198 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



took two ropes, and throwing them lasso-fashion 

 over the horse's head, I fastened them right and left 

 to pickets strongly driven in the ground. When 

 this was done I threw a blanket over his eyes to 

 prevent him seeing what was going on, and then 

 passing a long strip of canvas over his loins and 

 pegging it down strongly on each side so as to pre- 

 vent his moving about, I quietly cut the hobbles 

 fastening his heels and fetlocks, and then made the 

 Turks fill up the whole stable with sand, covering 

 him up to the depth of nearly four feet. He was 

 extremely restive when the first few shovelfuls were 

 thrown in ; but finding his head securely fastened, 

 and perhaps feeling frightened at being blindfolded, 

 he remained tolerably passive, although he showed 

 his temper by continually grinding his teeth. When 

 I saw him so completely buried that there was no 

 chance of his being able to extricate himself, I took 

 the strip of canvas from off his loins and uncovered 

 his eyes, when he began to make violent efforts in 

 order to free himself, but it was all in vain ; like 

 Samson in the hands of the Philistines when his 

 head was shorn, his strength had departed from 

 him, and after a few desperate struggles he became 

 exhausted, and lay still, bathed in perspiration. 



' During his attempts to free himself I remained 

 by his side, caressing him whilst quiet, and rating 

 him when he showed temper ; and after some time 

 had elapsed he allowed me to handle his head as if 



