136 SPORTING STORIES 



food for life. At length he most reluctantly consented to 

 the terms offered. He brought the mare to the dwelling 

 of the Consul ; he dismounted, and stood leaning against 

 her ; he looked now at the gold and then at his favourite ; 

 he sighed, and exclaimed, " To whom am I going to yield 

 thee up ? To Europeans, who will tie thee close, who will 

 beat thee, who will render thee miserable. Return with me, 

 my beauty, my jewel, and rejoice the hearts of my 

 children!" and, springing upon her back, he was out of 

 sight in a moment. 



Here is another anecdote illustrative of the same trait in 

 the Arab, given by Sir John Malcolm. When encamped 

 near Bagdad, an Arab rode a splendid bright bay mare 

 before his tent until he attracted his attention. On being 

 asked if he would sell her, " What will you give me ? " 

 was the reply. " That depends upon her age : I suppose 

 she is over five." " Look at her mouth," said the Arab, 

 with a smile. On examination she was found to be rising 

 three. This, from her size and symmetry, greatly enhanced 

 her value. The envoy said, " I will give you fifty tomans " 

 (a coin nearly the value of a sovereign). "A little more, 

 if you please," said the Arab, apparently entertained. 

 " Eighty, a hundred." He shook his head, and smiled. 

 The offer at last reached two hundred tomans ! " Well," 

 said the Arab, "you need not tempt me further. You are 

 rich, you have fine horses, camels, and mules, and I am 

 told you have loads of silver and gold. Now you want my 

 mare, but you shall not have her for all you possess." 



Yet another anecdote. An Arab sheikh who lived within 

 fifty miles of Bussorah had a favourite breed of horses. 

 He lost one of his best mares, and could not discover 

 whether she was stolen or had strayed. Some time after, 

 a young man of a different tribe, who had long wished to 

 marry his daughter, but had always been rejected by the 

 sheikh, eloped with the girl. The sheikh and his followers 

 pursued, but the lover and his mistress, mounted on one 

 horse, outdistanced them and escaped. The old chief 

 swore that the fellow was mounted either on a devil or on 

 his favourite mare ; and he found it was the latter. The 

 lover was the thief of his mare as well as of his daughter, 



