The Horse, as Comrade and Friend 



affection for you is apparent in her every action. 

 More great pains, with a visible displace- 

 ment of her burden, then the final great con- 

 vulsions. The girding up and concentration 

 of muscular effort is immense. The muscles 

 of her neck stand out Uke ropes, her teeth are 

 set, and in the paroxysms of her anguish her 

 breath is forced out explosively in jerks and 

 moans. As you bend over, stroking gently 

 behind her trembhng ears, even in this ex- 

 tremity her wistful soul looks out to you in 

 tender regard. 



Now the actual extrusion begins. First a 

 breaking up of the great waters which had 

 surrounded the membrane enclosing the foal, 

 and whose gradual accumulation has allowed 

 his greater freedom of movement, and are now 

 used to lubricate and ease his ejection. Then 

 the protrusion of the silvery semi-transparent 

 membrane, so deUcate that it is like a fabric 

 of white silk, and hidden within can be dis- 

 cerned, as they emerge, shapes of two tiny 

 hoofs, then pasterns and fetlocks and the 

 long forelegs and knees. All are masked in 

 this beautiful shroud, with its delicate tracery 

 of veins, for feeding its expansion with the 

 growth of the foal. Examine it while you 

 may, for its existence and use is soon to be 

 over. The mare's next spasm brings the out- 

 line of the little nose into view, and with con- 

 tinuous efforts the whole head is slowly 



190 



