56 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



The wonder of his skill consisted in the celerity of the 

 operation, which was performed in privacy, without 

 any apparent means of coercion : every description 

 of horse or even mule, whether previously broken or 

 unhandled, whatever their peculiar habits or vices 

 might have been, submitted without a show of resist- 

 ance to his magical influence, and in the short space 

 of an hour became gentle and tractable. This effect, 

 though instantaneously produced, was generally du- 

 rable. Though more submissive to him than to 

 others, the animals seemed to have acquired a doci- 

 lity unknown before. 



When sent for. to tame a vicious beast, for which 

 he was either paid according to the distance, or gene- 

 rally two or three guineas, he directed the stable, in 

 which he and the object of the experiment were, to 

 be shut, with orders not to open the door until a 

 signal was given. After a tete-a-tete of about half 

 an hour, during which little or no bustle was heard, 

 the signal was made, and upon opening the door, the 

 horse appeared lying down, and the man by his side 

 playing with him like a child with a puppy dog. 

 From that time he was found perfectly willing to 

 submit to any discipline, however repugnant to his 

 nature before. 



Mr. Croker, to whom we are indebted for this 



