Affection for Animals, Not for Man 39 



The celebrated trotting stallion Cresceus was al- 

 ways accompanied by his dog, which never left him, 

 save w^hen he was taking part in the actual race ; yet 

 how much of this fidelity was creditable to the dog no 

 one has ever troubled to wonder or to investigate. 

 Most race-horses are preceded by a special compan- 

 ion, sometimes a tiny pony, in most of their slow ex- 

 ercise; yet, if emergency arises, any other horse 

 seems to answer nearly as well, provided he calmly 

 and confidently leads them — his tranquillity allay- 

 ing their nervous apprehension. 



The more highly bred the subject the more likely 

 is he to betray the characteristics of affectionate 

 regard for certain other creatures. The coarse-bred 

 dullard is indifferent to such things. In a similar 

 way greater intelligence is to be expected from all 

 well-descended animals, provided the laws of in- 

 breeding have not been outraged too severely. For 

 this reason strictly thoroughbred horses are useless 

 for circus or other trick purposes, — they are too in- 

 telligent to be hoodwinked, and too impatient of 



