HORSES A5T) KOrSDS, 101 



Eatients to try experiments on. He shook his tead, and said 

 e was afraid he could do no good. To commence, however, 

 we dissected the two dogs which had died. In the stomach we 

 foimd only sticks and straw, and the brain exhibited no appear- 

 ance of inflammation, which we had expected. 



" Xow, doctor," I said, " let me introduce yon to yonr living 

 patients." '* "Well,' he said, •' I think I must decline that 

 hononr ; I never had any very great desire to walk into a tiger 3 

 den, but I should take the tiger's for choice, in preference to 

 going into a den of mad dogs," " Come," I said, " doctor, don't 

 be nervous : but if you wont venture in, I will, and you shall 

 hold the door outside." TVe went, therefore, to the d'X)r, with 

 the whipper-in, but the moment he opened it, and shewed his 

 face, both the hounds flew at the door like savages. " This will 

 never do," said the doctor; "take your gun and shoot them at 

 once, or we shall have mischief done. Such advice did not suit 

 my humoiu: just then, and I confess I was guilty of a sort of 

 foolhardiness common in our youthful days, and which prompts 

 us to do acts which we should repent in cooler moments, I 

 wished, moreover, to try experiments, as I feared the whole 

 pack might go mad, and they were very valuable. " WeU," I 

 said, " I have a strong impression that these hounds, knowing 

 me well, will not bite me if they can help it ; at any rate I will 

 try the exx^eriment. I therefore put on two pairs of gloves, 

 took a short thick stick under my arm. and, notAvithstanding 

 all the doctor and my man could say to the contrary, opened 

 the door, leaving them outside, and walked boldly in. Their 

 eyes glared fiercely as they advanced to meet me, but I called 

 them by name, went up, and began talking to them in my usual 

 tones, and ]\^tted them on the head. They appeared to know 

 me quite well, wagged their tails, and then laid down sulkily 

 in the corner. Satisfied so far that I could now give them 

 medicine, without much fear of their biting me, I left the den, 

 and retired with the doctor to consult what to prescribe. 



After having locked the door, the doctor and myself returned 

 to the house, to deliberate upon the best course to piursue with 

 our mad patients. " Well," he said. *' I can prescribe, but I 

 tell you my candid opinion, that all the medicine in the worid 

 will not cure them, and still I advise you to give them a dose of 

 powder and shot, as the best and shortest recipe." "This I 

 have t(^ld you I shall not do," was my reply. " Very well," he 

 said, " now there is anotlier difficulty. You have heard, I dare 

 say, of one tiiking a horse to water, Arc."' " \ es," I replied, " I 

 think I have heard that story once in my life, if not oftener." 

 " There, then,' he said, " we shall be foiled, for I see your 



