THE TAMING OF THE WILD 297 



to be driven away by the dogs. As a rule, 

 however, the zebra is an uncertain quantity 

 when it comes to handling it. I have seen 

 six or eight men spending the best part of a 

 quarter of an hour in throwing one and getting 

 on its bit and bridle, and it was a lively sight. 

 On one occasion a " tame " zebra was known 

 to go up to a man who lay asleep on the 

 ground and bite his ear off. The man had 

 done the zebra no harm, and we may assume 

 that the zebra bore no malice. It was just 

 playfulness. 



It would be unreasonable, no doubt, to argue 

 from this particular case the unfitness of the 

 whole race of zebras, but the fact is beyond 

 dispute that they are vicious as they are hand- 

 some, evil-minded brutes, better suited, in fact, 

 to the circus ring than to the serious business 

 of everyday work. Nothing but a shortage of 

 horses could warrant increased attention to the 

 taming of the zebra, and the coming of the 

 motor-car has in great measure superseded 

 them both. 



Such are the animals which man has tamed 

 to do his work. We do not, in these days of 

 mechanical traction, want any new animals in 

 harness. Even horses are falling into disuse, 

 and will soon be seen only in the hunting-field, 

 since the enjoyment of riding for its own sake 

 has gone out of fashion, and our vans and 



