274 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER 



not be gored with the spur or cut with the whip to 

 do their utmost.' l 



But the sagacious animal expects that his master 

 or rider shall be fully competent to perform his share 

 of the business. A horse soon learns to despise a 

 timid rider. 



'The confidence of a horse in a firm rider and 

 his own courage is great, as was conspicuously evinced 

 in the case of an Arab possessed by the late General 

 Sir Eobert E. Gillespie, who being present on the 

 race-course of Calcutta during one of the great 

 Hindu festivals, when several hundred thousand 

 people may be assembled to witness all kinds of 

 shows, was suddenly alarmed by the shrieks of the 

 crowd, and informed that a tiger had escaped from 

 his keeper. Sir Eobert immediately called for his 

 horse, and grasping a boar-spear which was in the 

 hands of one of the crowd, rode to attack this for- 

 midable enemy. The tiger probably was amazed at 

 finding himself in the middle of such a number of 

 shrieking beings, flying from him in all directions ; 

 but the moment he perceived Sir Eobert, he crouched 

 with the attitude of preparing to spring at him, and 

 that instant the gallant soldier passed his horse 

 in a leap over the tiger's back, and struck the spear 

 through his spine. The horse was a small gray, 

 afterwards sent home by him a present to the Prince 



1 The Naturalist's Library Horses, by Lieutenant-Colonel Chas. 

 Hamilton Smith. 



