12 THE HORSE AND ITS DISEASES. 



charges of musketry, and tlie thunders of cannonading, 

 he faces with fortitude, as dauntless as a lion, and seems 

 to enter into the spirit of the attack. This has heen 

 his character from the earliest ages, and his sagacity is 

 no less remarkable. 



"When an Arabian falls from his horse, and is unable 

 to rise, he will immediately stand still and neigh until 

 assistance arrives ; if he lies down to sleep, as fatigue 

 sometimes compels him in the midst of the desert, his 

 horse will stand still, and watch over his safety, and 

 neigh to arouse him when danger seems approaching. 



The whole stock of an Arab of the desert consisted of 

 a mare ; the French consul offered to purchase her, in 

 order to send to his Sovereign Louis XIV. The Arab 

 would have rejected the proposal at once with scorn and 

 indignation, but he was miserably poor, he had no means 

 of supplying his most urgent wants, or of procui'ing the 

 barest necessaries of life, still he hesitated ; he had 

 scarcely a rag to his back, his wife and children were 

 starving; the sum offered was great, it would render 

 himself and family the greatest luxuries. At length he 

 reluctantly consented, and brought the mare to the 

 dwelling of the consul ; he dismounted, and stood lean- 

 ing on the mare, gazed at the proffered gold, then at his 

 favorite, and sighed, and Avept, and finally exclaimed — 

 *' To whom am I about to yield thee up — to Europeans, 

 who will tie thee close, who will beat thee, and render 

 thee miserable — return with me my jewel! my beauty, 

 and rejoice the hearts of my children," and so saying, he 

 vaulted upon her back, and was out of sight in a moment. 



An English envoy was returning from his mission, 

 and encamped near Bagdad. An Arab rode a bright 

 bay marc of extraordinary beauty before his tent, until 

 he attracted his attention. On being asked if he would 

 sell her — '' what will you give ?" was the reply ; ^' that 

 depends upon her age." '^ I suppose she is past five ;" 

 ''guess again," said the Arab; ''look at her mouth," said 

 he with a smile. On examination, she was found to be 



