their distress, but their bloodshot eyes told of a fearful 

 torment, the more pathetic for their dumbness. The dan- 

 ger was over, the faithful mares were at once released, 

 but Mohammed selected these five for his own use, and 

 they were the dams of one of the great races of the 

 desert. From them, goes on the legend, have sprung the 

 best of the Arabian steeds. It can, however, scarcely be 

 claimed that the average horse of the land of the rising- 

 sun comes up to this ideal. He must have been bred from 

 the nineteen thousand nine hundred and ninety-five. 



On the whole, I must sum up the horse of the Orient 

 as of far from the high grade which is generally under- 

 stood. The splendid specimens are less splendid than our 

 prize-winners or our well-known sires ; the common herd 

 is common enough. The general run is exceedingly at- 

 tractive, but scarcely as good performers as our own equal 

 class. Beyond the borders of civilization they are not 

 higher than the bronco ; in the busy haunts of men they 

 are distinctly lower than our own common horse, certain- 

 ly so for the purposes of our varied commercial and social 

 demands. The exceptional specimens, which partake of 

 the peculiar grace of carriage of the Arabian of art, are 

 more pleasing than a similar creature would be with us ; 

 but to the horseman's eye their points will score for less. 

 Size being taken into consideration throws the balance 

 clearly to our side. 



The rider of the Orient is what man is everywhere when 

 he lives in daily communion with his horse, but he is not 



