HORSE-TAMING AND BREAKING 199 



lie had become more resigned to his fate. Bound 

 Ms neck I fastened a collar formed of pieces of wood 

 tied together, so as to prevent him getting his head 

 round and laying hold of my legs when mounted, a 

 pleasant little pastime I heard he sometimes indulged 

 in. Then I put on the saddle and fastened the girths 

 and surcingle by scraping away the sand from under 

 his belly, after which, with a good deal of coaxing 

 and caressing, I managed to slip on the bridle, as 

 well as a twitch over his nose, to use in case he again. 



7 O 



became obstreperous, and arming myself with a foil 

 lent me by one of the officers present, no riding-whip 

 being at hand, I jumped upon his back, getting on 

 and off several times, to show that I had no in- 

 tention of hurting him. All was now ready, and I 

 gradually liberated his head from the cords which 

 fastened it on either side, caressing him as I did so, 

 and I was glad to see that he did not show any 

 wickedness further than putting back his ears. 



c I again mounted him, and now gave orders to 

 the Turks to pick the walls down and clear away 

 the sand, which was soon done. It was an anxious 

 moment ; but at last he was free, and with a bound 

 like an antelope cleared the debris of the stable 

 and scoured across the plain amid the shouts of the 

 Trench soldiers and the ejaculations of the Turks. 

 Once firmly seated on his back, I did not care for 

 the issue, and felt at home in the matter. He tried 

 a few times to unseat me by rearing, plunging, and 



