16 Centauk,; or, The Turn Out. 



however, got the blacksmith to invert his horse's shoes, so 

 that by the prints of the horse's feet upon the snow, it 

 appeared Bruce had returned to his castle instead of having 

 just left it. The ruse succeeded admirably, and Bruce 

 escaped to Dumfries, a town about eight miles from his castle, 

 where he met the chief conspirator and slew him. At the 

 Battle of Bannockburn, Bruce's horse rendered him valuable 

 service in several of the hand-to-hand encounters in which 

 he was on that day engaged. Many instances are on record 

 of monarchs and others being saved through the swiftness, 

 courage, or ingenuity of the horse. Thus we are told, 1st 

 Book of Kings, 20th chapter, and 20th verse — That " every 

 one slew his man, and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued 

 them, and Ben-hadad, the King of Syria, escaped on an 

 horse.'' 



The horse has, from the time of the Egyptians to the 

 present day, been intimately associated with man in all his 

 undertakings; a book, therefore which will practically treat 

 of "The Horse and its immediate surroundinors" cannot fail 

 to be both interestmg and useful, and such the Author trusts 

 this his work will prove. 



