THE BEDOUINS MARE. 59 



all the glory that may flow from the deed. Poor Jabal, 

 Avhen he heard the words, rushed out of the tent and 

 gave the alarm, then mounting his brother's mare, 

 accompanied by some of his tribe, he pursued the rob- 

 ber for four hours. The brother's mare was of the 

 same stock as Jabal's, but was not equal to her ; never- 

 theless, he outstripped those of all other pursuers, 

 and was even on the point of overtaking the robber, 

 when Jabal shouted to him, ' Pinch her right ear and 

 give her a touch of the heel.' Gafar did so, and 

 away went the mare like lightning, speedily rendering 

 further pursuit hopeless. The pinch in the ear and the 

 touch with the heel were the secret signs by which Jabal 

 had been used to urge his mare to her utmost speed. 

 Jabal's companions were amazed and indignant at his 

 strange conduct. ' 0, thou father of a jackass ! ' they 

 cried, ' thou hast enabled the thief to rob thee of thy 

 jewel.' But he silenced their upbraidings by saying — 

 ' I would rather lose her than sully her reputation. 

 Would you have me suffer it to be said among the tribes 

 that another mare had proved fleeter than mine ? I 

 have at least this comfort left me, that I can say she 

 never met with her match.' * 



"Different countries have their different modes of 



^ The Arab liorses, and indeed all Eastern horses, ai-e remarkable 

 for their powers of endurance, but the stories of their speed must be 

 received with considerable allowances for Eastern powers of imagination, 

 which are much more cultivated in the East than powers of com- 

 parison. The Arab horses are trained for war, not swiftness. They 

 are taught to wheel quickly, and,stop at full gallop. To do this, they 

 are kept constantly on their haunches by the pressure of a severe curb 

 bit, and this training alone prevents them from attaining great speed. 

 In all trials between Arabs and thorough-breds, CA^en for long distances, 

 the former have been easily defeated. I shall give a remarkable in- 

 stance of the superiority of the English horse in a futiu'e chaptea-. 



