THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 85 



horse, who kicked the tiger to death after his own 

 bowels had been torn out, and trailed on the ground. 

 M. Arnauld, in his " History of Animals," relates 

 the following incident of ferocious courage in a mule: 

 "This animal belonged to a gentleman in Florence, 

 and became so vicious and refractory, that his master 

 resolved to make away with him, by exposing him to 

 the wild beasts in the managerie of the grand duke. 

 For this purpose he was first placed in the dens of the 

 hyenas and tigers, all of whom he would have soon 

 destroyed, had he not been speedily removed. At 

 last he was handed over to the lion, but the mule, 

 instead of exhibiting any symptoms of alarm, quietly 

 receded to a corner, keeping his front opposed to his 

 adversary. Once planted in the corner, he resolutely 

 kept his place, eyeing every movement of the lion, 

 which was preparing to spring upon him. The lion, 

 however, perceiving the difficulty of an attack, prac- 

 tised all his wiles to throw the mule off his guard, 

 but in vain. At length the latter, perceiving an op- 

 portunity, made a sudden rush upon the lion, and in 

 an instant broke several of his teeth by the stroke of 

 his fore-feet. The ' king of beasts,' as he has been 

 called, finding that he had got quite enough of the 

 combat, slunk grumbling to his cage, and left the 

 sturdy mule master of the field," 



