The Horse, as Comrade and Friend 



but she knew me so well that it was plain she 

 was content to leave the foal in my charge. 

 As I brought the foal near, the mare whinnied 

 and endeavoured to rise ; but had not the 

 strength. So I took the little thing right up 

 to her, and their noses met. The foal was 

 enormously interested, smelhng the mare's 

 face, her eyes and her ears ; and the mare 

 Hcked the foal's feet and its forelegs, as high 

 as she could reach. It was a pretty sight to 

 see the affection in the mare's eyes. Then I 

 took the foal away a little, and the mare made 

 another effort to get up. Very tottery at first, 

 she came slowly along to the foal. She smelt 

 it all over and then began to Uck it. The 

 foal stood with legs very much apart, balanced 

 well, and evidently liked it. 



After a little she turned and sniffed at the 

 mare's chest and began to suck it and I moved 

 away to see what would happen next. The 

 foal got more and more agitated and sucked 

 hard and began to seek for more solid susten- 

 ance. The mare set herself to accommodate, 

 but the foal — and, as I found out afterwards, 

 they never are at first — was not successful in 

 its search. Like so many of the others I have 

 since seen, it seemed to have made up its mind 

 that what it sought was to be found near the 

 mare's front legs, and would not get away from 

 there. With my superior knowledge I en- 

 deavoured to assist ; clasped the foal, and 



228 



