IT IS THE BLOOD THAT TELLS. 53 



well as beauty, which no other type of horse had 

 done. These so-called 'Eastern horses ' were named 

 from the countries whence they came, as the 

 Arab, the Barb, the Turk, and the Spanish jennet, 

 but all were included under the head of 'Eastern 

 horses. ' " 



Of course, Count, you remember the legend, that 

 when the Saracens, were driven out of Palestine by 

 the Crusaders they crossed into the Soudan. Here 

 they met the bold, brave, ever-unconquered tribes of 

 the desert. It is from the Saracens that the sheiks, 

 mounted on the " air-drinkers" — those who drink the 

 air in lieu of water — are supposed to have taken by 

 force the wonderful armor, made of finest links of 

 steel, in which they subsequently rode, and were so 

 invincible. 



" I have not forgotten it. But it was also during 

 the Crusades that Coeur de Lion rode an Arab of 

 Cypriot breed, 'a magnificent bay, ' taken by strata- 

 gem from the stable of Isaac the Great, Emperor of 

 Cyprus. Edward of England rode an Andalusian 

 Barb, 'Gray Lyard,' which carried him 'ever charg- 

 ing forward,' in Palestine. That stalwart warrior 

 the 'Cid, ' owned a famous stallion, 'Bavicca, ' also an 

 Andalusian Barb, and rode, besides, a noted white 

 Arab presented to him by the Sultan of Persia. By 

 weighing the armor of this trio of warriors, now in 

 the Tower of London, the fact is proved that these 

 small Arabs carried 4 cwt. each." 



Yes, " it is the blood which tells when- the strain 

 comes." Only lately I have been interested in read- 

 ing that when Sir Gerald Graham was sent at the 



