Professor Sample. 101 



an American of middle height and of well-nourished ap- 

 pearance. His discourse consisted of a strange medley of 

 childish remarks about the physiology of the horse, droll 

 stories, and singularly acute observations on ' the noble 

 animal.' Though not well educated, he was full of humour, 

 self-reliant, and had the gift of holding the attention of his 

 audience. I was charmed with his originality, and felt that 

 I was in the presence of a man who had something new to 

 tell about my favourite study. After he had done speaking, 

 a Mr Sydney Galvayne got up and began to hold forth in 

 a style which made me feel sick ; for he was very common- 

 place. He acknowledged that he had learned ' the system ' 

 from Sample in Australia, and told wonderful stories about 

 his own horse-taming feats and powers. The two ' professors ' 

 did absolutely nothing except talk, and inform their audience 

 that Professor Sample would impart ' the system ' at five 

 guineas a head. This, as might have been expected, did 

 not ' draw ' the London public. Contrary to the course 

 mapped out for Rarey by his clever manager, Goodenough, 

 Sample produced no reformed Cruiser, and yet he was incom- 

 parably superior to his predecessor in the line they both took 

 up. The show had been widely advertised. The Professor's 

 pleasant-looking portrait was hung out on both sides of 

 nearly every omnibus in London, and yet the essential 

 element of success, namely, the taming of a well-known 

 vicious horse was neglected. Sample, with the true instinct 

 of a born showman, gave a highly creditable taming per- 

 formance with a quiet horse or two, and he showed such 

 a number of smart breaking dodges to the members of his 

 class, of which I was one, that he saved himself from being 

 termed an impostor ; although he lost about a thousand 

 pounds by the venture. He stayed at the Langham Hotel ; 

 wore an immense diamond shirt-stud ; carried a fifty-guinea 

 watch which had been presented to him by an appreciative 

 Australian ' class ' ; and fancied himself as one of the greatest 

 men that had ever lived. We became acquainted, and I saw a 



