BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE CIRCUS. 293 



understand something about horses, you know, 

 Mr. Taming. What countrymen do you find 

 best for your business ? " I ask. 



* 'Yes, I suppose Englishmen do know something 

 about horses, though it's dreadfully dispiriting 

 work with some of them that come to see mine," 

 he answers. '' I show a man sometimes one of 

 my best horses, get him to notice the shape and 

 points of the animal, go carefully over it, think- 

 ing that he's taking it all in, and then he says^ 

 * Dear me, Mr. Taming, what a lovely tail he's 

 got P I'd rather have a blow on the head than 

 hear such a speech ! As for training horses, 

 there's no one like the G-ermans ; the best 

 trainers, they are, for horses to dance, or to go 

 at liberty, or any other sort of work. Germans 

 seem to have more patience. But when the 

 horses are once broke, and it comes to showing 

 them, there's no one like an Englishman or an 

 American. The Germans are too slummocky. 

 The Englishman goes into the ring with his 

 head up, and puts the horse through his work ; 

 but the German goes round after the horse as 

 though he were carrying a load of wood." 



" How did you come to know so much of all 

 the kings and emperors ? " I presently ask. 



" Well, I'll tell you," replied my companion, 

 " for it's rather a strange story. I had my 



