178 BREAKING AND TRAINING 



is that serious injury occurs, either to the brakesman, 

 his horse, or other persons — who is to be held respon- 

 sible ? 



In this case I should certainly say the alarmists. 

 A test case corresponding to the above came before 

 the courts some time since. A dog had sprung out 

 from a house and barked at a passing horse. The 

 animal, on its part, was so frightened that it stumbled 

 and fell, sustaining a pair of broken knees. The 

 owner of the horse at once lodged his claim against 

 the proprietor of the dog. The judge upheld the 

 claim, awarding satisfactory damages to the former 

 to cover any depreciation of value which the horse 

 might have sustained as the result of the dog's bad 

 behaviour. I think that most people will agree as 

 to the equity of the judge's decision. 



Many knotty points arise for consideration once 

 we begin to invent imaginary cases. There is little 

 good to be gained, however, by going too deeply into 

 the intricacies of the law. As the Irishman said, 

 " The law is a hass," the author prefers to leave it 

 as such, and pass on to some more profitable con- 

 sideration. 



