Obligations to Dumb Dependents 229 



enters his head that he is bound, in all honour, to 

 see that these are of the most sanitary and nourish- 

 ing ; that its ailments are anticipated ; that its future 

 after years of service is provided for; that its 

 caparisons, etc., are of the least irksome; its tasks 

 confined to reasonable limits; that its vacations are 

 enjoyable and wisely ordered. It is idle for him 

 to argue that he " does not know much about 

 horses " (or dogs, etc.), that he " thought Billy was 

 well fed at pasture" (although he returned a 

 walking skeleton), that he "supposed Fanny was 

 protected from flies in the stable," or that he " did 

 not think of White Socks's future when he ordered 

 him docked " ; but these arguments serve neither 

 as excuses nor reasons for his wanton neglect — and 

 he has violated his trust. If he bought an auto- 

 mobile, a bicycle, or a sailboat, he would learn all 

 he could about it before investing, and would be 

 consumed with anxiety lest something might happen 

 to it, or that there was some wrinkle he had not 

 mastered concerning its manipulation. His ani- 

 mals, however, he acquires without previous study, 



