Where Silence Is Eloquent 



stranger brush some men aside and stand directly 

 in front of the horse, which grew quiet on the 

 instant. The stranger went nearer, pulled the 

 horse's head down and laid his face against it; 

 and there they stood, man and brute, like carved 

 statues. It was as if one were whispering a 

 secret, and the other listening. Then the man 

 said, "Come along, boy," and walked down the 

 square, the horse following at his heels like a 

 trained dog. 



Watching the scene, my first thought was that 

 the horse recognized a former and kinder master; 

 but the man assured me, when I followed him up, 

 that he had never spoken to the animal till that 

 moment, and that he could do the same with any 

 refractory horse he had ever met. "Try it with 

 that one," I said promptly, pointing to a nervous 

 horse that, feeling the excitement of the recent 

 affair, was jerking and frothing at his hitch-rope. 

 The man smiled his acceptance of the challenge, 

 stepped in front of the horse, and looked at him 

 steadily. What he thought or willed, what feeling 

 or impulse he sent out, I know not ; but certainly 

 some silent communication passed, which the 

 horse recognized by forward-pointing ears and 

 a low whinny of pleasure. Then the man un- 

 snapped the rope from the bridle ring, turned 

 away without a word, and the horse followed 



[1451 



