8 THE WONDER-BOOK OF HORSES 



about making himself ready for the great under- 

 taking of his life. He exercised himself daily in 

 feats of strength; he practised running and leap- 

 ing and throwing weights, until his muscles were 

 hardened and made as elastic as Apollo's bow. 

 Then he took lessons in horsemanship from the 

 greatest riding-masters in the world. He spent 

 months on the grassy steppes of the Caspian, 

 where he learned to lasso wild horses, and, leap- 

 ing astride of them, to ride them barebacked and 

 bridleless until they were subdued to his will. 

 He entered the chariot races at Corinth, and with 

 a team of four outdrove the most famous chario- 

 teers of Greece ; and at the great Olympian games 

 he won the victor's crown. No other young man 

 was talked about as much as he. 



"A bright young fellow with a brilliant fu- 

 ture before him," said some. 



" A fine example of what hard work and a 

 little genius can do," said others. 



" A lucky chap," said still others — ■" a mere 

 creature of circumstances. Any of us could do 

 as well, if as many favorable accidents would 

 happen to us to help us along." 



" A vain upstart," said those whom he had 

 beaten in the race — " a fop with a girl's face, 



