THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 197 



this estate, three men were concerned in one horse ; 

 but the poor brute was rendered useless, as the un- 

 fortunate foot of the supernumerary leg remained 

 unshod, none of them being willing to acknowledge 

 its dependancy, and accordingly it became quite lame. 

 There were many intestine rows upon the subject ; 

 at length one of the ' company ' came to the main land 

 and called on a magistrate for advice, stating, that the 

 animal was entirely useless now ; that he had not 

 only kept decently his proper hoof, at his own ex- 

 pense, but had shod this fourth foot twice to boot ; 

 yet the other two proprietors resolutely refused to 

 shoe more than their own foot." 



To steal a horse is reckoned in the Desert code 

 of morals, a highly honourable exploit, if the suf- 

 ferer be a stranger, or a man of another tribe, which 

 means nearly the same thing as an enemy. Each 

 tribe forms as it were a distinct nation, occupying a 

 certain tract of land, over which it roams continually, 

 in proportion as the pasture is exhausted by the cattle. 

 Now as the whole of this space is necessary for the 

 annual subsistence of the tribe, all who encroach on 

 it are regarded as enemies and robbers, and a war 

 ensues. Events of this kind are of frequent occur- 

 rence, and the manner of proceeding on the occasion 

 is very simple. The offence being made known, they 

 Q 2 



