MUSTANG PONY. 447 



* 



present would meet me at the next town, and bring their 

 friends with them. On the day following, there was a hig 

 crowd assembled, and evidently the tide of feeling was 

 decidedly against me. It was my usual custom to simply 

 explain what I could teach and do, then amuse the audience 

 by the performances of the ponies, which was of itself one 

 of the best illustrations that could be given, showing the 

 value of intelligent treatment. But on this occasion some- 

 thing more substantial was needed, and I prepared myself 

 for the emergency. I had the people assemble in a hall, 

 and commenced by explaining the singular adaptation of 

 the domestic animals to the wants and requirements of the 

 people among whom they are found in the different parts 

 of the world. I then referred to the different peculiari- 

 ties of character common to each family or class, and 

 followed by an explanation of the changes produced by 

 chance causes, making the inference clear that exceptions 

 were possible, either from a lack of intelligence or extreme 

 wildness, which would make their training and management 

 extremely difficult. I pointed to the fact that one of the 

 horses treated the day before, and driven there that day 

 by the owner perfectly gentle, was broken, as promised, by 

 less than fifteen minutes' treatment, a horse that twenty- 

 four hours before it was not supposed could be successfully 

 managed by any man in the country. 



I then took up the principles of subjection with their 

 effects (as explained in this and in first chapter), and finally 

 referred to the general success and appreciation of my 

 efforts. All seemed to see the point, and I made a large 

 class. Even those of the day before who took their 

 money back, voluntarily subscribed anew. The result of 

 this was an overwhelming success, and interest that was 

 almost unprecedented in my experience throughout the 

 country. 



