THE BARB 131 



have valued oxen for heavy draught as well 

 as for beef and hides, or they would scarcely 

 have bothered to winter the cattle in stables. 

 As any stockmen sees at a glance the sheep and 

 goats were handled by experienced owners. 



The stock would not have paid without a 

 market, so, as these Arab sheiks had plenty of 

 gold, we may presume that they dealt in wool, 

 beef, hides, and draught animals with the 

 fortified trading towns of the watered farming 

 districts. No doubt they sold pack beasts also 

 to the trading caravans. 



There were no horses in the world as known 

 to these folk. Abraham visited Egypt some- 

 where about the nineteenth century b.c. and 

 found no horses there. 



Beyond the skyHne of the western desert 

 from Egypt to the Atlantic ranged the Bay 

 horse, the Barb of times to com^. He was a 

 delicate, swift creature, very brave and gentle. 

 His arched neck bore a black and streaming 

 mane, his tail was set high and carried clear 

 of the rump. His eyes were set low, wide apart 

 from which the dainty muzzle tapered, to 

 sensitive nostrils and to lips hke velvet. 

 Legends of later times, and other countries 

 made him son of the west wind, while custom 

 gave each of his families a surname. They 



