CONDITION OF STABLE 19 



brings his gallant war-horse home, but before 

 he does this I have a lot to say to him. 

 What sort of a stable does he propose to 

 put him in ? What is to be the condition 

 of that stable when it is ready for the 

 horse ? And at this point I beg of you to 

 give me all your attention. It is here 

 that all the harm is done. You may be 

 disposed to say, " Oh, I can't build stables 

 to suit you ! I have to put up my horse 

 in the best I can manage." Yes, I grant 

 you all that, but it is the condition of 

 your stable I want you to change, not to 

 rebuild it. You remember how the length 

 of our sick lines grew and grew during our 

 last training ? You may remember, even, 

 seeing dead horses removed from our lines ? 

 Died of strangles, you said. Perhaps so. 

 Exposure to cold and wet, you all said, and 

 you speak of the awful time we had for ten 

 days. I say, and I hope to prove to you 

 before we leave here to-night, that every one 

 of those sick horses brought the germs of 

 their sickness from out of their dirty, ill- 



