SOME CURIOUS HORSES 237 



in England. Its legs seemed quite fresh and 

 generally all right, so far as I could see. Think- 

 ing that I could send it to the kennel as well 

 as he could, if it turned out useless, I accepted the 

 gift with thanks. 



Just as we were leaving the stables, my friend 

 dropped back, and I overheard him say to a groom, 



" Take that horse down to Captain T 's stables 



at once" Well, thought I, there is some screw 

 loose — and a pretty big one I fancy. 



On reaching home, late in the afternoon, my 

 groom met me and said, " The new horse has 

 come, sir ; but he seems a pretty queer one." I 

 went round to the stables at once, and there I 

 found the horse looking very wild, his eyes almost 

 standing out of his head, and he himself as far 

 back out of his stall as his halter - rein would 

 allow, though not hanging on it. I went up and 

 bewail to talk to him, and at length he seemed 

 quieter, and his eye did not look so wild ; at last 

 he let me hold his head-stall. I then patted and 

 coaxed him as much as possible, and gradually got 

 him up into his stall. Just as I had succeeded 

 in this, the groom came with the evening feed. 

 Directly the horse saw him, he began to make a 

 roaring noise, more like a bull than anything else. 

 Fortunately I had hold of his head-stall, or I think 



