ANECDOTES OF HORSES* 
5H9 
within hearing 1 , though previously retreating, I may say, from 
me, jerked up their heads, and, turning suddenly round, gazed 
steadily at me. I repeated the chord rather louder than the 
first time, and this attracted the attention of the whole of them. 
For some few minutes, whilst I continued to play,they gradually 
approached me, stopping and listening. At length they began 
to draw so much round about me, that I considered it prudent 
to retreat a little from them, which, accordingly, I did, but kept 
still sounding the chords, at intervals, as I walked. Whilst 
doing this, they all followed me, but in particular two or three 
approached me very closely, stopping when I stopped, and 
following as I retreated. Having at last got a paling between 
them and me, I halted, and determined to try how closely I 
could bring any of them to me. After standing and playing the 
chords for about five or six minutes, one of them, who, from the 
first, had approached nearest to me, gradually drew nearer and 
nearer, until at last he fairly brought his head in contact with 
my breast, keeping it there, and seemingly enjoying in a great 
degree the sounds of this small musical instrument. As the 
others, however, appeared to be either gathering courage from 
his example, or anxious to approach nearer to the sounds which 
seemed to delight him, I took my departure, not choosing to 
await the marks of gratitude which they, though innocently 
enough, might perhaps have bestowed on me.’ 1 —Page 334. 
Of the great sagacity of the horse no one accustomed to that 
noble animal can doubt. Captain Brow n relates two instances 
which rather border on the marvellous. The first is of Old 
Tommy:— 
“ There w as an old horse, well know n in the pretty village of 
Rainford, and even for many miles round, by the name of ‘ Old 
Tommy.’ His sagacity was particularly shewn on one occasion, 
when he lost one of his shoes in the pasture : being aw are of his 
loss, and knowing, from long experience, the comfort of good 
shoes, he lost no time, upon the opening of the gate, in repairing 
to his old friend, the blacksmith, who soon discovered and sup¬ 
plied his want. He then made the best of iiis w ay home, and 
prepared for the service of the day.”--Page 447. 
The second would convince us that our patients sometimes 
gratefully remember our care of them, although the owner may 
shabbily refuse the honest remuneration:— 
“ A cart-horse, belonging to Mr. Leggat, Gallowgate Street, 
Glasgow, had been several times aflhcted with the bolts , and 
as often cured, by Mr. Downie, farrier there. He had not, 
however, been troubled with that disease for some time; but, on 
a recurrence of the disorder, he happened one morning to be 
vol, in. • 4 K 
