44 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



nor entreaties could induce him to rise. It was the 

 general's old charger, which, from the moment of 

 quitting his service, had never once practised the 

 artifice until this second meeting. The general, who 

 was an exceedingly good-humoured man, joined 

 heartily in the universal shout that ran through the 

 whole line on witnessing this ludicrous affair. 



Courage is a quality of great importance in a horse, 

 and some possess it in a high degree. It is worthy, 

 too, of remark, that there is often something more 

 than mere natural indifference to danger, something 

 of an intellectual character in the courage of the 

 horse. He learns to overcome his fears. At the 

 sight of a tiger a horse has been known to become 

 wholly paralysed with terror, and incapable of re- 

 sistance, or even of flight ; and yet this instinctive 

 dread of mortal foes can be eradicated by education, 

 and a reliance on the protection of man. A remark- 

 able proof of this is, that the hunting leopard is 

 allowed by the well-trained horse to spring on his 

 back, either behind or before his master, when he 

 goes a-field in pursuit of game. One of the most 

 signal instances of courage on the part of horse and 

 rider, and of perfect concert between both, is that 

 recorded of the late Sir Robert Gillespie and his 

 Arab. Sir Robert being present on the race-course 



