THE DOMESTIC HORSE, 173 



V 



had to feign giving, in order to satisfy the horse and induce 

 him to proceed. " Such loyalty to habit, however interesting, 

 is not always convenient, as the following, which I quote 

 from "Anecdotes in Natural History'' by the Rev. F. O. 

 Morris will show. 



"Towards the close of last century, when volunteers were 

 first embodied in the different towns, an extensive line of 

 turnpike road was in progress of construction in a part of the 

 north. The clerk to the trustees upon this line used to send 

 one of his assistants to ride along occasionally, to see that 

 the contractors, who were at work in a great many places, 

 were doing their work properly. The assistant, on these 

 journeys, rode a horse which had for a long time carried a 

 field ofiScer, and, though aged, stiU possessed a great deal of 

 spirit. One day, as he was passing near a town of considerable 

 size which lay on the line of road, the volunteers were at 

 drill on the common; and the instant the horse heard the 

 drum he leaped the fence, and was speedily at that post in 

 front of the volunteers which would have been occupied by 

 the commanding ofiBcer of a regiment on parade or at drill; 

 nor could the rider by any means get him off the ground 

 until the volunteers retired to the town. As long as they kept 

 the field the horse took the proper place of a commanding 

 officer in all their manoeuvres, and he marched at the head . 

 of the corps into the town, prancing in military style as 

 cleverly as his stiffened legs would allow him, to the great 

 amusement of the volunteers and spectators, and to the no 

 small annoyance of the clerk." 



Perhaps no more amusing illustration of this force of habit 

 could be found than that cited by Captain Brown of a Scotch 

 lawyer who purchased a horse at Smithfield upon which to 

 make a journey north. The horse was a handsome one eind 

 started well, but on reaching Finchley common, at a place 

 where the road ran down a slight eminence, eind up another, 

 the lawyer met a clergyman driving a one horse chaise. 



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