40 HORSES AND ROADS. 



Who is there amongst human beings that does 

 not prefer to wear an old pair of boots to a new pair — 

 and why ? Because the old pair has accommodated 

 itself, by wear, to the ' tread ' of the owner. The heel 

 of a man's foot is roimd on every side ; yet his boot- 

 maker will persist in making the heels of his boots with 

 square edges ; the consequence being that they wear 

 more in one part than another. As all men have not 4 



the same natural tread, some will wear out the inside 

 of the heel at the same time with the outside of the 

 toe ; whilst others will do exactly the contrary, or 

 else wear them away in a different form from either. 

 The time when they require mending is the time 

 when they begin to feel comfortable ; and the human 

 shoemaker, like the equine one, proceeds to reinforce 

 the parts that wear the quickest. The American 

 Indian knows better than this. He fashions the 

 exterior of the heel of the moccasin, as near as he 

 can get it, to the shape of his own heel ; and those 

 who have worn moccasins for any length of time (as 

 the writer has), positively ' go lame ' when they have 

 to put on a pair of civilised chauasures. 



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