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diff --git a/51949-0.txt b/51949-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2f82fc3 --- /dev/null +++ b/51949-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5324 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 51949 *** + +HORSE STORIES + +And Stories Of Other Animals + +Experience of Two Boys in Managing Horses, With Many Anecdotes of +Quadrupedal Intelligence + +By Thomas W. Knox + +Author Of “Dog Stories And Dog Lore,” “The Boy Travellers,” “The Young +Nimrods,” “Marco Polo For Boys And Girls,” “The Voyage Of The Vivian,” + “Decisive Battles Since Waterloo,” Etc., Etc. + +New York: Cassell Publishing Company + +1890 + +[Illustration: 0002] + +[Illustration: 0008] + + + + + +HORSE STORIES AND STORIES OF OTHER ANIMALS + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +_Charley and George--What they Wanted--The Lesson of Kindness--Story +of Old Jane--The Horse that Went for Assistance--A Grateful +Patient--Engine-house and Training-school of the New York Fire +Department--Wonderful Intelligence of Fire-horses--Likes and +Dislikes--Memory in Horses--Anecdotes of Old Army Horses--A Good Story +of a Faithful Dog._ + +[Illustration: 0014] + +I wish I had a horse of my own,” said Charley Graham, as he saw one of +his friends riding on a pony which had recently been presented to him by +his father. + +“And I'd like one, too,” exclaimed his brother George. + +“Well,” said Charley? “suppose we ask father about it. Perhaps he'd give +them to us, when he knows Henry Johnson has one.” + +“That's so,” was the reply, “as I've heard him say he believed in boys +knowing how to ride.” + +There was an animated discussion as to the probabilities of the granting +of the request, and also as to the best form of presenting it. It was +agreed that the petition should be made that evening, shortly after +dinner. The youths were good students of human nature, and had observed +that Mr. Graham was in his best humor after partaking of a satisfactory +meal. In this respect he was not unlike the rest of the world. + +Charley and George were two youths with whom the readers of “Dog Stories +and Dog Lore” are already acquainted. Their adventures in rearing and +training two dogs, a Newfoundland and a Black-and-tan Terrier, are +familiar to many young people. We are about to learn of their experience +with horses and other quadrupeds, and will join them in listening to +stories of animal intelligence in various parts of the world. + +Mr. Graham received the request of his sons with a complacency that +greatly encouraged them, but, before giving an answer, he questioned +them as to their knowledge of horses. It was not very extensive, to be +sure, as it was limited to a knowledge of the horses then in the stable, +and none of these had been trained to the saddle. Next he asked them how +they would treat the animals in case they should become the possessors +of what they wanted. + +“I would treat them kindly,” replied Charley, “and I am sure George +would do the same. We have got along so nicely with Rover and Dash, by +always treating them kindly, that we believe the same plan will do with +horses. Are we right?” + +“Yes,” replied Mr. Graham; “the horse has a great deal of affection for +his master when the latter is his friend, though perhaps not as much as +the dog. Horses may be taught to do a great many things; they vary in +intelligence and disposition, like dogs, and men too, for that matter. +Where they are intelligent and of good disposition they are capable of +an amount of training that will surprise most people.” + +“Here is a story which I found to-day in a newspaper,” continued +the gentleman, “which will illustrate what I was saying about the +intelligence of the horse. It is told by a writer for _Every Other +Sunday_, about a favorite animal that was called Jane. The author of the +story says: + +“'She was large and strong, a good carriage horse, obedient to the least +touch of rein or inflection of voice, and so gentle that she was the +best possible playfellow for our youngest, a child of ten years, who was +never happier than when in company with Jane. + +“'Little Emily was not long in learning to harness after she once made +Jane's acquaintance; and the great horse would bend her head down meekly +while the child, mounting a chair, succeeded after great effort in +putting on the bridle. Again Jane would stand with quiet patience while +her little mistress tried to curry her, combed out her long mane and +tail, patted and hugged her, ran about and under her, or climbed up for +a ride on her broad back. + +“'One fair spring day we went for a long drive in the woods. It was so +mild and lovely under the oaks and pines, and we found such treasures of +flowers that we lingered and lingered, and were tempted to explore some +grassy unused wood roads that looked especially inviting. In so doing we +lost our way, and before we could again find the open country road +the sun had set. Jane started off for home at a good pace; but it was +distant several miles, and the darkness gathered fast. It was a cloudy, +starless evening. Soon we could not see distinctly even the horse's +length in front of us; but we knew Jane could be trusted, so we gave +her a loose rein and let her take her own way. She was trotting +briskly along a quiet lane, when suddenly she stopped. We could see no +approaching team or any obstacle in the way, so bade Jane go on. To our +astonishment the horse, for the first time in all our experience of her, +refused to obey. She paid no attention to rein or voice, and only tossed +her head a little at the unwelcome touch of the whip. We could see that +she kept turning her head, and looking back at us in a gentle, wistful +way. Clearly something was wrong. The driver threw down the reins, and +springing from the carriage, walked up to the horse's head. Then the +mystery wras explained. + +“'A few paces in front of Jane, seated right in the wheel-rut, was +a little child,--a curly-haired, blue-eyed baby of two years. He was +patting the earth with one little hand, and looking up in a sweet, +wondering way at the great horse, looming above him through the dusk. He +was not directly in the horse's path; Jane could have passed him easily +enough. How could she know that the swift-turning wheels behind her, +which she herself could not? see, would reach and harm the child? + +“'Our good Jane! How glad we were of the disobedience that had troubled +us so much a moment before! How we stroked and petted and praised her, +even before we lifted the pretty baby from his perilous position, and +carried him to the nearest house, with injunctions to the young Irish +mother, who had many children about her, to take better care of the +youngest!'” + +“That's a very nice story,” said Charley, as his father paused. “I've +read something like it in an English book; it was about a gentleman that +was riding one night along a road and happened to be hit on the head by +a projecting limb of a tree. He was stunned by the blow and fell to the +ground. The horse went at once to the house he had started from, which +was about a mile away; the family had gone to bed, but he made such a +noise at the door as to rouse them. When some one came out he turned +around and immediately led the way to where his master was lying +senseless in the road.” + +“And I've read about a horse,” remarked George, as his brother paused, +“that showed its gratitude to a lady that had befriended it. It was in +an open piece of ground near her house and the poor animal's shoulder +was raw and bleeding. She coaxed him to come to her by giving him pieces +of bread, and then she covered the wound with some adhesive plaster +which she spread on a piece of leather. Then the horse went to grazing +again, evidently feeling very much better. A little while afterward the +horse's master came and led him away. + +“The next day the horse came again to the lady's gate, and after looking +around a while he put his head over it and whinnied. The lady went +out and found that the plaster was gone from the sore spot; she put on +another, and the next day the horse came again for the same attention, +which was given. After that the plaster remained and the horse +recovered. Ever after that when he saw the lady he showed his gratitude +by whinnying and then rubbing his nose very gently against her. +Sometimes he came to the gate and called her, and she used to go out and +pet him, which seemed to give him a great deal of pleasure.” + +“After those two stories,” said Mr. Graham, “I think you ought to have +the horses you want. I'll buy them for you in a few days, and in the +meantime we'll go to the training school for the horses of the New York +Fire Department and see how they educate the animals there.” + +Charley and George were delighted with the prospect of having horses +of their own, and waited with some impatience for the purchase of their +steeds. The day after the conversation just narrated they accompanied +their father to one of the engine-houses and afterward to the training +school. They were greatly interested in what they saw there, and Charley +afterward wrote an account of the visit. He was assisted by a reporter +for one of the newspapers whom he happened to meet in the engine-house, +and we are permitted to copy the following from their story: + +“The engine house was a big square room, smelling horsey and strong, yet +was scrupulously clean and neat and resplendent with the polished steel +and brass and the painted woodwork of the engine and hose-cart and +chiefs wagon. In this particular engine-house the hose-cart happened +to be in the front of the room, before the street doors, with the horse +stalls on either side of it, against the sides of the room. The stalls +were parallel with the hose-cart. Back of the hose-cart was the engine, +big and shiny, with the 'ready' steam hissing into it through pipes from +the boiler below. The chiefs cart was at one side of the engine, and in +a corner of the room was the fuel wagon. In the side stalls stood two +magnificent white horses--silent, motionless, but with ears erect, and +wide open eyes watching the foreman and the strangers and apparently +very anxious to join in the conversation. + +“Suddenly a jingle bell in the room beat a lively rattle, and the fire +gong began to ring out an alarm. The firemen slid down from upstairs on +the polished rods of brass which stretched from the ground floor through +scuttle-holes into the firemen's sitting-room, and took their several +stations. The man on 'house watch' counted the gong strokes. As the +electric snap on the bits of the horses in their stalls were unfastened, +the horses jumped to their places at a bound, down came the hanging +harness upon them, and collar, headstall and reinbit were fastened by +ready hands in less than two seconds. Before the gong stopped sounding, +engine and men and horses were ready to rush into the street if the +alarm should turn out to be a call from their part of the city. The +alarm did not so turn out, and all went back to their places.” + +On the way from the engine-house to the training school in Harlem, +Charley asked how the horses were obtained and where they came from. On +this point the newspaper man enlightened him. + +“The horses are generally selected,” said he, “by Captain Joseph Shea, +who has charge of the training school, or by one of his assistants. They +only deal with dealers whom they know to be trustworthy, and who have, +in fact, furnished most of the horses to the department for years. +Strength, agility, intelligence, kindness--these are the traits the +buyers look at. + +“When a horse has been picked out, he is sent to the training stables, +and Captain Shea takes him in hand. The horse is set to tugging big +loads, is punched, examined, trotted and exercised generally for fifteen +days. Captain Shea has an old fire-engine at his quarters, and the horse +is drilled with this, too, and is taught to notice and to mind the gong. +If Captain Shea doesn't like the horse, the animal is sent back to the +dealer or his former master. No horses are bought except on probation. +If the horse seems to be a good one. Captain Shea sends him to some +engine-house for practical trial. There the horse is made to do the same +kind of work that other horses do, and if after fifteen days more the +officer in command of the company doesn't like him, back he goes to the +stables. It he is a very bad or stupid horse, the department rejects +him finally. But the department has other uses for horses, of course, +besides that of tugging engines and trucks to fires. It needs horses for +supply wagons and in its repair shops, and in a great many other places, +and if the horse can be used at all he is put at these kinds of work.” + +[Illustration: 0020] + +When our friends reached the training school they were cordially +welcomed by Captain Shea, to whom Mr. Graham presented a letter of +introduction. Then they were shown through the establishment, and +during the visit the Captain talked in a very interesting way about the +intelligent animals which he had in charge. + +“Some horses are kind o' dead like,” said he. “We coax 'em and show +'em over and over again what to do, but it's no use--they never know +anything. Then an intelligent horse is sometimes vicious, and though +very quick at getting to fires has some trick or other, so that we +always have to be on the lookout. But a horse, if he's got the making of +a good fire-horse in him, generally gets to learn his business in about +three months. I have come to believe more and more that a horse is about +as intelligent as a man. We can let some of 'em out in the street, and +when they hear the gong sound they'll come back to the engine-house and +get by the pole in a jiffy. Now you take a good horse for a tender, he +don't wait for his driver to get into the seat, but out he goes when the +engine goes, driver or no driver. A good tender horse'll never be more +than 100 feet behind the engine as he goes down the street. + +“A horse comes to know his feeding times, and he gets restless and +uneasy when those times come, though I suppose all horses do the same. A +fire-horse gets so accustomed to regularity, though, that he knows +when he ought to be fed just as if he could read the clock. The driver +generally feeds and takes care of the horses, though he consults with +the company officer about what he shall give 'em. He puts the feed in +the forward corner of the stall, opposite the corner across which the +horse has to rush to his engine. Otherwise the latter corner would get +slippery, and the horse would stumble as he dashed across it. + +“One of the hardest things we have to teach a horse is to leave his +food and get to the engine when the gong sounds. It's a good test of the +stubbornness or docility of a horse, whichever way you've a mind to put +it, whether he'll do this or not. There are a great many horses in +the department that wont do it. Most of those which will, are the old +horses. It annoys a real spirited horse to run out to the pole every +don't get a chance to snap the collars, and at noontime it's generally a +race between the men and the horses to see who gets to the pole first.” + +[Illustration: 0022] + +“Do the horses know the difference between false alarms and real ones?” + Charley asked. + +“Why, certainly,” was the reply, “a horse knows he's going to a fire. I +know he does, and every man who knows anything about a fire horse knows +so too. With all their mad rush as they go down the street they are +cautious, and they don't rely on the driver's rein to tell time the gong +strikes and not start with the engine. He frets and worries and whinnies +and acts just as teased as a horse can. They get to know some signals +though, and they play us some cute tricks. Now, at noon every day every +engine company gets the time on the gong from headquarters, and the +horses come out as usual. But some of 'em get to know that they never go +out of the house on that signal, and they whirl around after coming to +the pole and get back to the stalls again. The men who have to snap the +collars have to be mighty quick or they them when to turn out of the way +of an obstruction. They get to know the location of hydrants in their +district and they pull right up to them. They can tell when they're +coming near a fire just as well as the driver can, and when they smell +the smoke or see the blaze they give a lively tug on the engine. I think +a horse can tell whether it is a big fire or not, too. The noise of +other engines they hear going to the fire excites them. When they get to +the fire, too, they're alive, you bet. You know the place of a horse on +a tender at a fire is at the back of the engine. Well, when a horse has +pulled the tender right up to the burning building, so that the men can +use the hose, after the hose is unwound the horse will turn and trot +back to its engine, just as unconcernedly as can be, and will pick its +engine out from all the others. + +“It's a queer thing about the likes and dislikes horses will take. They +are just as queer about that as men and women are. Of course, horses are +of all kinds and some will let anybody pet 'em and some wont let anybody +come near 'em while they are in the stalls. But often a horse will take +a great notion or a great aversion to some one man in the company. I was +in a company once six years with a team of horses, and one of the horses +would always kick at the assistant foreman whenever he got a chance. +Sure as death, whenever Dick got behind that horse, the horse'd raise on +him. Dick was a kind, good enough feller, too. That same horse'd let any +other man in the company do what he wanted with him. + +“A good many of these stories are true about horses that have been in +the service of the department and mustered out, minding the gong when +they happen to hear it, and getting excited and going to fires when an +engine passes them on the street. I remember once driving an engine down +Broadway on the run, and we passed an old, worn-out, miserable-looking +horse on one of the street-cleaning department's carts. The man who +was loading the cart had just, put an ash can on the cart wheel as we +passed, and was getting ready to dump it. The old horse pricked up his +ears, gave a big snort, and started after us pell mell, scattering the +ashes right and left. He was an old fire-horse, sure enough. We turned +a corner, and I don't know whether they ever stopped him or not. A good +many of our horses go into the streetcleaning department when we get +through with them. We keep horses till they get pretty old, though, if +they are good ones. Old horses know the ropes so well that they are good +to have around, but, of course, we can't keep 'em always, and they lose +their snap after a while.” + +“That reminds me,” said Mr. Graham, “of the story of a horse that had +been in an English cavalry regiment and was sold in his old age and put +to the prosaic work of hauling a common cart. One day some cavalrymen +were exercising and were rather taken by surprise when a horse dragging +a cart laden with sand came among them and took his place in line as +though he belonged there. The carter who owned the horse came rushing +after him, and when the officer scolded him for what the animal had done +the poor man protested that he couldn't tell why he did it. The horse +started at the sound of the trumpet and his owner was unable to control +him. + +“Inquiry into the history of the horse showed that he had been for a +long time in the cavalry service, and the officers were so well pleased +with his performance that they bought him for a good price and relieved +him from dragging a cart for the future.” + +“There are many stories of the same sort,” continued Mr. Graham, “all +tending to show that the horse has an excellent memory. In one of the +books there is a funny anecdote of how a clergyman's wife was once +dragged around in her carriage by a horse that had belonged to an +artillery company. She had gone in her carriage to witness an artillery +parade, and when the company began its evolutions the horse could not +be restrained but joined in the exercise. Round and round he dragged the +lady in spite of her screams and also in spite of all that the driver +could do in his efforts to check the steed. It was not a graceful +performance for a clergyman's wife to be engaged in, and the animal was +sold and sent elsewhere very soon afterward.” + +“Yes,” said Captain Shea, “and there's the old chestnut of a story +about the war-horse that had been sold to a milkman and was used by his +daughter for carrying milk to customers. She had a can of milk hung at +each side of the saddle and used to go around in this way to serve out +the article where it was wanted. + +“The same thing happened as in the other cases. There was a troop of +cavalry getting ready for the parade, and as the trumpeter gave a +signal the milk-horse went in and took his place in the ranks; the girl +couldn't stop him and he didn't seem to mind the fact that he wasn't at +all equipped like the rest. The milk-cans were not exactly a part of a +cavalryman's outfit, but that wasn't any affair of the horse. He knew +the bugle-call and was obeying orders.” + +On the way home from the training school of the fire department +several other stories of the same sort were given, but as they were all +illustrative of what we have mentioned it is hardly necessary to repeat +them. It is proper to say that the memory of the youths was a great +deal freshened by what they heard, and they did their part in recalling +stories of equine intelligence. + +“While you are waiting for your horses, as I may not be able to find +suitable ones immediately,” said Mr. Graham, “you had better give your +attention to some of the books which tell about these animals.” + +“What books shall we get, father?” said Charley, when the foregoing +suggestion was made. + +“There are several excellent works about horses,” was the reply, “but I +will not give you a large number at the start. There is a large volume +called 'The Book of The Horse,' by Mr. Sidney, which I would advise you +to get, and there's 'Horse and Man,' by Rev. J. G. Wood, the author of +Wood's 'Natural History' and kindred works. 'The Book of The Horse' is a +companion to 'The Book of The Dog,' and tells a great deal you will wish +to know; it not only describes the different varieties of the horse but +gives directions for arranging their stalls, caring for them in health +and illness, training them for the saddle or to harness, and for nearly +everything belonging to the animal we are discussing. You'll find enough +in it to keep you busy for some time.” + +Mr. Graham wrote an order for his bookseller to deliver these books to +the boys, and as soon as they obtained the volumes they had no thought +of anything except to peruse the pages. What they learned in the course +of their reading we will ascertain in the next chapter. + +On their way home the youths met Mr. Webb, the gentleman who had given +them so much advice relative to the training of Rover and Dash. They +told him about their father's promise and he congratulated them on their +good fortune. + +As they were separating Mr. Webb told them he had just received a letter +from an old friend, George M. Elwood, of Rochester, New York, who was +like himself a great lover of dogs. “He tells me an interesting story +about a dog,” said Mr. Webb, “and I know you will enjoy it. Dogs and +horses go together,” he continued, “and this dog story will equal any +horse story that you are likely to hear.” + +So saying he drew a letter from his pocket and read the following +extract: + +“About the year 1840 my father, James L. Elwood, then living in +Rochester, N. Y., owned a very fine dog that enjoyed a considerable +degree of local celebrity. + +[Illustration: 8026] + +He rejoiced in the ambitious name of Bonaparte, being familiarly called +'Boney,' which latter name described him very nearly, for he was a +monster, standing over thirty inches high at the shoulder. In +markings and make-up he is said to have closely resembled Landseer's +'Distinguished Member of the Humane Society.' He was remarkable for +his intelligence as well as his unvarying good temper and was a prime +favorite with young and old in the then little city, especially among +children, toward whom he, in common with most members of his race, +exhibited great affection and devotion. + +“Among those who bear this noble animal in affectionate remembrance, +many stories are still told illustrating his unusual sagacity and +reasoning powers. The possession of this latter faculty by dogs is, I +know, doubted by many, who ascribe all evidence of it to 'instinct,' +whatever that may be besides reason, but that it does exist and +manifests itself by the same processes that it does in the human animal, +every true lover of a good dog religiously believes and mantains. + +“The following incident will serve to illustrate 'Boney's' thinking' +faculty, and I may say, parenthetically, that the facts herein given +are thoroughly vouched for by those who remember the circumstances +in detail. My father was, at that time, engaged in a banking office +located, on the Court-house Square. In those more honest times bank +robbery had not reached its present degree of refined skill, and it was +the habit of his associate and himself, on going to dinner at mid-day, +simply to turn the key in the safe, leaving the bank open, with no other +guard than 'Boney,' who remained on duty until their return. + +“One day, during this noon hour, two well known business men and +customers of the bank chanced to meet on the side-walk in front of the +office. They had some business transaction, in which one wished to pay +the other a considerable sum of money. It was proposed to step into the +bank, where, outside of the counter, was a table with, chairs for the +convenience of customers, and there complete the transaction, which was +accordingly done. While one of the gentlemen was engaged in writing a +receipt, the other produced a large package of bank bills and proceeded +to count out the required sum. 'Boney' got up from where he was lying, +and, knowing both of the gentlemen, came over to where they were +sitting, wagging his huge brush in friendly recognition and stood +watching their proceedings. When the first gentleman had finished +counting the bills, he pushed them across the table to the second, +saying 'There, I think you will find that right.' At that moment the dog +lifted his huge paw and laid it squarely on the pile of bills. There was +no demonstration of unfriendliness on his part, but a quiet air of +such firm determination that neither gentleman felt inclined to meddle +further with the money. In vain they coaxed and ordered him to 'Go lie +down, sir!' and there the three sat for nearly an hour. At the end of +that time, to the infinite relief of at least two of the trio, my father +came in, and as soon as he reached the table, 'Boney' took down his paw +as quietly as he had placed it there and went back to his accustomed +rug. The money was paid and receipt passed without any farther attention +on his part, and the gentlemen departed, their annoyance at the awkward +delay in their affairs entirely cancelled by their admiration for the +dog's sagacity. + +“Now I do not presume to infer that 'Boney' really knew the value of the +money, as such, but he did understand that it was a commodity which was +not allowed to change hands in that office except in the presence of +some duly authorized representative of the bank. I think any one, who +accepts the fact, will be prepared to believe that the dog recognized +his duty, as he understood it, to firmly insist that no money should +be transferred until the return of some duly accredited and responsible +party.” + +[Illustration: 0028] + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +_Pitting up the Stables--Loose Boxes and their Uses--Stable +Fittings--Light, Ventilation and Drainage--Cobweb and Major--How to +tell a Horse's Age--Do Horses understand Language?--Starting a balky +Horse--The Horse that knew the Doxology--Horses telling Time by +the Clock--Famous Horse Trainers: Rarey, Gleason, and Sullivan the +Whisperer--How Cruiser was Tamed--Horse-breaking in Texas--“Creasing” + Wild Horses._ + +Mr. Graham told his boys they might fit up the stable for their horses +in whatever way suited them best; he gave them this permission in the +confident belief that they would thereby be led to learn more about the +animals and their needs than if the stables were turned over to them +already fitted. The correctness of his judgment was shown by the +earnestness with which the youths proceeded to inform themselves on the +subject. + +“There's plenty of room in the stable,” said Charley, “and so we'll have +a 'loose box' for our horses in addition to the ordinary stalls. Mr. +Sidney says it is desirable to have one box for every two stalls and +therefore one box will be enough for us.” + +“How large shall the box be?” George asked. + +“Not less than twelve feet by fourteen if we have the space for it,” + was the reply, “but even a much smaller box is better than none at +all. Where space is limited one of the stalls may be made into a box by +putting a gate across the end of it. A space large enough for a horse to +turn around in, so Mr. Sidney says, is of great advantage sometimes to a +sick, or very tired horse, or to one that is obliged to be idle several +days at a time. When horses are in good health and steady use they +haven't much need of boxes, and as we propose to keep our horses healthy +and use them, too, one box will be enough for both of us.” + +Then came the question of ventilation, which did not require a long +debate. The youths were agreed at the start that horses as well as other +animals require plenty of light and air; Mr. Graham had been of the +same opinion before them, and had built his stable upon intelligent +principles. It was on a dry foundation, was well drained, no unsavory +gutters or sewers near it, and the windows were numerous and well +arranged. He had taken especial pains with the windows and his orders to +the grooms were very strict as to the proper ventilation of the stable. + +“Unless you watch the grooms closely,” said Mr. Graham to Charley, +“you'll very likely find them keeping the windows of the stable closed +when they should be open. Grooms like to heat their horses into a +condition of moisture in order to give their coats a silky appearance, +and their best way of doing this is to keep the windows closed and the +air foul. The colonel of an English regiment has said on this subject +that the horses of his command live in stables that are constantly open +to the air, and consequently are very rarely out of sorts; the same +gentleman has a pack of hunting horses at his country seat, and his +manager keeps them in stables that are close and hot. The hunters are +constantly sick and he attributes it to the bad air in which they are +confined.” + +“Some people use deodorisers about their stables,” the gentleman +continued, “but I have always found that when cleanliness and fresh +air are insisted upon no deodorisers are needed. With a stable properly +ventilated, well-paved, and kept at all times clean the horses will be +in good health and disinfectants may be thrown away.” + +Charley was exercised in mind as to the best form of feeding and +drinking arrangements for his horse, and pondered some time on the +subject. + +The result of his deliberation was that he chose a trough with a rack +at one side, the former for grain and the latter for hay. The tie, or +fastening, for the horse was a patent one so arranged that the slack of +the halter was taken up by a sliding weight inside. Mr. Graham had lost +a valuable horse some years before by the animal becoming entangled in +a long halter, and ever after that he had his stables provided with +fastenings that would render entanglement impossible. + +At the suggestion of the groom the headstall was provided with several +inches of chain next to the animal's head, so as to discourage any +possible inclination he might have to bite it. Some horses will use +their teeth on anything, and if they once succeed in gnawing off their +halters and getting loose it is not easy to break them of the habit. + +Various articles for use in the stable were procured and made ready by +the time the horses were bought. When the animals were sent home the +two boys could hardly stay out of the stable long enough to take their +meals, so anxious were they to see that proper attention was given to +their prizes. + +[Illustration: 0031] + +Charley's horse was a medium sized animal and was said to have come +from Kentucky. The first question of the youth was as to the age of the +creature, to which Mr. Graham replied that he must find out for himself. + +This was a subject that had not been investigated; it demanded immediate +study and away went Charley to his books again. In a few days he +considered himself competent to tell a horse's age, and his practice on +his own steed showed that he was not far out of the way. + +[Illustration: 0032] + +“But do you know, father that I'll have to violate a very old +injunction,” said Charley, as he proceeded to the study of the subject. + +“How so?” + +“You gave me the horse, did you not?” queried the youth. + +“Certainly,” replied Mr. Graham. + +“Well, then,” quoth the boy with a smile, “Isn't there an old adage that +says 'never look a gift horse in the mouth'?” + +“Yes,” the father answered, his face reflecting the smile of the son, +“but all rules have their exceptions, and we'll make one in the present +case.” + +We haven't space for all that Charley learned about the way in which the +age of horses is shown by their teeth. The novice who is buying a +horse should not rely upon himself in this matter, and it is not at all +probable that Mr. Graham would have allowed the youth to make a purchase +on the strength of his limited study of the subject. A great deal +of observation and practice are necessary and even then one may be +deceived. The best judges of horses have been defrauded by the tricks of +dealers, who can reduce the apparent age of an animal by careful filing +of the teeth. The general appearance of the creature, the smoothness of +his skin, the shape of the limbs and head, and many other things must be +taken into consideration as well as the condition of his teeth. + +Charley's horse was pronounced about four years old, while that +of George was not far from five. Both the animals were of gentle +disposition and the boys made friends with them at once. + +Charley decided that his horse should be called Cobweb, while George +thought that Major would be a good name for his steed. Accordingly +the animals were known as Cobweb and Major and very quickly knew their +names. In this respect a horse is very much like a dog and learns to +associate a word with himself when it is frequently repeated. + +“Do you think horses understand language?” George asked his brother one +day while they were exercising Cobweb and Major. + +“I'm quite sure they do,” was the reply. “I went to see some trained +horses that were being exhibited by a man named Bartholebeen a secret +sign given to the horse by the trainer, but we were positively assured +there was nothing of the kind. + +[Illustration: 0034] + +“That the horses all knew their names was very evident, for they stood +up in a row and each one walked out when his name was called, either by +the trainer or by persons in the audience. They were bright, intelligent +horses and perfectly docile; after the performance was over the audience +went among the horses and petted them and not one showed the least sign +of ill temper. On the contrary they seemed to appreciate the attention +they received and to be proud of it.” + +“I have noticed,” said George, “that the horses on the street cars +understand the meaning of the conductor's bell. When they are going mew. +The horses did a great many things just as he told them, and to make +sure there was no trickery about the matter he asked the audience to +give some of the orders.” + +“How was that?” + +“Why, when a horse was standing at the front of the stage the trainer +would ask the audience to tell the animal which way to make a circle, +whether to the right or left. The horse would hesitate a moment after +the order was given and then he turned in the when he was asked to. This +was done several times; perhaps there may have they stop at the sound of +the bell, and when they are standing they start up as soon as the bell +rings.” + +“I've observed that, too,” was the reply, “and the drivers say it only +takes a few days for a green horse to understand it. And a car horse +after a little experience learns just about how long a time should be +required for a passenger to enter or leave a car, and when the time is +exceeded he is apt to show impatience.” + +“Henry Johnson was telling me an amusing story the other day,” said +George, “about how a man started a balky horse on the street in New +York.” + +“How was that?” Charley asked. + +“Henry was going along Broadway,” said George, “and saw a crowd around +a handsome horse that was attached to an equally handsome carriage. One +man had him by the bit, another by the tail, a couple of men put their +shoulders against his ribs and heaved as hard as they could but the +animal was as immovable as a house. + +“When everybody was in despair, a stranger appeared, and stepping out of +the crowd said to the driver, “'I'll show you how to make that horse go.' + +“The driver retired, and the stranger took the horse confidently by +the mouth, opened it and looked into it, examined his teeth for a few +minutes, then seized the beast by the bridle, and to the astonishment +of the crowd, the horse started off at a good gait, drawing the carriage +after him with perfect ease. + +“The success of the stranger's method of persuading a balky horse to go +was so surprising that Henry asked the man how he did it. + +“'It's very simple,' said he. 'Of course you didn't see me, but I took a +chip of wood which I picked up from the sidewalk and placed it under +the horse's tongue. The presence of that bit of pine chip diverted the +horse's attention. He forgot all about being balky, and when I took hold +of the bridle he started off like any other horse. A horse can think of +only one thing at a time and you want to keep that fact in mind when you +are training him.'” + +“I heard a groom say the other day,” Charley remarked when George had +ended his story, “that you could often start a balky horse by pretending +to do something to the harness. Fasten and unfasten some of the straps, +be very busy about it for several minutes, then take the reins and give +the order to go on in an ordinary tone and quite likely the horse will +start off without hesitation. Gleason, the famous horse trainer, acts on +this principle when he is handling vicious horses; he puts a string in +the animal's mouth that incommodes him though it does not hurt him. +The horse concentrates his thoughts upon how he will get rid of the +incumbrance and hasn't any time to be ugly. And what's more, he follows +the trainer all round the ring and keeps him constantly in sight for +fear he'll go away without removing the string.” + +“Did you ever hear of a horse that knew the doxology?” George asked. + +“No!” replied his brother in a tone of surprise. “He must have belonged +to a clergyman.” + +“So he did,” was the ready answer. “He belonged to a preacher in the +country and had been driven by him for eighteen years. The preacher said +he had so often driven the horse to church and left him standing near +by, that the horse learned the doxology, and whenever it is sung he +begins to neigh, knowing that he is going home soon.” + +“I heard a gentleman say recently,” Charley responded, “that the school +horses in the riding academies in New York can tell the time by the +clock.” + +“Nonsense!” said George. “That's too much to believe.” + +“So I think,” was the reply, “and probably the gentleman didn't mean it +literally. He explained that the horses are used for an hour at a time +and they seem to know almost exactly when they have been in the ring +for that period. They go around perfectly docile and obedient to their +riders till just about as the hour is up, when they turn toward the +mounting block and intimate very plainly that they think it is time for +them to be relieved of duty and sent back to the stable. In the same +way when they are taken into Central Park they know all the turns of +the bridle path, and are very ready to take those that lead back to the +stable.” + +“You mentioned Gleason, the horse trainer, just now,” said George; “I +wonder how these famous trainers have such control over horses?” + +“I've been trying to find out,” was the reply, “but can't tell. Some +of them say it is no secret, while others make a great deal of mystery +about the matter. They teach others how to control horses, but it is +rarely the case that their pupils are able to accomplish anywhere near +as much as the masters. One of the most remarkable men in this line +of business was Rarey, an American, who became famous in Europe about +thirty years ago for subduing horses that had been quite unmanageable; +I was reading about him this morning and was particularly impressed with +one thing that he said.” + +“What was that?” queried his brother. + +“That you must never show either fear or anger in dealing with a horse. +He says you should always treat him kindly, speak to him in gentle +tones, let him regard you as a friend, pat him and call him endearing +names, and be perfectly familiar with him. But probably there was +something more than this in his method, as some of the horses that he +subdued were not of a character to be soothed by kind words when he +started in with them.” + +“Isn't he the man that conquered the English horse Cruiser?” George +asked. + +“Yes,” was the reply. “When Mr. Rarey went to England a good many people +thought he was playing a trick upon them, and somebody published a +suggestion that he should try his skill upon a famous horse called +Cruiser. Cruiser was so vicious that no one could approach him, and he +had not been touched with a curry-comb for months. He kicked the planks +of his stall to pieces and once he broke off an iron bar an inch in +diameter by pulling it with his teeth.” + +“How long did it take Mr. Rarey to conquer this ferocious animal?” + +“About three hours,” was the reply. “At the end of that time his owner, +Lord Dorchester, was able to mount Cruiser and ride him, a thing that +nobody had done for three years. The horse was perfectly gentle after +that and would follow his master like a dog. Mr. Rarey afterwards tamed +a zebra and rode him, and he did other things that a great many people +had believed impossible.” + +“How carious!” exclaimed George. + +[Illustration: 0038] + +“Yes, it was indeed,” replied Charley, “but other men have done very +much the same sort of thing. I've been reading about an Irishman named +James Sullivan, who was called the 'Whisperer' by the people of his +neighborhood, as they believed he was able to make the horses understand +what he wanted by whispering to them.” + +“What could he do?” + +“No matter how unruly the horse or mule that was put into his hands, he +was able to make it perfectly docile in half an hour. Exactly what he +did nobody knew, and the secret died with him. + +“He used to ask that the stable where they kept the horse on which he +was to operate should be shut, and he was to be left alone with the +animal until he gave the signal for opening the door. In about half an +hour he would give the signal and when the people entered they found +the horse lying down and the man and horse playing together in the +most friendly way imaginable. From that time on the horse was perfectly +docile, no matter how bad his temper had been before. Horses that had +refused to be shod and had resisted all the efforts of other trainers +became thoroughly obedient in the short time he was with them; they +obeyed others just as readily as they did the man who tamed them.” + +In the evening following the foregoing conversation, one of the boys +asked Mr. Graham about the different ways of breaking horses to saddle +or harness. + +“That is a branch of the horse business I don't think it desirable for +you to engage in,” was the reply, “but it is well for you to know about +it.” + +“Various methods are pursued by trainers,” he continued, “and a great +deal depends upon the character of the horse. Most of the horse-breakers +are coarse, rough fellows, and employ the harshest means for subduing +the animals they take into their charge. Some horses are readily tamed, +and if an animal is played with by children when a colt, and grows up +among them, it is generally the case that he can be ridden without the +least resistance. He should be accustomed to have a blanket folded over +his back when he is very young, then a saddle should be placed upon him, +and after a few days of this practice a very light person may mount the +saddle. Coaxing and caressing will do a great deal; it is said that the +Arabs do not have to 'break' their horses at all, for the simple reason +that the animals associate with the family and are accustomed to be +ridden by the children of their owners when they are the merest colts.” + +[Illustration: 0040] + +“Here's an account of how they break horses in Texas,” said Mr. Graham, +as he took up a newspaper, from which he proceeded to read as follows: + +“There are but a few men who make it a business to break horses, and who +possess sufficient skill and patience to conquer the fiery spirit of the +most vicious animal. These 'wild horse riders,' as they are called, in +addition to receiving the use of the horse while handling him, get fees +ranging from five dollars to twenty-five dollars. Fearless Frank, a +well-known Texas tamer, had been engaged to break a magnificent sorrel, +called Mad Ranger. Ranger was a spoiled horse. He had been caught +several times for the purpose of being saddled and bridled, but the +tamers had been unable to do anything with him. + +“The horse-lot was inclosed by massive logs and stout timbers, capable +of successfully resisting the most determined effort on the part of +the beasts to escape. Connected with the large enclosure were several +smaller ones, and into one of these Ranger was driven. Frank then took +from his saddle a coil of three-quarter-inch rope, forty feet long, +and a second coil about half as long, but much heavier, and an oilcloth +slicker. Thus equipped, he slipped into the inclosure and faced the +horse. Making a noose in one of the coils, he quickly threw it over +Ranger's head and fastened the other end to a post called the tug-post. +The animal commenced to rear and plunge, but at every plunge the slack +in the rope was taken up, and Ranger was soon alongside the post. Here +he was made secure with a Spanish knot, which his struggles only served +to tighten. + +“Seizing the old slicker, the trainer next hit the horse over the head +and neck, causing the animal to rear and kick. The horse was soon tired +out, and the blows that fell upon him scarcely caused him to wince. The +trainer next took his long rope and fastened it around Ranger's head in +such a manner that it served as a halter. The other end of the rope was +secured to the post. A rope was then placed around the animal's body in +such a manner that it would not slip, and another rope was fastened to +his hind foot. The rope attached to the foot was drawn through the one +around his body and the end taken by the trainer. + +“A couple of hard pulls brought the foot up to the stomach, and the +horse was compelled to stand on three legs, thus unable to kick or rear. +The trainer then patted the horse on the head and slipped the bridle on. +Then the saddle was put in the proper place, and the stirrups 'hobbled,' +to prevent any injury to the animal, should he fall. The rider then +seated himself in the saddle, the ropes were taken from the horse's feet +and body, the gate of the pen opened, and horse and rider dashed out on +the prairie. For fully an hour the infuriated animal reared, plunged +and jumped about, vainly endeavoring to throw his rider, but finally, +becoming exhausted, came to a standstill, and had to be urged even to +walk. It was then that the horse was broken.” + +“And now,” said Mr. Graham, after pausing a moment, “did you ever hear +of how they used to capture wild horses in Texas by 'creasing' them?” + +“I've read about it,” replied Charley, “but forget exactly how it was +done.” + +“Well,” responded Mr. Graham, “here's an account by a man who was once +in the business and knows all about it. Shall I read it?” + +Both the youths were anxious to hear about this manner of taking horses, +whereupon their father gave them the following in the words of Mr. Hill, +an experienced cattle raiser of Texas: + +“In the early days of the cattle business in Texas, from 1857 to 1860, +the ranges were overrun by bands of wild horses. These animals were a +great nuisance, as they would get mixed with our loose horses and +run them off when any one approached. As a rule, they were a rough, +ill-shaped set of beasts, and almost untamable, so that few attempts +were ever made to catch them, it being considered best to shoot them and +thus get rid of a disturbing influence in our horse herds. + +“Sometimes, however, a really fine animal would be seen and the +ranchmen would try hard to secure it. But the ordinary mode of +capture--lassoing--could seldom be used against wild horses, as these +beasts were very shy, and even a poor horse, carrying no weight, could +outstrip a very fine animal with a man on his back. + +[Illustration: 0043] + +“In this extremity the Texans used to resort to a means of capturing the +horses which is, I believe, exclusively American. It was discovered, I +do not know how, that a blow upon a particular sinew in a horse's neck, +located just above where the spine joins the skull, would paralyze the +animal temporarily without doing it any permanent injury. In those days +the Texans were nearly without exception fine shots, and at short range +could send a rifle ball with phenomenal accuracy. + +“The horses could not be approached on foot, and it was impossible +to catch them on horseback. But, not to be overcome by any such +difficulties, the cowboys discovered a way to capture them. Taking his +rifle, a hunter would crawl through the thick chaparral until within +fifty or sixty yards of the horse he desired to secure. Then, taking +careful aim, he would endeavor to send a bullet through the top of the +neck so as to strike the sinew. When this was properly done the horse +would fall as if struck by lightning and remain insensible for ten or +fifteen minutes, recovering completely in an hour or two, with no worse +injury than a slight wound in the back of the neck that soon healed. Of +course many bullets went astray and hundreds of horses were killed, but +a good marksman would secure about one horse in three that he attempted +to 'crease' as this mode of capture was called. + +“The weapon universally employed in creasing mustangs was the old +Hawkins rifle, which carried a bullet not much larger than a pea, had +a set trigger and required but a small charge of powder. Hundreds of +mustangs, always the best animals in the herd, used to be creased +every year, and this practice was kept up until the herds had entirely +disappeared. + +“Some of the horses thus secured were very tough and fleet animals, but +few were of any practical use. Nearly all were irreclaimably vicious, +even when judged from the Texas standpoint. Even when broken to the +saddle, they could only be ridden by the very best horsemen, and were +always on the lookout to do their riders an injury. Strange to say, they +seldom tried to kick, but a man had to be continually on the lookout for +their fore feet and teeth. They only used their hind feet when a man +was about to mount, but nearly every one of them had a trick of kicking +forward as soon as the rider put his foot in the stirrup, and unless he +was wary he would receive a terrible blow on the leg. I used to own a +horse that, I believe, could scratch himself between the ears with +his hind foot, his hind leg being apparently made of India rubber. The +instant he felt a foot in the stirrup his hind hoof would come forward +with the speed of lightning, in the attempt to inflict a most vicious +kick. I gave up mounting him in the usual way and always used to vault +into the saddle without touching the stirrups, a feat easily enough +performed in my younger days, although I would have some difficulty in +doing it now. I used to like to ride wild horses, but after one or two +narrow escapes from their deadly fore feet, which they would use if a +man carelessly stood in front of them, I gave it up and stuck to the +tame stock.” + +Other stories about horses consumed the evening, and at length the +boys said “Good-night” and went to bed, where they doubtless dreamed of +exciting experiences among the wild horses of Texas and other regions +where those animals abound. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +_How Miss Lake's Circus Horses were Restored--Music under +Disadvantages--A Lady's Adventure with an Intelligent Horse--The +Horse who got his Mate out of Trouble--Friendship of a Bull and a +Donkey--Intelligence of the Donkey--His Affection--Glen. Dix's Pet--How +Dr. Hammond's Mule saved his Life--Old Jennie--Uncle Jake's +dumb Critters--Cruelty of Blinders and Check-reins--Anecdote of +Macadam--Torture by Thoughtlessness--Cobweb and Major in Harness._ + +One of the stories told daring the evening was about the seizure of +some circus horses in Nashville, Tennessee, at the time of the American +civil war. Lake and North's Circus was performing there during the +winter of 1864, while the town was held by the Northern army and +threatened by the Confederates. + +“At 9 o'clock on the morning of the 6th of December the company was in +the practice ring, drilling for a new grand entry. They had nineteen +ring horses, including three black stallions, which Miss Lake, the +daughter of one of the proprietors, used to drive in a manège act, and +which she had trained herself on her father's Kentucky farm, and loved +as a Kentucky girl will love her horses. + +“The band had just finished the first bar when in stalked an officer of +the army, and called Lake aside. + +“'You have nineteen horses here, I see,' he said; 'one of them is lame; +we don't want him, but the others are confiscated. Rather a fine +lot. Suppose we say a hundred apiece for them.' Then he made out a +requisition on the Treasury for $1800--handed it to Lake, called in his +men, and in five minutes left the company with a show on its hands and +only one lame horse to do all the equestrian business. + +“Miss Lake cried and some of the men used hard language, but all the +same, for four days they gave a show twice a day with that one lame +horse. Then Miss Lake got desperate. She was a mere girl, and with +a girl's audacity she did a thing which an older person would have +considered the wildest folly. + +“'John,' she said to the clown, 'I'm going to General Wilson to get my +horses. I want them and they want me.' + +[Illustration: 0047] + +“Nothing that anybody could say would hold her back, and so away she +went to General Wilson's headquarters. She marched in on General Wilson +and asked for her horses back. She had a sweet and winning way, and when +she cried and told him how heartsick she was for her horses, and how +much she knew they missed her, the General let his feelings get the +better of his sense of duty, and gave her an order for every horse taken +from the circus. + +“One of Wilson's orderlies afterwards gave a reason for giving the +horses back, which, while it is not so romantic, may be partly true. The +horses were all trained for ring service and most of them were trained +to dance to the music, and to fall upon their knees and sides upon being +touched upon the haunches with a spur or the whip. The whole bunch was +turned over to a military band as their mounts, and the orderly said +that during the four days that the band was mounted on those beasts +there was not an hour when one of them was not dancing around so that he +could not keep time, or else horse and man--sometimes three or four +of them--were rolling on the ground together, the musicians having +unwittingly given the horse his lying-down cue.” + +The boys laughed heartily over this anecdote, and then Charley told a +story he had read somewhere about a horse which belonged to a lady who +used to ride him in the hunting field. She had had him for three or +four years and was constantly petting him and giving him sugar and +other dainties. There was a great friendship between them and the horse +manifested his affection for his mistress in many ways. + +One day while jumping a hedge, horse and rider fell into a ditch; the +lady was quite under the horse, her head being between and slightly in +front of his fore legs, but there was only a little of his weight that +rested on her. + +[Illustration: 0051] + +Several men came to her assistance, and at first it was thought that +the only way of rescuing her would be by digging her out. It was finally +decided to move the horse forward and then lift him up, but there was +great fear that in his efforts to rise he would trample on the lady and +seriously, if not fatally, injure her. She was able to speak with the +men, and told them she was confident the horse would carefully avoid +harming her. Her confidence was justified by the result, as he managed +to get on his feet without giving her the least scratch, beyond a slight +mark on her face, which was made by the first movement of his knees and +could not be avoided. + +Then George told about two horses belonging to Mr. Allen of Minnesota, +that were greatly attached to each other. One day Mr. Allen tied them +with strong ropes, about fifty yards apart, where they could eat the +grass close to the shore of the little lake. Then he went to a house a +little distance away and lay down to take a nap. He hadn't been there +long before he heard the sound of a horse's footsteps, and a moment +afterward one of his favorites put his head into the door. + +The animal gave a slight neigh and then started back towards the lake. +Mr. Allen was greatly surprised to find that the horse had broken loose +from his fastenings, and also that he had left his mate; surmising that +something was wrong, he immediately followed to the edge of the +lake, where he found the other horse lying in the water with his feet +entangled in the rope, and devoting all his efforts to keep his head +above the surface. Mr. Allen at once proceeded to extricate him from his +trouble, and as he did so the other horse manifested his joy in every +way he could. + +“Three things that mark the intelligence of the horse are shown by this +incident,” remarked Mr. Graham. “In the first place, he had the sense to +understand that his mate was in serious trouble; secondly, he knew his +master could relieve him; and thirdly, he realized that he must exert +all his strength to break his own rope, a thing he had never done before +and never tried to do afterwards.” + +Next Charley read a little incident which he said was written by Charles +L. Edwards for the _American Naturalist_. It was in these words: + +“While riding along a country road in the environs of Cincinnati, Ohio, +about the first of last October, I noticed a remarkable and very amusing +display of animal intelligence. In a field beneath some trees, at the +bottom of a very high hill, stood facing each other a donkey and a young +bull. The bull was standing very patiently, slightly nodding his head +up and down, while the donkey, with a rather heavy stick about two feet +long in his mouth, was scratching his companion's forehead. Once the +donkey dropped his instrument, but, without hesitation, lowered his +head, picked up the club again with his teeth, and continued scratching +very gravely, to the evident satisfaction of the bull. We often see two +cows 'rubbing horns,' and whether this was a return for a similar favor +from the bull or not, the donkey very clearly realized his poverty in +the matter of horns and happily supplied the deficiency.” + +“Folks call the donkey stupid,” said George, “but certainly that one +showed a great deal of intelligence. Is the donkey really as stupid as +he is said to be?” + +[Illustration: 0051] + +“He is not,” answered Mr. Graham, “and there are plenty of anecdotes +to show his intelligence. He has been known to open a gate by carefully +lifting the latch, and after returning to the yard, he would shut +the gate, so that any trespass of which he had been guilty during his +absence would not be laid to his charge. + +[Illustration: 8052] + +A donkey will follow a kind master or mistress just like a dog, and he +fully equals the horse in showing his appreciation of kind treatment.” + +Gen. John A. Dix owned a donkey that lived to the age of forty-two +years, and endeared himself to his master and the members of the family +by his docility and almost human intelligence. + +[Illustration: 9052] + +The little creature was, after the death of the general, domiciled +at the family country seat, West Hampton, Long Island, where almost +luxurious accommodations were provided for his comfort; but old age, and +the absence of those who, in days gone by, patted his shaggy coat, and +the sound of whose voices he would recognize and greet, no doubt tended +to hasten physical ailments, which necessitated the request that an +officer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals should +put an end to the suffering of an endeared and most affectionate animal +who, although he outlived his master and mistress, at last succumbed to +the inevitable. He was buried near where the waves of Long Island Sound +wash the sandy shore of West Hampton, and a mound of green sod marks the +spot where lies the body of the humble friend of the honored soldier, +who issued the famous patriotic mandate: “If any one attempts to haul +down the American flag, shoot him on the spot.” + +“Does the mule equal the horse or donkey in intelligence?” George asked. + +[Illustration: 0053] + +“It is generally conceded that he does not,” was the reply, “but he is +far from being the stupid animal that many people suppose. He has a +keen nose, and can often scent danger of which his rider or driver is +ignorant. He has a great dread of an Indian, and it is a common saying +in the Far West that a mule will always give warning when Indians are +about. On this subject Dr. William A. Hammond tells a good story: + +“One day, while the Doctor was stationed at Fort Webster, in what is now +Arizona, he started down the canyon on a very fine large mule. The beast +suddenly stopped abruptly and would not budge a step. Spurs were used +to no purpose. There he stood as firm as a rock. Dr. Hammond pulled +him around and galloped back to the fort. The next morning it was +ascertained that at a point scarcely a hundred yards in advance of where +the mule gained his victory some Apache Indians had ambushed the road; +and, but for the brute's keen nose, and ears, and in resisting an +obstinate man, short work would have been made of mule and rider. + +“Mules live to a great age when they are properly cared for,” continued +Mr. Graham. “Until quite recently there was a mule named Jennie on +Blackwell's Island, that had been there forty years, and she was +supposed to be nearly twenty years old when she became a public charge. + +“Jennie has an interesting history. About forty years ago her owner had +a mild attack of lunacy and was consigned to the insane asylum. He had +traveled across the continent from San Francisco with Jennie it was +said, and became so attached to the beast that he could not be persuaded +to part with her, and the two were carried to Ward's Island together. +The mule and the lunatic were about the same age then, and were devoted +friends. In all kinds of weather they roamed about the asylum grounds +together. One day Jennie was taken across to Harlem to be shod. The boat +was moored and the animal tied to a tree by the bank, while the keeper +went off to find the blacksmith. When he came back for the mule she +was no longer in sight. The broken halter was lying on the ground, and +Jennie was found that afternoon, still wet from her swim, with her old +friend on the island. At length the lunatic died, and Jennie fell into +the hands of the Board of Governors, and was set to work on Randall's +Island. She dragged brick carts and lawn rollers for awhile, her size +and age-unfitting her for heavier work, and was used for distributing +bread in the morning among the various buildings. She was saddled, too, +sometimes, and ridden by the children and their nurses. + +“Twenty-five years ago the keeper of the stables asked permission to +kill her as an incumbrance. Isaac Bell was then one of the Charities +Commissioners, and through his influence and interest in the matter, +an order was issued declaring that Jennie should be retired from active +service and live in the comparative luxury of the island's stables and +grass plots as long as she pleased. The mule was moved once more, this +time to Blackwell's Island, and took her quarters in the stone stable +at the south end of the almshouse grounds. Keepers and inmates have been +changing ever since, but in all the twenty-five years the venerable mule +has seemed to grow scarcely a day older. She still draws light loads +when the keepers harness her for exercise, and the Irishman in a striped +jacket who is her involuntary groom stands in as great awe of her hind +legs as ever. With the rest, however, she is good humored and docile, +and has long been caressed as a pet. + +[Illustration: 0055] + +“And let me say,” continued Mr. Graham, “that if you ever own a mule, +don't disfigure him and make him unhappy by clipping his mane and tail. +Nature has not made him as beautiful as the horse, but, in the language +of one of his friends, 'she has endowed him with those gifts useful +to his race, and among those are a good mane and tail; if not as an +adornment, yet as a protection against his enemies, the tormenting, +biting flies. To shear these does not add to his good looks; on the +contrary it makes him appear more unsightly. He is not to blame +for large head and long ears; why then should these be made more +disproportionate by clipping the mane? and why should the tail be +reduced to a mere pendant tuft, when both are needed to protect the +poor, overworked creature from his winged enemies? It is to be hoped +that mule-owners will learn to consider this custom as senseless, as a +sin against the comfort and protection of this good servant, and treat +the despised mule with more humane consideration.'” + +“I found some verses to-day,” said Charley, “that I liked very much. +They were in a paper called _Our Dumb Animals_, and illustrate the +advantages of kindness to the creatures that cannot speak to tell their +wants. Shall I read them?” + +“Certainly,” said Mr. Graham: “Read them, and let your playmates read +them, too.” + +Thereupon Charley slowly read the following: + + +“UNCLE JAKE'S DUMB CRITTERS.” + + + “I don't know much of languages, such as the scholars tell. + + But the language of dumb critters I understand quite well. + + And I think, sir--yes, I think, sir--that their voices reach the sky. + + And that their Maker understands the pleading of their eye. + + + And I shouldn't be surprised, sir, if at the judgment day, + + Some cruel, heartless human folks should be as dumb as they. + + My house is not so elegant as many are, I know; + + But my cattle are all sheltered from the wintry winds and snow. + + And they are not kept on rations that leave nothing but the frame. + + Or in the spring returning to 'the dust from whence they came.' + + + Ah! God hath wisely ordered, sir, that in a money way, + + Starving, abusing, critters are the things that will not pay. + + If any of my flock are sick or hurt in any way, + + I see that they are cared for, sir, by night as well as day. + + My letter's on their wool, sir--'tis all the brand I know; + + My lambs--they are not tailless, for God didn't make them so. + + + Some say sheep don't need water, but I tell you it's a lie! + + They're almost frantic for it, sir, the same as you or I. + + My horses--you have seen them, sir, they are just what they seem; + + And, if I do say it myself, they are a splendid team. + + They wear no foolish blinders, and from check reins they are free; + + And they never had a hurt, sir, that had been caused by me. + + The way they do my bidding now.'tis really a surprise! + + They know my very step, sir, and thank me with their eyes. + + + My pig pen, over yonder, I'd like, sir, to Lave shown; + + My hogs--they never are the 'breed' that is but skin and bone; + + I know, sir, that to fatten them they need both food and drink, + + A shelter and a bed, sir, will help it on I think. + + I have a yard on purpose, they can root whene'er they choose-- + + It seems to me like cruelty, so rings I never use. + + + There's one thing more I want to show, 'tis Hannah's hen-house, here-- + + Our poultry always pays us well, and just now eggs are dear-- + + 'Tis warm and clean and bright, you see, with gravel on the ground; + + There's food and water standing here each day the whole year round. + + But maybe I have tired you, sir--forgive an old man's pride; + + But somehow I love dumb critters, and I want their needs supplied.” + + +“There's one thing in those verses I want to ask about,” said George, +when his brother paused. “Uncle Jake says his horses 'wear no foolish +blinders, and from check-reins they are free.' Now I want to ask why +horses are made to wear blinders in harness, when they don't wear them +while under the saddle! I know that the carriage horses in our stables +don't wear blinders, but I never thought to ask why.” + +“It's because I've given strict orders that none of my horses shall wear +them,” Mr. Graham answered. “And my reasons for so ordering I will give +in the words of Dr. Humphreys, who has studied the subject and long ago +converted me to his way of thinking. Dr. Humphreys says it is charitable +to suppose that intelligent people are not designedly cruel. In most +cases they are so, more from thoughtlessness than design! Nay, they are +often quite astonished to learn--when their attention is called to the +subject--that they have long been inflicting some cruelty unwittingly +upon some of their dumb servants. This is a busy world, and we live in a +very busy part of it, and we may, perhaps, be excused for not looking at +every step lest some luckless worm be trod upon. + +“'The custom of having wagon or carriage horses _wear blinders_,' says +Dr. Humphrey, 'originated at a period when horses were supposed to be +thoroughly vicious and ill-trained, ready to run upon the slightest +provocation; to take fright from seeing any passing object,--looking +back in anxious dread of the whip--all of which supposes a condition of +things now pretty well passed away. Horses are better bred and better +trained. The Arab proverb well says: 'The pure blood horse has no vice.' +He only wants to know what is required of him and he will do it if +within his power. A driver who is_ fit_ to drive a horse _rarely or +never strikes with his whip_. A mere motion of the rein or whip is all +the horse requires, and all that most horses will submit to. The bad +temper and the bad tricks of horses, are made so, nineteen times in +twenty, by the causeless brutality of driver or trainer. + +[Illustration: 0058] + +“The use of the horse's eye is important. He should see what is before +him, and on each side of him, and the ground on which he treads. Objects +on either side of him do not frighten him _if he sees them_. It is the +sudden appearance of unaccustomed objects that frighten nervous horses. +The blinders contribute to this, and so far from being a preventive are +a provocative of fright. Give the horse the use of his eye, and let him +see the object, and he is rarely or never frightened. A shying horse is +a horse who does not see clearly. If blinders were necessary to prevent +horses from being frightened, why not use them on saddle horses; and +the fact that they are never so used, disposes of the whole argument in +their favor. + +“The horse needs his eyes to see the ground upon which he steps. We may +not think so, but all animals are even more careful than men where they +tread. A horse running over a human body will not step upon it if he has +his eyes. But with the eyes half covered with blinders, he may do so, a +consideration of no small importance in a crowded city. + +“Has it ever occurred to ask ourselves what right we have to deprive +horses of the use of their eyes. They minister to our convenience and +pleasure, and we give them their food and care. Nay, we may even render +them serviceable. But we have no right to deprive them of the light of +day or the joy of beholding surrounding objects. To assume that they +do not prize or care for it argues but slight acquaintance with their +nature. + +“Again, the non-use of an organ tends to destroy it. Fortunately the +mass of our horses are not born of those whose eyes are habitually +blinded, or we should, ere long, come to a race of no-eyed horses. But +even now the blinding has not been without its curse. The eye of the +horse is not so fine as that of the ox, the deer, or the gazelle, to say +nothing of the increasing frequency of weak eyes--defective vision and +blindness. + +“And all this comes of heedlessness. We do it because we are accustomed +to it. We don't think of the pleasure of which we are depriving our mute +friends. We don't think how much better the horses would look with +the use of their eyes, or of how much light the eye would add to the +picture. + +“The harness maker doesn't think of it. His business is to make as much +of the harness as possible. To him 'there is nothing like leather.' +The coachman doesn't think of it. So long as his position on the box is +secure, he is satisfied. + +“Occasionally a sensible man--and very often he's a poor man--is seen +driving his horse or team without taking from them the use of their +eyes--and how other horses or teams must envy those fortunate ones. But +the great mass with huge blinders drawn tight over their eyes, blunder +on in the dark, their drivers and owners utterly unconscious of the +wrong they are doing or the misery they are unconsciously inflicting. + +[Illustration: 0060] + +“And in the same spirit of thoughtlessness,” continued Mr. Graham, +“the check-rein, or bearing-rein, as the English call it, is used upon +horses. There ought to be a law making it an offence punishable by a +heavy penalty, to fasten a horse's head high in the air, as we see the +heads of many carriage-horses fastened. Mr. Bergh, the founder of the +Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, has done much toward +breaking up the abuse, but it still continues, in spite of his efforts. +Many articles on the subject have appeared in the Society's paper _Our +Animal Friends._ Here is one of them, it is entitled: “the check-rein.” + +“'Under the mistaken idea that this device in some way adds to the +beauty of the horse, this poor, patient, helpless servant is submitted +to the most cruel and prolonged torture. The horse is one of the most +beautiful animals, because of his fine proportions and graceful curving +outlines. His beauty can be enhanced only by good feeding, care and +grooming. Clumsy, heavy, ill-fitting harness, trappings which conceal +his body from view, and all devices which cause him to assume unnatural +and constrained positions, always tend to mar his good appearance. +Notice how his beauty is spoiled at once by destroying the graceful +curves of his natural position, and introducing the straight lines and +angles incident to the use of the overcheck. The grandeur and nobility +of the animal's appearance are sadly marred by putting him into this +foolish position, with his eyes gazing upward into the sky, his nose +sticking straight out before him, and his straining and craning so +ungracefully and uncomfortably. If any driver, or any one else, thinks +it is not cruel to fasten a horse's head in such a position, let him try +it himself. Put a man into this terrible, unnatural position, with the +hot sun blazing into his eyes, unable to watch his steps, give him a +burden to draw or carry, whip him into a smart run over the rough roads +and streets, and he will soon understand why a horse with an overcheck +is continually restlessly tossing his head and turning it from side +to side in his vain effort to get relief from his excruciating misery. +Stand up, throw the head back, and look steadily at the ceiling for five +minutes, and without any bit to chafe the torn and bleeding mouth, you +will get a vivid and lasting impression of what torture is. A horse +allowed to hold his head in a natural position makes a beautiful and +pleasant picture, while one tortured and disfigured by a strap extending +over the head, is an exhibition causing discomfort to the beholder, +and awakening his kindest sympathies and arousing his indignation. The +overcheck contrivance was originated by a horse-jockey, whose horse, +when rapidly driven, made a whistling noise in breathing. How any +gentleman or lady of intelligence can consent to ride behind a horse +which is being tortured with such a silly contrivance of cruelty it is +difficult to imagine.' + +[Illustration: 0062] + +“In England,” continued Mr. Graham, “one of the most indefatigable +workers for the abolition of the bearing-rein, is Mr. Edward Ford-ham +Flower, who has published a book on the subject. In this book he says: + +“'It is a severe penance to any man who loves a horse to walk along the +fashionable streets or the park, and to witness the sufferings of horses +from this absurd and cruel practice. Little does the benevolent dowager +who sits absorbed in the pages of the last tract of the 'Society for +Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,' know of the sufferings of the two +noble animals by whom she is leisurely drawn along the 'Lady's Mile.' +She probably fancies that the high prancing step, and the toss of the +head which scatters flakes of foam at every step, are expressions of +pride and satisfaction at their task, when in fact they are occasioned +by pain, and a vain attempt to obtain a momentary relief from their +suffering. Let any one watch the horses in the park, or standing as +they do for hours at the theaters, shops, etc., with foaming mouths, and +tongues swollen and hanging out, trying to get a little ease to their +poor heads and necks, by tossing them up, putting them sideways, or in +any possible position, vainly appealing to their unheeding or ignorant +masters, or coachmen, to slacken, if only for a few minutes, the +torturing rein, and then say if we can call ourselves a humane people! + +“'It must be a source of grief to see the number of animals in carriages +to whom this bearing-rein is applied.. The first thing is, whatever may +be the form of the neck of the horse, to bring him, so to speak, into +the same line, and the bearing-rein is introduced in order to bring his +head into the required position. He is then attached to a carriage, and +what is the next step? Perhaps the carriage is ordered to the door a +couple of hours before it suits the convenience of the riders to enter +it, and they let the horse stand there exposed to the heat of the sun +and the biting of the flies; and there is the wretched animal with his +head stuck up in the air, unable to drive away a fly. The bewigged brute +and idiot of a coachman, of course, thinks it a very fine thing to sit +behind these poor animals with their stuck-up heads; but his master +ought to know better.'” + +Mr. Graham said that any person who doubted the ability of a horse to +pull more with his head free, than when it is held by a check-rein, +could easily convince himself by making a trial with a team. He then +told a story about the Scotchman Macadam, who invented the road bearing +his name. On one occasion Macadam was on the outside of a coach, +traveling on one of his own roads, when the horses stopped, halfway up a +hill. Macadam was taunted with the failure of his system, for there were +those who disbelieved in his plan, or were jealous of the reward granted +to him by the Government. Macadam quietly got off the coach, went to the +horses' heads, and loosed the four bearing-reins. The horses stretched +their necks, put their shoulders to the collar, and easily reached +the top of the hill. He thus vindicated the success of his system, and +taught his fellow passengers and the coachman a lesson of humanity and +common-sense. + +Mr. Graham added that Barclay and Perkins, the great brewers of London, +who own hundreds of horses, have forbidden the use of blinders or +binding reins on any of their animals. + +The following, under the title “A True Horse Story,” is taken from a +recent number of _Our Animal Friends_: + +“On Madison Avenue one day I paused to pat the nose of a beautiful +horse which stood by the curb, and commiserate his misfortune, for this +beautiful animal, though sleek of coat and shapely in body and limb, was +apparently suffering most excruciating torture. His head had been +checked inhumanely high, and the cruel bit, drawing tightly in his +mouth, disfigured an animal face of unusual charm and intelligence. I +was just fancying that the horse had begun to understand and appreciate +my words of sympathy, when the lady who sat in the carriage holding the +reins fumbled in her pocket, produced a lump of white sugar, and asked +me to give it to the horse. + +[Illustration: 0066] + +“'He is very fond of sugar,' she explained, 'and I have quite won his +heart by feeding it to him. I always carry sugar in my pocket while out +driving, and give him a lump at every opportunity. I never knew a horse +to be so fond of sugar. Will you please give him another lump?' + +“'Certainly,' I replied; 'I see that you are quite as fond of the horse +as he is of sweets.' + +“'Yes, I think everything of him.' + +“'Then why do you torture him?' + +“'Torture my Prince?' + +“'Yes, that is just what you are doing. Do you know that the poor animal +suffers agony because his head is checked so unnaturally high? His neck +is drawn out straight, producing a most ungraceful angle, he holds +his head awkwardly, the bit is hurting his mouth, and that graceful +curvature of neck and carriage of head which are in his nature are now +entirely lost. Why do you check him so high?' + +“She didn't know. She was not aware that high checking was a source +of pain to horses, nor that it destroyed their natural beauty. She was +amazed at the discovery. + +“'May I trouble you to unloosen his check?' she asked. + +“When the strap was unsnapped, the horse immediately lowered his head, +straightened the cramps out of his handsome neck, shook himself to make +sure that he had actually been released from bondage, and they looked +around with such a grateful, delighted expression in his intelligent +eyes that his mistress declared no more checking straps should be used +upon him.” + +Cobweb and Major had both been broken to harness, as well as to the +saddle, and some days after the conversation recorded in this chapter, +Charley tried Cobweb in a dog-cart which his father had given him. +Check-reins and blinders formed no part of the pretty creature's +harness, and he seemed to appreciate his freedom from those abominations +of modern custom. Major was tried in the afternoon of the same day, +and his performance fully justified the faith that the boys had in the +reformed system of driving. Not only did George and Charley declare that +they would never use blinders or check-reins on their horses, but they +chorussed the evils of the old practice to their young friends, several +of whom were induced to follow their example. And of all those who did +so, not one returned to the cruelties he had so unthinkingly practiced, +simply because it was the fashion. + +[Illustration: 0069] + +How horses can be cured of their maladies by kind and proper treatment, +is told in the following extract from the life of Sir Astley Cooper. His +coachman was instructed to attend every market-morning at Smithfield, +and purchase all the lame young horses which he thought might possibly +be convertible into carriage or saddle horses, should they recover from +their defects. He was never to give more than £7 ($35.00) for a horse, +but £5 ($25.00) was the average price. In this manner thirty or forty +horses were sometimes collected at Gaelis-bridge, his farm. Once a week +the blacksmith came up from the village, and the horses were brought to +him for inspection. Having discovered the cause of their lameness, he +proceeded to perform whatever seemed to him necessary for the cure. +The improvement produced in a short time by good feeding and medical +attendance, appeared truly wonderful. Horses which were at first with +difficulty driven to pasture, because of their lameness, were now with +as much difficulty restrained from running away. Even one fortnight at +Gaelisbridge would frequently produce such an alteration in some of them +that it required no unskillful eye in the former owner to recognize +the animal which he had sold. Fifty guineas were paid for one of these +animals, which turned out a very good bargain, and Sir Astley's carriage +was for years drawn by a pair of horses which, together, cost him only +£12 10s. + +[Illustration: 0070] + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +_Horses that need Check-Reins and Blinders--Proper Mode of applying +Them--Uses of Whips and Spurs--How to Train a Horse to Follow +You--A Horse in a Parlor--The Horse that Wouldn't be Called a +Blackguard--Intelligence of London Bus Horses--How Horses express +their Gratitude--Henry Bergli and the Society for Preventing Cruelty +to Animals--A Summary of the Society's Work--What it has +Accomplished--Friendships of Dogs and Horses--How the Horse lifted his +Friend the Cat--Locomotive and Colt Racing--Believers in a Future Life +for Animals--A Horse Saved his Master's Life--Tatters and What he Did._ + +When our young friends reported to their father the result of their +experiments at driving their horses without check-reins he was +greatly pleased to know they had followed his advice and found it so +satisfactory. + +[Illustration: 9071] + +They further told him that their neighbors had said it was not safe to +give up check-reins altogether on all kinds of horses, and asked if such +was the case. + +“That is quite true,” Mr. Graham answered, “and I'm glad the subject +was mentioned. There are some horses that it would be dangerous to drive +without some kind of a check-rein; very fresh, unruly or vicious horses +require something to prevent their getting their heads down and running +away, but the rein should always be so loose that when a horse has his +head in proper position the snaffle-bit will hang down from the corners +of the mouth instead of being drawn up into the cheeks. + +“Mr. Sidney says,” continued Mr. Graham, “that the object of a +check-rein should be to divide the weight with the driver's hands so +that when the horse drops his head below a certain point the weight +of his mouth will come on the check-rein instead of upon the driver's +hands. It also prevents horses, when standing still, from rubbing their +heads against each other or against the pole where the bit is liable to +be caught and cause an accident. Properly fitted, the check-rein does no +harm and may be the means of preventing runaways, but unless it is slack +when the horse has his head in a natural position it is not properly +fitted. If a horse naturally carries his head down, like a pig, he is +not suited for a carriage anyway, and should be employed solely as a +working horse.” + +[Illustration: 0072] + +“Thank you, sir,” said Charley, “and Mr. Webb also said that there are +horses which cannot be driven safely without blinders.” + +“Undoubtedly he is right,” was the reply, “but of all the horses now +driven with blinders, nineteen out of twenty would be just as safe +without them. A great deal depends on the training and early treatment +of a horse; if he is broken without blinders he is very unlikely ever +to need them, as he will be accustomed to the noise and sight of the +carriage behind him and to what is going on around him. Some nervous +horses are always looking back, and whenever the driver makes the +least move they are apt to jump or become restive. Such horses may need +blinders, but they should be put on in such a way as to allow a good +range of vision in front. Several gentlemen have equipped their horses +with narrow blinders, or more properly screens, that stand straight out +from the side of the animal's head; he thus has a view in front and on +both sides of him, but cannot seethe carriage and its occupant. Year by +year the disuse of blinders increases, and we may hope for the day when +they will be practically given up. Nobody thinks of putting them on +saddle horses, and they are very rarely, if ever, used on trotting +horses in harness. If not needed on race-trotters, why should they be +placed on any other horse in harness?” + +The subject of check-reins and blinders having been disposed of, +Charley's next question referred to the use of the whip in riding or +driving, and the spur in riding. + +“For most purposes,” said Mr. Graham, “the whip should be more an +article of ornament than of use. It should never be applied in anger, +and in most applications it should be simply as a reminder. I have known +horses that were quite lazy, and refused to move above a very slow pace, +when their riders or drivers had no whips or spurs, but a single touch +of either, at starting, rendered further use unnecessary. A lady's +saddle horse requires a slight touch of the whip as an indication to +take certain steps or to change from one pace to another. The best +horsemen do not ride without spurs, but they very rarely use them, and +then only for some real reason. + +[Illustration: 8074] + +There is no need for the spurs to be sharp; in fact they had better be +blunt, as the chances of injuring the horse are thus diminished.” + +George asked how he could teach Major to follow him when he got off to +walk a short distance, as frequently happens. + +“For instruction on that point,” said Mr. Graham, “I will refer you to +Mr. Rarey's book, where very clear instructions are to be found. They +are copied on page 298 of 'The Book of the Horse.'” + +George hunted up the paragraph and read as follows: + +“Provide yourself with a gig-whip and three or four carrots cut +in slices. Lead the horse out in either a halter or a common +watering-bridle. A closed barn or riding school is the best place for +all instruction, because there is then nothing to distract the horse's +attention, but a quiet lane will do as well. Begin by fondling your +horse, talking to him in horse-language, and giving him one or two bits +of carrot, for which, if he has not been fed recently, he will be eager, +and begin to push his nose into your hand for more. Then commence by +leading him forward and backward with one hand, holding the gig-whip +trailing behind you with the other, calling to him by name, if he has +one, all the time, as thus:--Come--come along, come along, old +fellow, touching him up gently or sharply, as the case may be, on his +hindquarters, with the point of the gig-lash to drive him forward, and +fondling or rewarding him as he comes to your hand. He will soon learn +to press forward to avoid the flick of the whip behind, and to come to +your shoulder to be caressed and rewarded. Instead of flying from you, +he will learn to seek safety by your side, and follow you anywhere.” + +“The whip has something to do with the instruction,” George remarked, as +he read the foregoing paragraph to Charley. + +“Yes,” said the latter, “but you see there are more carrots and caresses +than whips. Here's something about the use, or rather the misuse, of the +whip which I have just found in _Our Animal Friends._ The writer appears +to know what he wants to say.” + +“The whip is the parent of stubbornness in a high-spirited animal, while +gentleness will win obedience, and at the same time attach the animal to +us. It is the easiest thing imaginable to win the affection of animals, +and especially horses. An apple, a potato, or a few lumps of sugar, +given from the hand now and then, will cause the horse to prick up his +ears at the sound of his owner's footstep, not with fear, but with a +low whinnying note of pleasure. The confidence of the noblest beast thus +gained, will lead him to obey the slightest intelligent tone of voice or +indication of the bit. There is no such thing as balkiness to be found +in a horse thus treated; he shows a desire to obey, whereas a few lashes +of the whip, smartly applied, if he be a horse worth having, will arouse +in him a spirit of retaliation and stubbornness that may cost the owner +hours of trouble, and possibly danger, to life and limb. Horses are +made gentle by kindness. They believe in the 'master' they love, and +his voice will calm them in a moment of fear, or induce them to struggle +forward, even when overladen, and when a whip would be sure to bring +them to a stubborn standstill. + +“No man knows the true value of his horse until he has won his regard +and confidence, as it were. The whip will never know this. A kind hand +and gentle voice will act like magic. Thus we have known women who could +handle and drive horses that would almost invariably show vicious traits +in the hands of a male driver.” + +“And here's a good story,” said George, “which is copied from the +_Cornhill Magazine_: + +“'All horses have their fancies, and know perfectly well whom they have +to deal with. I am just now exercised with Whitefeet. One day I found +her in the drawing-room. To reach it she had walked into the house by +the front entrance, and after traveling a corridor some forty feet long, +had passed through three door-ways. There she was, examining furniture, +smelling knick-knacks, and looking out of the window. I expected a +scene, since she was as good as wild, having never been made acquainted +with saddle, bridle or shoe. Yet she behaved like a young lady, not +only daintily walking about among chairs and tables without damage, but +exhibiting solitary self-consciousness, especially when she came to look +at herself in the mirror. This she did with much interest, getting +first one side of her face and then the other into the most appreciable +position. It seemed to me that she smiled. When she had gazed her fill I +said. 'Now come out, my dear.' Then she put her warm, velvety nose into +the hollow of my uplifted hand and followed me, as I walked backward +like a courtier into the paddock. And yet a professional breaker had +found her hard to manage. She was evidently too refined for him, and +resented his coarse manners. Horses show deliberate resentment. Years +ago we had two piebalds, Marquis and Tag. I have a portrait, but knew +them not, as they lived before I was born. You might--it was so related +to me when a boy by my elders--call Tag anything but a 'blackguard.' +Tradition says that an incredulous guest, having been told this, one +evening after dinner, went up by himself to Tag, before breakfast the +next morning, and quietly said: 'Tag, you are a blackguard.' He was +thankful to get into the house with only half his coat torn off his +back. Tag flew at him, open-mouthed, at once.'” + +“The intelligence of horses in England is not monopolized by the high +bred ones,” said Charley after listening to the account of White-feet +in the parlor. “Here's what an Englishman says of the London omnibus +horses!-- + +“'I like riding on an omnibus; it is the best way to see London, and I +often sit by a 'bus driver's side to the end of his stage and back. So I +see a good deal of the 'bus horse, and I find in him an animal who well +repays watching. Most people know that he understands the conductor's +bell; but few know how well he understands it. The London 'bus driver +is a very Jehu, but his cattle need very little driving. I see them stop +when the bell rings, and I see them start when it rings again, even when +it does so within two seconds. Yet, when the 'bus is in full roll, and +the conductor rings twice, to show the driver that he is 'full inside,' +the horses know the double ring and never pause in their stride. Again, +the 'bus horse knows the policeman's signal. I am driving down Oxford +Street. At the corner of Bond Street, an old lady wants to cross the +road. The policeman holds up his white-gloved hand and the horses +stop, automatically, not pulled up by Jehu. The lady safely across, the +policeman jerks his thumb forward, and the horses start again. A heavy +dray is in front. Without sign from Jehu, the horses swerve to right +and circumvent it. I sometimes think the conductor might drive by merely +pulling his bellcord, and so save the driver's wages. Further, these +sagacious beasts know all their stoppings; they know the import of +the cue 'higher up,' and they know the clatter of the released brake. +Observe, too, how skilfully the 'bus-horse picks out the dryer portion +of the wet and slippery wood pavings. And see him cleverly skate down +Waterloo Place, after a shower of rain or water-carts, with heavy 'bus +behind him. What other animal could do the like?'” + +[Illustration: 0077] + +“From a loaded omnibus horse, to a New York street-car horse, is a +very natural step,” remarked George. “Listen to this account by Supt. +Hankinson of Mr. Bergh's society, of the appreciation of kindness, which +was manifested by some car-horses that had been turned out to rest on a +farm near the city: + +“'Among the animals were three which appeared to have formed an +attachment for each other, for no matter where one went, the others +would follow. One of the officers had plucked several apples from a tree +on the grounds, and while eating the fruit the horses approached, and +stood in line before him. The first, a sorrel, had a most perfect face, +and evidently came from the best stock. The other two appeared to be of +ordinary breed; but all were completely run down physically, by reason +of the hard work they had done while engaged in dragging street cars. +The poor creatures looked longingly at the officer as he ate the fruit, +and when the sorrel was given a piece of an apple, the other two took +positions, one on the right, the other to the left, with the sorrel well +in front. + +[Illustration: 0082] + +“'The sight of the group would have gladdened the heart of an artist. +Their wistful looks beaming from beautiful eyes, as the officer +preceeded to cut an apple into three parts and distribute it among them, +would have pleased a sympathetic mind. When the last piece of apple was +disposed of, and the officer moved to another part of the field, he was +followed at a respectful distance by his dumb acquaintances, and from +place to place, wherever duty required his presence, the three horses +would accompany him, as if to show their appreciation of the simple +kindness which had been shown them. A stone wall, about four feet +high, divided the field from the highway leading to the place where +the Society's patrol wagon, had been left, and when the officers had +finished their work, they passed through a gate opening into the road. +Sorrel and his companions did not propose, however, to be left in any +such a summary manner, and followed along by the stone wall, until +further progress was stopped by a high wooden fence. + +“'When about half-way down the road, the officers heard sounds of +furious galloping, and, to their amazement, the sorrel came dashing up, +having leaped the stone wall, a feat which his companions either could +not or would not venture to do. He followed after the officials until +great results from his work. Superintendent Hankinson said recently, in +an interview with a newspaper reporter: + +“'We have not in these days the disgusting exhibitions of cruelty and +brutality that disgraced civilization a quarter of a century ago. You +rarely see lame horses dragging heavily loaded trucks or cars now. You +seldom hear of men brutally beating their horses. People are no longer +sickened by the spectacle of horses covered with bleeding, festering +sores. The cattle yards are better and cleaner and healthier than they +ever were. The swill-milk stables are gone. Dog fights and cock they had +reached the vehicle, when he was captured and led back to the paddock.'” + +Charley agreed with his brother that it was an interesting story. Their +comments upon it naturally led to a discussion of the Society for +the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which has been mentioned in a +preceding chapter. + +“You know it was founded by Mr. Bergh,” said Charley, “and before his +death that gentleman had the satisfaction of seeing very fights are not +as numerous as they were, and there is even an element of humanity in +the brutal sport of pigeon shooting. + +“'I have no hesitation in affirming that this changed condition of +affairs is wholly due to the labors of the Society for the Prevention +of Cruelty to Animals. The Society was organized to work just such a +reform, and I am sure the public will bear me out in the statement that +its efforts have been crowned with success. + +“'Just let me instance some phases of cruelty that were very common in +this city in the early days of the Society, but which are very rarely +heard of now: + +“'What an ordinary spectacle it once was to see a horse, dragging a +heavily laden cart or truck, fall from sheer exhaustion in the street! +And the brutal driver would take a rung from his cart and beat the +poor animal in the most horrible manner about the head and body. That +spectacle is very rare in these days. Drivers of horses are particular +now not to overload their trucks, and they think a good deal, if the +horse happens to fall, before using a cart rung on him. + +“'You remember, too, how certain dealers in poultry used to go through +the streets carrying fowls by the legs and letting their heads drag +along the sidewalk. Nowadays fowls are transported about the city in +crates. + +“'Bit burrs are not quite as numerous now as they were some years ago. +They were quite a 'fad' in society once. They were made of leather about +three inches in diameter, and one such was thickly studded with long, +sharp tacks. These burrs were fastened to the bit and placed on each +side of the horse's mouth. They were a constant source of agony to the +horse, but they pleased society because they made the horses jump and +prance as though possessed of an exuberance of animal spirits. The +horse's attitude and antics were magnificent, but it was magnificent +agony, for those tacks tore and lacerated the tender flesh about the +mouth in the most horrible manner. That burr was a most diabolical +instrument of torture. + +“'Another society 'fad' which the Society stopped, or rather +ameliorated, was the practice of clipping horses as cold weather +approached. The Society's officers frequently saw teams that had just +been clipped standing in front of houses in Fifth Avenue or before the +big dry-goods establishments for hours, shivering with cold. Of course, +they looked very neat and glossy, but the deprivation of the animal's +covering was a horrible cruelty. + +[Illustration: 9081] + +The Society's protest had its effect, and those who clipped their horses +after that had the humanity to provide them with blankets. + +“'Glanders and farcy, those contagious diseases, incurable in man as +well as in beast, are not by any means as prevalent as they once were. +And this is owing to the work of the Society in compelling people to +keep their stables in good condition. Those diseases are the result of +neglect, bad food, and damp, ill-ventilated stables. + +“'Through the efforts of the Society an element of humanity has been +introduced into the treatment of the cattle sent to New York for +slaughter. The treatment these poor creatures got at one time was simply +barbarous. We have officers at all the stock yards and abattoirs, and +they make it their business to see that the animals are properly fed +and cared for, and that their quarters are kept in a cleanly, healthy +condition. A great reform has been consummated, too, by the Society, in +the method of transporting live stock. + +“'And speaking of live stock, reminds me of an incident that happened in +the early days of the Society. Mr. Bergh--and how we all will miss him +now that he is gone--was going through Chambers Street one day, when he +saw two men leading a cow and her calf. The calf was literally skin and +bones. There was a rope about the cow's neck and another about the calf's. +The cow's udder was fearfully distended with the milk within it, and +the calf made continual efforts to get at it, but the man pulled the +poor little thing away. Well, Mr. Bergh stopped the man, took the rope +from the calf's neck, and the moment he did so the famished thing made a +dash for that distended udder and drank its fill. The men protested, but +Mr. Bergh was inexorable, and he stood there during twenty minutes, the +center of a crowd of five hundred people, while the poor calf got the +first good square meal of its life. + +[Illustration: 0082] + +“'Dog fights and cock fights--brutal, cruel, demoralizing +exhibitions--were quite a feature of metroplitan life at one time, +but are, happily, becoming more and more rare. People who like that +so-called 'sport,' to indulge their propensity are now found to sneak +off like so many thieves or felons to some stable or loft in the +country, and there have their 'fun' in the constant fear of interruption +by Mr. Bergh or of the police. + +“'The Society, at one time, had great trouble with the street railroad +companies, which persisted in driving lame, crippled, sick and disabled +animals; in salting their tracks and overloading their cars to a fearful +degree. But there has been a marked reform in all these particulars, +and I think I can say the car horses of the city to-day are in very good +condition. + +“There can be no doubt that the twenty-two years of the Society's +existence have been fraught with great good to the animals that minister +to the needs of man. Our Society has grown to enormous proportions, and +has branches in every State and city, and almost every town and village, +in the country. Since its organization the Society in New York has +prosecuted 13,850 cases in the courts, suspended 35,108 disabled animals +from work, humanely destroyed 24,099 horses disabled past recovery, and +removed 4444 disabled horses from the streets in its ambulances. +Last year the Society prosecuted 797 cases of cruelty in the courts, +suspended 3456 disabled animals from work, destroyed 2546 disabled +horses, destroyed 1102 small animals disabled past recovery, removed +522 disabled horses from the streets in ambulances, and received and +investigated 3773 complaints. + +“It must not be supposed that the existence of so many cases of cruelty +indicates an increase in the cruel treatment of animals; the large +figure is rather due to the greater facilities the Society now possesses +for the detection of such offences. + +“Our paid officers are of course limited in number, but every humane +person in New York can be said to be a detective of the Society. We +receive a great many complaints, investigate them thoroughly, and then +report to the complainants the result of such investigations. People +write to tell us a certain man is in the habit of beating his horse or +of feeding swill to his cows, or that a dog is dying in a vacant lot +up-town, or that boys are in the habit of stoning birds in a certain +locality. All these things we look into, and when we catch the guilty +parties practicing the cruelty complained of we arrest and prosecute +them. With all these aids it is clear the work of the Society has been +very much simplified and more thorough, but it can be much more so by a +further cooperation of the public. That we look for and hope to obtain.” + +Our young friends agreed that Mr. Bergh had done a great work which +should be commemorated by a monument in his honor. “Magnificent +monuments have been erected to men far less deserving than he,” said +Charley. “If the animals whom he befriended could contribute, many +thousands of dollars would be subscribed at once. All the more noble +was his philanthropy, because the objects of it could never know their +benefactor.” + +Charley and George were not long in possession of their horses before +they discovered that quite an attachment had been formed between Cobweb +and Rover, which was followed by a similar friendship between Major +and Dash. Whenever the horses were taken out for exercise the dogs +accompanied them and seemed to enjoy the run very much. At night the +dogs slept in the stalls with the horses, coiling up under the manger +while the steeds were standing, but nestling down among their feet or +close to their bodies when they were lying down. + +“That's nothing remarkable,” said Mr. Graham, when the boys told him of +the equine and canine friendships. + +“Dogs and horses are very often mutually attached and sometimes are able +to be of service to each other.” + +“How is that?” Charley asked. + +“There is a story told of an English gentleman who had a fine hunting +horse, which was so fond of a greyhound that he was always uneasy when +the latter was out of sight. The gentleman used to call at the stable to +have the dog take a walk with him, and when he did so the horse always +looked after him and neighed uneasily. When the dog returned to the +stable he always ran immediately to the horse and licked his nose, the +horse returning the greeting by rubbing the dog's back.” + +“One day when the groom had taken the horse out for exercise the dog +followed, and during the promenade he was attacked by a larger dog +which threw him down and was rapidly getting the best of the encounter. +Thereupon the horse threw back his ears, and in spite of the efforts of +the groom to restrain him, he rushed at the strange dog and seized him +with his teeth. He took a good grip of the dog's back that made him quit +his hold on the greyhound, and then he shook him till the skin gave way. +Under these circumstances the strange canine was not disposed to renew +the attack on the greyhound, but ran off as fast as his wounds would +permit. As he did so the horse pranced about very proudly, and was +evidently quite happy at being of service to his smaller friend.” + +“I've read,” said Charley, “about a horse and cat that were great +friends, the cat generally sleeping in the horse's manger. When the +horse was going to have his oats, he used to take the cat very gently by +the skin on her back, just as cats pick up their kittens, and lift her +into the next stall, so that she wouldn't be in his way while he was +eating his food. How he learned that cats should be lifted in that way +was a mystery, but he certainly did it so that he never hurt her in the +least. She seemed to understand it perfectly, and whenever he put her +out of the manger she stayed away till he had eaten his oats. He always +liked to have her about him, and she frequently climbed on his back and +seemed perfectly at home there.” + +“Here's a story,” said George, “about a race between a colt and a +locomotive, and according to the account, it was a lively race. It was +printed in the _Pittsburgh Despatch_, and here it is: + +“'Information comes of a remarkable and exciting race between an express +train, on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, and a three-year-old colt +one day last week. The colt belongs to Vince Carpenter, at Limestone +Station, in Carter County, Kentucky. When the express train arrived +at Limestone, on the day in question, the colt stepped on the track in +front of the engine, and when the train started the colt started also, +keeping some distance ahead of the engine until a large trestle was +reached at the next stopping-point, a distance of five and a quarter +miles from Limestone. The colt started over the trestle, but fell down, +and the race came to an end. The engine stopped, a rope was attached to +the colt and it was removed from the track. + +“'In the race of five and a quarter miles, which was reported to have +been made in the short time of thirteen minutes, the colt jumped several +cow gaps, crossed numerous small trestles, and ran around one or two +bridges.'” + +[Illustration: 0086] + +Charley's mention of the friendship between a horse and a cat naturally +turned the conversation in the direction of cats, and led to several +stories about those domestic favorites. We will give some of these +anecdotes in the next chapter. Before the conference broke up, George +asked a question which he had seen in a newspaper: “Is there any future +life for animals?” + +Mr. Graham said he had never given the subject a thought, and had no +opinion to offer. He read the following, which was written for _Our Dumb +Animals_ by George T. Angell, in answer to the question, in the very +words in which George had asked it:-- + +“We answer, John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, thought there was. So +did those eminent Christian Bishops, Jeremy Taylor and Butler. Coleridge +advocated it in England, Lamartine in France, and Agassiz in America. +Agassiz, the greatest scientist we ever had on this continent, was a +firm believer in some future life for the lower animals. A professor of +Harvard University, has compiled a list of one hundred and eighty-five +European authors who have written on the subject. Among the leading +clergy in Boston, who have publicly expressed their belief in a future +life for animals, are Joseph Cook, Trinitarian, and James Freeman Clark, +Unitarian. Some years ago a man left by will for Mr. Bergh's Society, a +hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Relatives contested the will on +the ground that he was insane because he believed in a future life for +animals. The judge, in sustaining the will, said that he found that more +than half of the human race believed the same thing.” + +“Why do I love horses? Listen, and I will tell you,” said a gentleman, +whom the author of this volume has known for nearly twenty years. He is +a prominent man of business in New York, but modestly declines to have +his name in print, so we will call him Mr. A.. + +“When a boy, living at home on a Vermont farm, my father owned a pair of +spirited grays, one being a special pet, never seeming weary and never +refusing to go anywhere or to do any service asked of him. His mate was +of the other sort, sulky, ugly, and a thorough shirk. My pet had formed +a strong personal attachment for me, would always whinney when he heard +my step, in fact seemed to have the love of a dog for his master. + +“Coming down the mountain with a heavy load, by a road plowed out for a +single track, and snow three feet and more deep on either side, we met +an old gentleman and lady in a single cutter, who could not or thought +they could not, turn from the road to allow us to pass. + +“The off horse, the ugly one, refused to turn into the snow, and I +stepped forward of him, taking him by the head, standing in the snow +half my depth. Instead of accepting my invitation to follow my lead, he +reared and came down upon me, throwing me on my back, with my head just +out from under his chest, both of us lying at full length in the snow. + +“Now my pet showed his love and that he saw where the trouble lay. +Taking his mate by the side of the lip in his teeth, he lifted him up +upon his fore feet, then supposing his duty done, let go his hold, when +at once the rascal came down again, this time with one knee upon my +chest, nearly crushing it in, and making breathing almost impossible. + +“The old gentleman and lady screamed, and I feared fright of my horses +would be an added danger, but instead, no wise man's head was ever +clearer as to duty in time of danger, than was that of my equine friend. +Taking his mate again by the side of his lip and with a strong grip of +his teeth, he lifted and held him sitting on his haunches as a dog +would have done, and with one fore foot bowed out on either side of me. +Getting hold of the harness I dragged myself from under my captor, when +Billy showed in no doubtful manner that he meant all he had done. His +whinney was like a cry of joy. He called to me, danced, rubbed his head +against me, and showed plainly as language could have done that instinct +and love had joined in saving my life. Was it reason or instinct or +inspiration. + +“It seemed like a dog's thoughtful, unselfish love, but in the story +of horses, I have never known such devotion. Now you know why I love +horses, and why cruelty to one of them is, to me, like a cruel injury to +a true friend.” + +A lady, with whom the author of this volume is well acquainted, writes +as follows on this subject: + +“I think that blinders ought to be abolished by law, but if we cannot +get rid of them that way, every friend of the horse should exert all +possible influence to induce people to abandon their use. When I first +obtained my horse 'Tatters' he had never been driven with an open +bridle, and had never been used under a saddle, but he had the +reputation of being exceedingly gentle and afraid of nothing except the +steam railways and the elevated cars. The statement was correct, as he +would stand up and strike toward them with his front feet, snorting and +trembling in great terror. I needed a horse both for riding and driving, +so I ventured to try him under the saddle before purchasing. + +“I am not a very fearless person, as you know, so I went through all the +prescribed rules laid down for horse-breakers, such as giving him the +saddle to smell and examine before placing it on his back, putting the +skirt of my riding habit under his nose to rub with his upper lip and +feel of in his own way, which he did very thoroughly, taking about seven +minutes before he seemed entirely satisfied. After mounting and riding +round the ring once, I feared Mr. 'Tatters' was balky, for if I wanted +him to pass between other riders he would stop suddenly and refuse to +move on until a space of six or eight feet was made for his horseship +to pass, then he would trot along quietly until the same thing occurred, +and so on, until I bethought me that perhaps he was under the impression +that the carriage was behind him. I then wheeled him around two or three +times in as small a space as possible, at which he showed considerable +fear and he kept a sharp look out for splinters. + +“After about two weeks of this performance daily a fine afternoon +tempted me to a ride in the park. Then the question of 'blinders' +came up, and each of the 'horsey' people at the stable contributed his +quantum of caution to the effect that Tatters would shy at everything +and run away for nothing the first time he went out and saw much, but I +argued there was no help for it; one could not put blinders on a saddle +horse, and there was a heap of courage in remembering that Tatters had +not worn blinders when he went to the blacksmith's to be shod. + +“I shall never forget the delightful afternoon we--Tatters and I--had. +Tatters enjoyed the prospect of the fun--turning his head from side to +side, and every little while heaving a great sigh of satisfaction which +every lover and owner of a horse recognizes and understands. + +“Our usual run now is around the reservoir and park, then up to Macomb's +Dam bridge. Glad of company when it is congenial, good company for each +other when alone. One day, being with a friend who wished to ride over +to the Riverside Drive, I assented, forgetting for the moment that we +must pass under the elevated railway in order to get there from Seventh +Avenue and One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Street. Fearing ridicule, I +would not turn back after assenting to the proposition; so, taking an +extra firm grip of the saddle and with a good deal of thumping in the +region of my watch-pocket as we approached the dredded object, and +assuring Tatters in the sweetest tones possible that 'Nothing will +harm the boy! Missis wouldn't let anything hurt her Tatters,' etc. +etc.--imagine my surprise when Tatters, after looking up at the passing +train and then turning his head first to the left and then to the +right, seeing where the train and the noise came from and where it went, +quietly walked along under it perfectly satisfied. + +[Illustration: 0090] + +“I at once made up my mind that if he could see the objects which +worried him we should get along better together, so I determined that I +would take the blinders off the next time he went in harness. The people +at the stable where I keep him tried, in every way, to discourage my +doing so. 'He will be scared and run away when he sees the carriage +behind him, and will kick and smash it to pieces.' 'It will never be +safe for you to do it.' 'He will see everything at the side of the road, +and you can't drive him at all that way,' and so on, without end. But; I +had a woman's obstinacy and determined to try him. + +“When they found I would have my way they said I must have him handled +by a trainer and driven in a breaking cart until he was accustomed to +the open bridle. + +“So it was arranged, and I made an appointment with the trainer. Tatters +was harnessed into the breaking cart, and with a good stout kicking +strap attached. Then the trainer--looking as though he dreaded the +job--took the reins and mounted the seat--carefully watched by about +twenty grooms, who had come out on the sidewalk to see the fun, and were +offering bets on the result. The trainer drove from Fifty-ninth Street +up the Boulevard about a dozen blocks and back again, passing under the +elevated trains each time. Tatters never behaved better in his life. +'Now,' I said, after walking him around the phaeton with the top first +up, and then down, 'harness him into it and drive him up the Boulevard +and back again,' and the trainer did so, with the same result. Then I +got into the phaeton alone and drove around Central Park and up over the +bridge at the end of Seventh Avenue, and Tatters never showed the least +alarm, and he did not worry and sweat when going fast, as before; but, +on the contrary, seemed to enjoy the novelty. He has never been driven +with a blind bridle since, and never will be as long as I have him. He +certainly goes better than ever before, he is no longer afraid of the +trains on the elevated railway, he used to be scared when bicycles came +up alongside of him, and now he pays no attention to them. + +“It seems to me that when a horse can see anything properly he doesn't +mind it half as much as when he hears a noise and can't see what is +making it. Horses are slow in understanding, but once convinced they +never forget. When we are near a railway or anything else that is likely +to frighten him I talk to Tatters and let him take his own time to see +what it is, and then he concludes he isn't to be harmed, and pays no +attention to it the next time he sees it. He is a great pet; he eats +out of my hand and is very careful not to let his teeth harm me, he +recognizes my voice, points his ears and whinnies whenever I go into +the stable and say, 'Where's my Tatters?' He appreciates every little +kindness, and seems to try to do his best to please me. We are great +friends; I always try to understand what he is thinking about, and act +accordingly. No one can win the confidence of a horse without being kind +to it, and above all---patient.”--S. A. D. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +_Cats Among the Ancient Egyptians--Feline Peculiarities--Prince +Krapotkine's Cat--Sailor s Superstitions About Cats--How a Cat Asked +for a Surgical Operation--Steamboat Cats and their Travels--Display of +Feline Gratitude--The Cat that Gathered Apples for Its Master--Putting +Out a Fire--Cats as Foster-mothers for Rabbits, Foxes and Other Small +Animals--Fishing with Hook and Line--Superstitions of Cats--Fashionable +Cat Parties--How Dan saved the House from Burning--A wonderful Troupe of +Performing Cats--The Lesson of Kindness to Pussy._ + + +As intimated in the last chapter, cats were the subject of conversation +between Mr. Graham and his sons, after the story of the horse that +lifted the cat out of his manger when he wanted to eat his oats. + +[Illustration: 9094] + +Several feline anecdotes were related, and then the further +consideration of the topic was postponed until the next evening, when +Mr. Webb formed one of the party. Henry Johnson happened in during the +course of the evening and contributed his share to the general fund of +entertainment. + +“Cats are among the earliest animals domesticated by man,” said Mr. +Graham, “but possibly they are ante-dated by the horse and dog. We find +these three animals appearing on the sculptures and paintings of the +ancient Egyptians, by whom cats were held in the highest reverence. +Temples were erected in their honor, their bodies were mummified after +death, sacrifices and devotions were offered up to them, and it was +customary for a family to shave off its eyebrows whenever a cat died in +its house.” + +“Superstitions concerning cats have descended to the present time,” Mr. +Webb remarked, when Mr. Graham paused. “In the Middle Ages, they were +supposed to be the familiars of witches, and a black cat was an object +of dread rather than of veneration, as it was supposed to be the +embodiment of Satan. Sailors formerly had a dread of cats on shipboard, +as a sign of ill-luck, and to a considerable extent this belief +continues among them to-day. Many people predict rain when they see a +cat washing its face, and a cat-call on a housetop is by some persons +held to be a sign of death. It was a current belief in the Middle Ages +that a cat had nine lives, and the saying is a common one how. The +prevalence of this belief has been the cause of a great many cruelties +inflicted on this graceful animal. + +“Cats do not usually attach themselves to persons,” continued Mr. +Webb, “their preference being rather for places than individuals. This +preference gave rise to the belief, which was endorsed by Buffon and +other naturalists, that the cat is incapable of affection, and retains +in its domesticated state its savage ferocity, which is merely disguised +by cunning and restrained by selfishness. But there are many stories +told, on perfectly good authority, to illustrate the affection of cats +for their owners and friends, though it is proper to say that instances +of personal affection are far less numerous in the cat than in the dog.” + +[Illustration: 0095] + +“Dr. Johnson and Southey were fond of cats,” said Mr. Graham. “Southey +declared that no house was properly furnished without a child rising +three years and a kitten rising three weeks. Lord Chesterfield left a +sum of money for the support of his favorite cat, Prince Krapotkine, +like other famous captives, has a prison pet--a cat,--which has been a +jail bird almost from its birth, and has grown to be a great favorite +with the Prince. Like Sir Walter Scott's cat, this cat can do everything +but talk.” + +[Illustration: 0096] + +Mr. Graham then read the following from Prince Krapotkine's story of his +prison life:-- + +“When the cat wants my door opened, it does not mew, it stretches itself +to its full length and shakes the latch with its paw. If the door had +another kind of fastening, it would certainly open it by raising the +latch. It knows perfectly well the meaning of all the bells which ring +in the prison--that to bid the inmates to rise in the morning, that +which sounds before soup is served. Its dictionary is very limited, but +it understands perfectly the meaning of the words it knows. Thus, in the +evening when I walk in my room, it performs all sorts of gambols, and by +making certain special sounds, endeavors to make me play with it at hide +and seek--it plays this game exactly as children do, and insists that +each party should hide in his turn--or to draw a string along for it to +run after. If, in reply to its invitation to play, I say to it, 'What do +you want? Food? Drink?' it is displeased, and goes with a sulky air to +sit behind my little stove. But when I say, 'the string?' it replies +immediately by two sounds, concerning the affirmative tone of which +there can be no doubt. I could relate other instances of sagacity, but I +do not wish to impose upon the credulity of your readers. + +[Illustration: 9098] + +There is, however, an interesting point which it would be well to have +cleared up. Are cats susceptible to music? Without being able to affirm +positively, I believe they are. When my cat was little, it several times +seemed to us that it found a real pleasure in listening to some air of +a pleasing cadence. For example, the waltz from Faust, provided it was +sung by a very high and pure voice. We even thought that music caused +it to assume almost a sentimental air. It is unnecessary to say that my +cat, like all others, is very susceptible to caresses, and, for I must +confess its faults, to flattery. In general, cats are less intelligent +than dogs, but, by care and attention, their intelligence can be highly +developed. I am sorry that I have not sufficient time, or I should +undertake the education of my cat by a system of cards, as proposed by +Lubbock.” + +“Speaking of sailors' superstitions about cats,” said Mr. Webb, “a lady +told me not long ago that she bought a Persian cat in Calcutta and +brought it home on a sailing ship. Every time they were becalmed the +sailors would try to get her cat and throw it overboard, for they think +that doing so would raise a wind. + +“This is an old superstition of the mariner. It would be hard to say how +it originated, but it is probable that it was originally intended as +a sacrifice to Neptune, the god of the sea; as on land the gods were +propitiated by the offerings of the devout, so Jack sought to calm +the sea god's fury by offering him a cat. The old sailor, even in this +meaning of the word 'cat's-paw.' It is simply a quaint idea of the +marine, who sees in the sudden and peculiar zephyr that ruffles the +water, a resemblance to the frolics of the cat. Does pussy jump around +good-humoredly there will be a good breeze and fair. But when she arches +her back and swells her tail, then look out, for her scowling look will +be as a calm to the storm it foreshadows, and the flashes from her +eyes but as sparks to the blue streaks of zig-zag lightning which will +certainly soon illuminate the sky.” + +“I've a story about an intelligent cat that belonged to a doctor,” + said Charley. “I found it in the _Tribune_; it is dated at Deposit, and +signed O. T. Bundy.” + +All listened while Charley read the following: + +“My cat, which we knew by the name of 'Peter,' was a sufferer from a +large abscess on the lower jaw, directly underneath. I attempted to +lance it, with what proved to be a broken pointed instrument. He cried +while the attempt was being made, but did not run away from me, advanced +age, regards the cat as a veritable weather gauge. The old landsman +is often puzzled to account for some of the strange sea terms, and +questions are often asked as to the although I did not hold him, or try +to. Of course I failed to introduce the instrument into the sore, and +showed what I held in my hand. I then took a sharp lance from the case +and showed it to him. + +[Illustration: 8099] + +He came up directly to me and raised his head in such a way that the +sore was exposed, and held it in this position until I had completely +opened the abscess and withdrawn the lance, not crying or offering to go +away from me. Now the blunt tool was torture, and it gave him no +relief, yet he must have thought from my talk and manner that relief was +intended, or he would never have held still for the second trial.” + +“Here's a story about a steamboat cat,” said George, “which was written +by somebody for the _New Orleans Pickayune_.” + +“In July the steamer. _Golden Rule_ arrived here from Cincinnati. A +little common gray cat lived on the boat, that had been left at Bayou +Sara, by accident. She had stepped on the wharf boat and had not +returned in time. The officers on the _Golden Rule_ felt sorry to lose +her, for she had left three little kittens behind, who missed their +mother sadly. But, to the surprise of all, the next boat that arrived +down brought puss as a passenger or stowaway. She remained on board in +her new quarters till near midnight, then made her way to the _Golden +Rule_. + +[Illustration: 0100] + +The watchman saw her come on board and witnessed the happy meeting +between the kittens and their mother. I was a passenger on the boat as +she returned to Cincinnati that trip, and puss was quite a heroine. But, +alas, the temptations to visit wharf boats was so strong that she got +left behind again, somewhere on the Indiana side of the Ohio, I have +forgotten the town. Real grief was manifested by her friends when they +missed her; they thought she was lost to them forever. On their arrival +at Cincinnati, the steward left the boat, and the kittens disappeared +with him. Three or four days afterward the _Ariadne_ arrived from below, +and the gray pussy came up on her. No one knows how she found out that +boat was bound up the river instead of down, for other boats had stopped +at that place, but only this one going up to Cincinnati. Puss was soon +installed in her old home again, but the kittens were gone, and she was +lonesome; so she went out on the wharf-boat and found a poor, forlorn +kitten nearly as large as herself. This she carried in her mouth up into +the cabin of the _Golden Rule_ and placed it on a chair, and insisted +that it should be noticed and caressed, nor would she eat until it was +supplied, and she had it with her last winter.” + +“That steamboat cat reminds me of one in New Haven,” said Henry, who +felt that it was his turn to tell a story. “I found the anecdote in the +_New Haven News_: + +“'A curious story is told of a cat which lives on the Starin steamboat +dock. The cat will occasionally take a notion to visit New York, and if +driven off the boat at one place, will be seen to jump on at another, in +time to avoid getting left. She will stay in New York two or three +days at a time, and when her visit is concluded, will return and remain +contented in New Haven for a season, until the fever for traveling comes +on again. The persistency and ingenuity of the cat in boarding the boat +for one of these journeys excites wonder, as the cat has a family of +kittens living in New Haven. These kittens appear to be resigned to the +temporary absence of their mother, but are always glad when she gets +back from New York.'” + +“There are many instances of the display of gratitude by cats,” Mr. Webb +remarked. “One of the best I know of is told by a lady in California, as +follows: + +“'My cat, with regard to his meals, is a most grateful cat, and, however +hungry he may be, he never thinks of eating until he has purred his +thanks and rubbed his head against my hand. This trait of character was +once displayed in the most affecting manner. One day 'Pret' had been +shut up in the loft, on account of a lady visitor who had a strange +antipathy to cats. I was going to town that day, and did not return +until after midnight. As I was going upstairs I heard 'Pret's' voice +calling me in a very anxious manner, and, on inquiry, I found that the +poor cat had been forgotten, and had been shut up all day without a +morsel of food or a drop of milk. Of course I immediately procured some +milk and meat and carried it up to him. The poor creature was half wild +with happiness when he heard my footsteps, and on seeing the plate of +meat and saucer of milk he flew at them like a mad thing. But scarcely +had he lapped a drop of milk when he left the saucer, came up to me with +loud purring, and caressed me, as if to express his thanks. Then he went +to the plate, but only just touched it with his nose, and again came to +thank me for having attended to his wants, both of food and drink. It +quite brought the moisture to my eyes to see the affectionate creature, +though nearly wild with hunger and thirst, refrain from enjoying his +food until he had returned thanks.'” + +Mr. Graham said the Californian story reminded him of a Connecticut one, +that appeared a short time before, in a New Haven paper. The story was +that Mr. George Baldwin had several apple and pear trees, and last fall +his cat awoke to the fact that these trees bore fruit which his master's +family liked to eat. + +[Illustration: 9102] + +One day in October, the cat's owner was surprised by the action of his +pet. The animal was walking slowly about one of the trees, stopping +every minute or two to gaze up at the apples on the boughs. After +completing its tour of inspection, the cat climbed the tree, and slowly +made its way out on a limb toward what was probably the ripest and +largest apple of several bushels of fruit on the trees. When it reached +its goal, the animal made several attempts to break the stem with its +teeth, and finally succeeded. It had taken care to bite off a bit of the +stem long enough to be securely held, and with its prize in its mouth +the cat began its descent. Once on the ground, the apple was carried +to a porch and laid by the side of a door opening into the house. The +exploit was frequently repeated by Mr. Baldwin's sagacious puss, and the +side of the porch was usually lined with apples. + +“Did anybody ever hear,” said Charley, “of the cat that shared its +dinner with its master?” + +Nobody had heard of this wonderful cat, thereupon Charley read the +following from the _Manchester Times_: + +“A member of the Zoological Society says: I once had a cat who always +sat up to the dinner-table with me and had his napkin round his neck, +and his plate and some fish. He used his paw, of course, but he was very +particular, and behaved with extraordinary decorum. When he had finished +his fish I sometimes gave him a piece of mine. One day he was not to be +found when the dinner bell rang, so we began without him. Just as the +plates were put round for the entrée, puss came rushing upstairs and +sprang into his chair with two mice in his mouth. Before he could be +stopped he dropped a mouse on to his own plate, and then one on to mine. +He divided his dinner with me as I had divided mine with him.” + +There was a laugh all around over this amusing incident, and when it +subsided, George asked what became of the mouse which the cat put on its +master's plate. History seemed to be silent on that point, but whether +the youth supposed the dainty was or was not devoured by the gentleman, +we will not inquire. The subject was not discussed, as the attention +of the party was next turned to a cat that put out a fire. The incident +happened in Monongahela, Pa., and was as follows: + +A family went out to a meeting, leaving Master Tom, a favorite cat, in +sole occupation of the house. + +[Illustration: 8103] + +On their return the cat's actions led to an examination, when his feet +were found to be blistered. The sitting-room served to explain matters. +A live coal had been thrown out and set the carpet on fire. Puss had +evidently clawed out the fire for a considerable distance about the spot +burned, leaving nothing but a center of ends, charred and frizzled. All +the circumstances indicated that the cat had put out the fire. + +“Cats are very fond of valerian,” said Mr. Graham, “and I have heard of +a woman in St. Thomas who turned this fact to practical use.” + +“How was that?” queried Mr. Webb. + +“She detected the odor of sewer gas in her parlor,” was the reply, “and +as the landlord from whom she leased the house would not believe in the +existence of the gas, she hit upon a device to convince him. She first +poured a quantity of valerian down the pipe of one of the basins in the +upper story. The odor of valerian presently filled the parlor below. +Procuring two cats she turned them loose in the parlor. They immediately +evinced delight at the odor, and ran to an adjoining closet where it was +strongest. They finally jumped upon a shelf in the closet, and there, by +their contentment, showed that they had traced the odor to its source. +The householder sent for a plumber, who, removing the lath and plaster, +discovered a leak in the pipe which communicated with the sewer.” + +[Illustration: 0105] + +Feline peculiarities were discussed at the conclusion of the foregoing +story. Some one told about a cat in Missouri, which had four kittens, +and one day she went into the woods and brought in two young rabbits, +which she added to her family. She licked and caressed the little +rabbits, just as she did her own kittens, and the new comers got along +with the others on perfectly friendly terms. + +Then somebody else told about four young foxes in Indiana that have been +adopted by a cat. She seems to manifest as much maternal solicitude and +motherly fondness for them as though they were her own. The foxes +have accepted the situation in a spirit of meekness, and are seemingly +satisfied. This was followed by a story of a cat whose kittens had been +drowned; she found three young squirrels that she adopted and tenderly +nursed. + +“That is not so strange,” said Mr. Graham, “as the performance of a +French cat, which I read about in the _Revue Scientifique_. One day the +cat came into the house, having in its mouth a sparrow, caught in the +neighboring garden. Scarcely had puss entered the room when she let +the bird free, evidently for the purpose of playing with it, as is the +custom of cats with mice before devouring them. The sparrow, having one +of its wings injured, could not escape by flying, but boldly began to +attack its huge enemy by fierce blows on the nose with its beak. The cat +seemed astonished at the attack, and beat a retreat. From that moment +the two seemed to forget their natural instincts and came to a mutual +understanding. The truce continued and gradually grew to a fraternal +friendship. They ate, played and slept together. Often they ran about +the house, the sparrow perched on the cat's back, and sometimes carried +gently in the cat's mouth, from which it was released on the first wish +to be free. When feeding together, puss never touched a morsel till her +friend had first partaken.” + +“I read not long ago,” said Charley, “a story about a friendship between +a cat and a rat. It was signed C. A. B., and appeared in Our Animal +Friends. Here it is: + +“'My cousin was much plagued by rats; they were so troublesome that +every method was used to exterminate them. One day the cook thought she +would try to scald them, and, watching her opportunity, threw a pail +of boiling water, which covered the back of one, taking the hair and a +portion of the skin off,--but he was enabled to reach his hiding place. +Some days afterward a rat was seen eating from the same dish with the +cat, having no hair on its back and appearing quite feeble. The cook +called the attention of her mistress to the fact, and told the story of +her throwing the scalding water some days before, and that the rats had +ceased to be troublesome since. + +“'Time rolled on, and it became quite an amusement to the family to +watch for the coming of the rat, and the eating of its regular meals +with the cat, and the little gambols indulged in together after eating. + +“'In the course of the summer the family went on a visit, and closed +their house for a few months, but made provision for the favorite cat, +that she should stay with a relative in the same town. + +“'Upon their return in the fall they called upon their relative for the +cat, as the house was much infested with rats, and learned from them, +that soon after they had left, an ugly-looking rat, without any hair on +its back, made its appearance and used to eat with the cat, till one day +one of the family killed it. Since that time they couldn't get the cat +to eat anything, and she would not stop in the house, but had gone to a +neighbor's. They caught her several times and brought her back, but she +wouldn't remain with them. + +“'My cousin, after hearing the particulars, became much interested, and +chided herself for her thoughtlessness in not letting her relative know +the curious story of the rat while making provision for the care of her +cat. She went to the neighbor, but the cat would take no notice of her. +She persevered and took the cat to her old home, but the cat wouldn't +stay--off she would run to the neighbor she had selected as her friend. +They got the daintiest food they could select, they coaxed and petted +her, kept the door closed, and did everything they could to win back her +confidence; but she wouldn't eat or taste a thing in the house, and they +finally gave up in despair and allowed her to have her own way. + +[Illustration: 0108] + +“'They never could get that cat to notice any one of the family or to +come into the house again. Was this _instinct?_Was it reason? Was it a +type of chivalry and grandeur in the animal not yet recognized by man?” + +“Some time ago,” said Mr. Webb, “The _New York World_ published a story +about a cat that lived in Eighteenth Street, in that city, and was +called 'Ears.' The _World_ said of her: + +“'She can fetch and carry like a retriever, and when her mistress throws +a paper out of a third-floor window, Ears climbs into a basket fixed +outside on a pulley, shuts the lid, and quietly lets herself down to the +ground. Then she gets the paper, hides away in the basket and mews as +a signal to be drawn up. She will play dead and alive and allow the +wickedest boy alive to whirl her around his head by the tail. She takes +a bath every day of her own accord and rocks herself to sleep on the +back of a rocking-chair. The canary that lives in the same house uses +her as a riding-horse, and every morning Ears gallops round and round +the room with the bird on her back.'” + +“I thought cats didn't like water,” said Charley, “and never took a bath +except by accident.” + +“They dislike water very much,” replied Mr. Webb, “as their fur has very +little oil in it to resist the effect of moisture. I knew a cat at the +Wawayanda Club, on Great South Bay, Long Island, that used to go into +the water to catch small fishes; she didn't seem to mind the wetting, or +rather she cared less for it than for a fish dinner. I read recently of +a mill on a stream in South Carolina, belonging to a man named Pruitt. +Pruitt owns a large cat that, as soon as the mill is stopped, by +shutting down the gate, will immediately run down behind the mill and +get on a log just over the sheeting over which the water is flowing. She +will then look intently into the water, which is from eighteen inches to +two feet deep, until she spies a fish; she then plunges into the water, +frequently burying herself under it, but almost always coming out with a +fish. She then sits quietly down on a rock near by and enjoys her meal. + +[Illustration: 0109] + +“A newspaper of Portland, Maine,” said Mr. Graham, “published a story +some years ago about a cat that used to catch fish with a hook and +line.” + +“Of course every one laughed at the absurdity of the idea, all except Mr. +Graham, who didn't relax the muscles of his face, but declared that he +believed the story to be true. “And so will you,” he continued, “when +you hear the details.” + +“By all means give us the details, then,” said Mr. Webb. + +“Well, this is the story as I remember it. The cat belonged in a +counting house or office that was on one of the piers in the harbor and +had a trap-door in the floor through which dust was swept. Fishes swam +under the pier and the clerks in the office used to bait a hook and +lower the line through the trap-door to catch a fish for the cat's +dinner. She sat and looked on at the proceeding and very soon learned +that the trembling of the line was the signal that a fish had been +secured on the hook. + +“One day the clerk who had baited the hook and set the line was busy at +his desk when the line trembled and puss knew that the time to haul in +had arrived. The clerk did not come promptly enough to suit her; so she +seized the line and drew it up 'hand over hand,' or rather 'paw over +paw.' The clerk looked on in surprise as she hauled up the line and +secured the fish, and ever after that she was allowed to do her own +fishing. She never got up to the ability of baiting the hook and setting +the line, but she certainly did all the rest of the work. The newspaper +that I read it in said hundreds of citizens of Portland had seen that +cat take her own fish, and the story is so well vouched for that I have +no doubt of its truth.” + +“Cats are more skillful in the use of their paws than many people +believe,” said Mr. Graham. “For instance, listen to the following: + +“A clergyman, the Rev. R. Lane, at Claverack, Columbia County, that was +once asked at a school examination; 'How many toes has a cat?' Can you +tell?” + +Charley shook his head and admitted that he didn't know. George and +Henry were equally unlearned on that point, and the former asked how the +question was answered at the school. + +“Not one of the pupils in the school could tell,” said Mr. Webb, “and +then the principal was applied to for a solution. He also, with a +good-natured smile, gave it up, when one of the teachers, determined not +to be beaten by so simple a question, hit on the idea of sending out a +delegation of boys to scour the neighborhood for a cat. + +“That brings up the question,” said Mr. Webb turning to the boys: the +idea was announced, the whole class wanted to join in the hunt. Several +boys went out and soon returned successful. A returning board was at +once appointed, and the toes counted, when to the relief of all it was +learned that a cat possesses eighteen toes, ten on the front feet and +eight on the hind feet.” + +“The _Kingston Freeman_ writes as follows: 'There is a young lady in the +town of Claverack who has a pet cat which she has taught to sit at the +table, and with a napkin about its neck it takes meat from a plate with +its paws as dexterously as an epicure. When given a piece of meat on a +fork it will hold the fork in its fore-paws and take the meat from the +tines, and when given a cup of milk it will hold up the cup and drink. +The cat has a well-developed 'thumb' on each fore-paw.'” + +[Illustration: 0111] + +“Cats are inquisitive,” Mr. Graham remarked, “and examine new +things with a great deal of care. They are not altogether free from +superstition and sometimes display great alarm at things they do not +understand. Théophile Gautier tells of a cat he had which was a great +pet and used to sit for hours and watch him at his work. + +“One day Gautier brought home a parrot; the cat surveyed the bird +carefully and evidently came to the conclusion that it was a green +chicken. It showed no alarm whatever until the parrot spoke. Then a +great fear came over the cat; it arched its back, enlarged its tail and +fled in terror, and not for days could it again be persuaded to enter +the room where the parrot was. + +“It is not uncommon for cats to play with a soap bubble without +appearing to be astonished or mystified by its sudden disappearance. +In one case, however, puss was so demoralized at the mystery as to grow +big-tailed, and spit at any soap bubble which might happen to fall to +the floor and drift across it. Another, which up to that time had never +seen a colored person, fled so precipitately from a good-looking negro +girl, that it tumbled into a grating, from which it could not be coaxed +until hunger overcame its terror; and the oddity of it was that puss +herself was as black as a coal.” + +“There is fashion in everything,” said Mr. “Webb, “and a New York +newspaper says that cat-parties are the latest sensation. Recently a +young girl, the happy possessor of a fine maltese cat, invited a number +of her friends to bring their pet cats to five o'clock tea, each cat +to have a ribbon about its neck, corresponding to that worn by its +mistress. At the appointed hour the cats made their appearance, in +charge of their respective owners. After the feline introductions had +taken place, some of which were the reverse of friendly, games were +introduced, and soft balls, toy mice and other objects dear to pussy's +heart were provided. These pastimes, however, were sometimes marred by +a vigorous slap, when two strangers came in collision, and once the +belligerent pussies had to be separated by friends. When tea was +announced, a table furnished with saucers of milk and small cakes, with +cushioned stools, was disclosed. + +[Illustration: 0113] + +The floral decorations consisted of catnip, lavender, grasses, and +bright flowers. The cats, placed on their respective stools, and +attended by their mistresses, partook of the good cheer set before them. +Their behavior was quite correct. With their fore-paws on the table, +they lapped the milk with becoming propriety. When all were satisfied, +there was a comical sight. Each pussy began making her toilet, and the +face-washing was decorous in the extreme. After leaving the table a +spray of catnip was given each kitty, and the feline happiness was +complete. These sprigs were tossed in the air, caught, and lovingly +caressed. As each kitty departed, it was presented with its ball or toy +mouse as a memento of the party.” + +“Before we separate,” said Mr. Graham, glancing at the clock as a hint +that it was time to bring the conference upon felines to an end, “let +me tell you of a cat that saved a house from being burned. His name was +Dan, and he was the property of a little boy who was very kind to his +furry pet. + +[Illustration: 9114] + +The time came at last when Dan could repay this kindness; and he did so. +One cold winter night all had gone upstairs to bed, and were sleeping +soundly. Dan was cosily rolled up on his nice warm mat behind the +kitchen stove, when all at once the room became very light. Dan awoke; +and what should he see but the broom, which had been left standing a +little too near the stove, all on fire. In a few moments the house would +have been ablaze, but Dan thought of his master; so away he trotted +upstairs to his room. + +“Dan called with a very loud voice, 'Mew, mew, mew'; but his master did +not hear him. Then he said, 'Mew, mew, mew,' still louder; but that did +not awake him. Then he jumped upon the bed, pulling back the bed-clothes +with his paw, and gently struck his master in the face. This aroused +the sleepy boy, and he very soon learned the meaning of Dan's strange +actions. He jumped out of bed, ran downstairs, and put out the fire +before it had got under very great headway. The story was told afterward +in the local newspaper and Dan became a hero in the place where he +lived.” + +A few more cat stories were told in spite of the lateness of the hour, +and it was agreed in conclusion that cats greatly resemble dogs, horses +and children, too, in being influenced by their surroundings, training +and teaching. A child taught to be cruel, or to lie and steal in early +life, is not likely to be a good or useful member of society. Horses +and dogs are made vicious by bad treatment or gentle by kindness, and +a cat's conduct will depend very largely upon its surroundings and +education. + +[Illustration: 0115] + +A writer in Harper's _Young People_ gives the following interesting +account of a wonderful troupe of performing cats at the Winter Circus in +Paris: + +“M. Bonnetty, the owner and trainer of these performing cats, believed, +in spite of all opinions to the contrary, that puss belonged among +animals of the highest intelligence. He collected cats of all kinds, and +set patiently to work to educate them. The result has been wonderful, +and puss has shown that when treated kindly she is capable of great +things, and is a most willing slave, affectionate and gentle, and always +ready to do her master's bidding. + +[Illustration: 0116] + +“M. Bonnetty never gives puss a harsh word or a blow, for those arouse +her hatred, and she never forgets them. His work has been accomplished +by coaxing and caressing. He usually begins the training with kittens, +but he has had almost as great success with cats which have been several +years old when they reached his hands. At first he keeps them in a large +apartment for several months, feeding them and petting them until he +has won their entire confidence and affection. Then pussy's education +begins. The first exercises are very simple, such as jumping through +a hoop and climbing a pole, until by degrees puss, obedient to her +master's voice, will do every trick that a beast of her size is capable +of. + +“After a year's training the graceful creatures make their first +appearance in public. This is the time of trial, for it sometimes +happens that the little feline artist will perform beautifully when +alone with her master, but will be frightened and confused by the music, +the glare of lights, and the crowd of people at the circus. + +“There are fourteen beautiful pussies in the troupe, and the tricks they +do are wonderful. They play with mice and birds, holding them in their +paws and even in their teeth without doing them the slightest injury; +they jump through a blazing hoop held up by the trainer, perform +graceful gymnastic exercises on the backs of thirty-two chairs placed +in a row, march around in time to music like little soldiers, and group +themselves in many graceful and comical attitudes. And the best part +of it is that the pussies seem to take as much delight in their amusing +capers as do the crowds of children who watch them; and when a thousand +little clapping hands applaud them, they form in a row and look as +pleased and proud as if they understood what it was all about. Perhaps +they do. + +“A gentleman who went with M. Bonnetty to visit the cats in the room +where they live found them all sleeping in graceful groups around a +glowing stove, for an educated cat loves heat as well as her more humble +sisters, and cannot be kept in good condition without it. As the trainer +and his friend entered the room fourteen pair of little eyes opened, +little ears were pricked up on the alert, and the pussies arose, +stretching themselves and purring, and at once crowded around their +master, rubbing against him, and reaching up to be caressed, while one +little white cat named Gora climbed up to his shoulder and nestled in +his neck. 'Yes, they all have names,' said their master, 'and they know +them. There are Juno and Brutus and Caesar and Mayor and Lucette and +Boulanger--he's that large cat. He's as gentle and loving and playful +as a kitten. You know every word I am saying, don't you, old fellow?' +he added, as a beautiful, glossy tiger cat, with large liquid eyes, +came forward purring and showing every sign of feline delight and +satisfaction. + +[Illustration: 0118] + +“The star of the troupe is named Tibert, after the famous cat in the +ancient romance of 'Reynard and the Fox.' Tibert is two years old. He +is very agile and skillful. He leads the company in the jump through +blazing hoops, and his greatest delight is to turn somersaults over the +backs of chairs. + +“The performing cats lead very temperate and regular lives. They are +given an airing every day, and the large room where they live is lighted +and sunny and well supplied with soft cushions for beds. They are fed at +regular hours on bread and milk, and once a day they have all the liver +they can eat, as that has been found to be the most healthy meat for +them. They always have a pan of water, for water is something of which +every full-grown cat needs an abundant supply. + +“The cats in this troupe are all of the common varieties, black and +white cats, tigers, Maltese, and tortoise-shell. The trainer has tried +in vain to teach the Persian and Angora cats. They are beautiful for +pets, but they are not agile, nor capable of much affection, and they +have very little brains and a short memory. When M. Bonnetty needs +recruits for his troupe, he seeks them among the cats that climb roofs +at night and prowl over back-yard fences, as among these despised and +persecuted creatures he has discovered the highest degrees of docility, +sagacity, and intelligence.” + +[Illustration: 0119] + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +_The Elephant--Differences between Indian and African Elephants--The +Begging Elephant of Willenoor--Recognition of a Friend--What the +Elephant Enjoys--Elephant Working a Pump--One that Served as a Nursemaid +to Children--Madame Duphot's Pet, Nirjara--The Elephant who Remembered +an Injury--How Wild Elephants are Caught--Tame Elephants used +for Hunting Wild Ones--Manjari and what he did--Securing the +Captives--Driving a Herd into a Keddali--Laws against Killing +Elephants--The Sagacity of a Young Elephant in Robbing a Garden._ + +We will go at once from a small animal to a large one,” said Mr. Graham +at their next conversation about the intelligence of quadrupeds. +“And not only to a large one but to the largest four-footed animal in +existence.” + +“That must be the elephant,” said Charley, “as he is conceded to be the +largest land animal in the world.” + +“Yes,” replied the gentleman, “and what can you tell me about him?” + +“He belongs to the order of _Pachydermata_ and the section +_Proboscidean_,” the youth answered, “and his ordinary height at the +shoulder is about eight feet, though there are many elephants that +exceed ten feet. He is very bulky in proportion to his height and +length, the weight of a large elephant being about five tons. He can +sleep standing and often does so, but it is incorrect to suppose, as +some people do, that he cannot lie down on account of the shortness and +stiffness of his legs. He is very sure-footed and can go up and down +steep hills and mountains with very little trouble.” + +“Quite correctly stated,” said Mr. Graham as Charley paused. Then +turning to George he asked how many kinds of elephants there are in the +world. + +[Illustration: 0121] + +“There are only two distinct species now living,” said George, “and they +are known as the Indian and the African elephants. Some differences +have been found between the Sumatran elephant and the Indian one but the +naturalists are not agreed as to whether the Sumatran should be classed +as a distinct species.” + +“Evidently you have been reading up the subject of elephants,” said Mr. +Graham with a smile, “as I did not expect to find you so well informed. +But I have brought you something which probably you have not seen, and +it may combine instruction with amusement as it has much to do with +elephants.” + +Thereupon Mr. Graham took from the table a book which he explained was +written by Louis Jacolliott, a French gentleman who lived many years +in India and devoted much time and observation to the elephant. “I have +marked several passages in the volume,” said lie, “and you may read them +aloud in English, partly for practice in translating from French +but mainly for the edification of Mr. Webb and Henry as well as of +yourselves.” + +Charley was first called upon to translate from the marked passages, +which he did as follows: + +“The most curious and interesting animal which I have met,” says M. +Jacolliott, “is the elephant. Not the elephant of the menageries, broken +in spirit and submissive, but the elephant as he is found in his native +country. Some instances of his aptitude and intelligence are marvellous. + +“A few leagues from Pondichery stands a pagoda called Willenoor, which, +at the grand feasts of May, receives a multitude of five or six hundred +thousand pilgrims, coming from all parts of India. A number of sacred +elephants are attached to this pagoda, and among them is a mendicant, +or begging elephant. Twice each week this elephant, accompanied by +his driver, goes to the villages and to Pondichery to beg alms for the +priests of Willenoor. + +“Many times, working beneath the veranda, closed in by curtains on the +first story of my house, I have seen him lift the movable curtain with +his great trunk and balance himself to ask me for a piece of small coin, +which he sucked from my hand to his trunk, a distance of more than +three inches. I never failed to give him a small piece of money for +the pagoda, and for himself a loaf of bread which my servant dipped in +molasses, of which the elephant was very fond. In a short time we became +very friendly. He had seen me only in undress, that is, in the light +silk garments of the country, and then, only across the little pillars +of the balcony of my cottage. + +“One day I had occasion to go to Willenoor on business. I arrived at +noon; the sun was burning the earth; no one was seen in the streets or +on the verandas; every one was resting. + +“My carriage had stopped under a mango-tree in the principal square, and +I was about to start for the house of the thasildar, or governor of the +village, when all at once a monstrous black elephant came running out of +the pagoda which was opposite. He arrived in front of us and, before I +had time to collect my senses, he lifted me up, placed me on his neck +and started at full speed for the pagoda; he carried me across the +first enclosure, in which was the great well for bathing, and brought me +direct to the elephant quarters. + +“Once there, he placed me on the ground in the center of all his +companions; it was the begging elephant; he had recognized me. He +uttered short cries, lifting his trunk and waving his ears, which his +friends doubtless interpreted to my advantage, for when the thasildar, +followed by the priests of the temple, came out to seek the cause of +this strange demonstration, they found me calm, and recovered from my +surprise, in the midst of these enormous beasts who were tendering an +ovation in my behalf. + +“'This is most remarkable,' said one of the priests, 'I have never seen +them act so friendly toward any one.' + +“I related to him the circumstances of my gifts to the begging elephant. + +“'I am no longer surprised,' he answered, 'he has already recounted it +to the whole band and the gourmands are paying you these attentions in +hope of attaining the same reward.' + +“'Is it possible?' I said with amazement. + +“'I am perfectly sure of it. Do you wish to see the proof? Pass your +arm around the trunk of your elephant friend and make him understand by +signs that you wish him to go out with you; they will all follow you. +Allow yourself to be led and you will see where they will bring you.' + +[Illustration: 0124] + +[Illustration: 0125] + +“The priest with whom I had already spoken, and who was a professor of +philosophy at the temple of Willenoor, told me that from time to time +the begging elephant managed to escape from them, and wandered as far as +Pondichéry to beg on his own account. Knowing perfectly the market where +he obtained the provisions on his expeditions, he would go there, place +the money he had collected upon the table of a fruit merchant, and eat +as many pineapples, bananas, mangoes and as much sugar-cane and arrack +as the Hindoo would allow him for the money. + +[Illustration: 0125] + +“'I followed his instructions; the begging elephant and I took up the +lead, the nine others joined in the pace, uttering cries of contentment +among themselves. We passed through the gate of the pagoda and they led +me directly to the shop of a native baker. I would have been utterly +astounded had I not already known the wonderful intelligence of these +animals. At the shop my duty was readily understood and I presented +to each one a loaf of bread, covered with the precious molasses syrup, +which is their greatest delicacy. + +“The following instance occurred before my own eyes: + +“Every one knows that the elephant can be trained to do all kinds of +work. While I have no hesitation about relating instances bearing on +this statement, I prefer to tell of occurrences which indicate an actual +reasoning power in the animal. + +“It is customary in the settlements to water the cattle from large +wooden buckets filled with water pumped from a well. This is done that +they may not drink the water of the reservoirs, which is stagnant and +unwholesome. Ordinarily the pumping is done at early morning by one of +the elephants, the work taking nearly an hour. Accustomed to the task, +he does not wait to be ordered, and every morning, an hour before +sunrise he is at his labor with the precision of a living alarm-clock. + +“I was staying once at Trichinopoly, at the house of a friend of mine, +a merchant, who owned a grand villa a few leagues outside the city. The +sun was rising and my servant had just awakened me for my bath. Passing +through the yard I saw a large white elephant working at the pump. He +closed his eyes sadly and was apparently trying to turn his thoughts +from his wearisome labor. He saluted my presence with a joyful flapping +of his ears, for during the two days since my arrival I had given him +many dainties, but he did not cease from his work, which had to be +finished. + +“I was stroking him with my hand in passing, when I noticed that one +of the two planks which supported the bucket on either side had fallen +away. It thus happened that the bucket, being upheld on one side only, +spilled its contents without a possibility of being filled. + +“The elephant did not think that his work was ended because one side of +the bucket was filled: nor did he attempt the impossible feat of trying +to fill the other side until both sides were even. In a few minutes the +water commenced to run from the lower side of the bucket, and the animal +began to show signs of uneasiness; nevertheless he continued to pump. +Soon, however, he dropped the handle and drew nearer to observe the +cause of the trouble. He returned to the pump three times, each time +coming back to examine the bucket. I awaited the end of this strange +scene with unflagging interest. All at once a waving of the ears seemed +to indicate that an idea had occurred to him. + +“He came over to lift up the plank that had fallen away, and for a +moment I thought that he intended to put it back in its place under the +lower side of the bucket. But he was not troubled about the lower side, +which was already tilled with water; it was the other side which annoyed +him. Lifting the bucket carefully, he supported it for a moment with +one of his great feet, while with his trunk he pulled out the second +plank, and placed the bucket on solid earth, thus making it even on all +sides. This done, the labor of filling it was easy. + +[Illustration: 0127] + +“The elephant is much attached to the women and children in the +villages, and it would be dangerous for a stranger to make even an +unfriendly gesture in the presence of this animal. + +“It is a remarkable sight to see him guard his master's children in +their promenades; he watches everything; beasts, serpents, turf-pits and +swamps, in fact, any danger which may be imagined, is overcome by his +presence. His pace is regulated by that of the children, and he attends +them, gathering flowers, fruit from the trees, and sugar-canes; at a +motion from one of them he will break a tree-branch if one desires +to make a whip or cane. At the slightest noise which he does not +understand, if he sees a jackall or a hyena in the distant thicket, +he instantly gathers his brood under his trunk, commences to roar with +rage, and anything, lion, tiger or man which threatens harm to his +charges, is in danger of being dashed to the ground. + +“In the lowlands of the Ganges, a swampy country covered with jungles +and rice-fields, the royal Bengal tiger is found of great size and +ferocity. The combats between this terrible beast and the elephant, +guarding the cattle, servants or children of his master, are of almost +daily occurrence. The royal Bengal tiger is so fierce that he never +refuses to fight his adversary, although the end of the combat generally +finds him crushed to death under the feet of his terrible enemy. In +spite of the fact that the elephant is an unpitying foe in his battles +with the tiger, bear or rhinoceros, he never molests the smaller, +inoffensive animals. No matter what power a keeper may have over him, it +is impossible to make him crush an insect. + +“There is a little insect which children in Prance call '_les betes a +bon Dieu_'; the same insect is found in India, but growing to a size +twice as large as in France. I have often seen one of these little +creatures placed on a level surface, in the troughs of a yard, for +instance; I have seen the elephant ordered to crush the insect, but +never, for master or driver, would he lift his foot above it in passing +by, evidently avoiding any opportunity to do harm. If, on the contrary, +he is commanded to bring it to you, he will pick it up delicately with +his trunk, and place it in your hands without bruising its wings. + +“Nirjara, Madame Duphot's favorite elephant, was an admirable animal. He +was a white elephant, which is the most intelligent of all the elephant +race. About twenty-five years old, he possessed all the power of youth +and infancy, for, in the elephant, the full strength is not reached +until they have passed fifty years. Nirjara was not born in the +settlements. He was captured in a wild state by the elephants employed +for the purpose, and was presented as a gift to his mistress. As soon +as he had accustomed himself to his new surroundings, without a hope +of returning to the free life of the mountains, he had been made the +guardian of Madame Duphot's two young children, and the companion of all +their sports and journeys. Even in the ordinary walks and rides she +made use of the 'howdah' carried by Nirjara, in preference to her own +carriage. + +“This fine animal, having no other task, was entirely free to go and +come as he desired, but he seldom strayed beyond the sound of Madame's +whistle. He was devoted to her, and always hastened to answer the +slightest call. I have often seen him standing a few paces from the +veranda, following with his eye the movements of his mistress for hours +at a time. I believe he would have slain the entire household at a word +from her. Every day as a part of his food of fresh grass, she used +to prepare for him an eight-pound loaf of bread, made of rice and +maize-flour dipped in the juice of sugar-cane. This she gave to him with +her own hands. His drink was composed of water in which sugarcane had +been crushed, and in warm weather she frequently added to this a measure +of wine flavored with plenty of cinnamon and cloves. Her feeling +of security in the journeys made under his protection is easily +understood.” + +Here Charley paused at a signal from Mr. Graham and the book was handed +to George. The latter remarked that he had never before heard of an +elephant being regularly employed as a nursemaid, though he had read of +the great fondness which he has for children. + +“Many anecdotes are told of this peculiarity of the elephant,” said Mr. +Graham, “and he seems to remember kindness quite as much as the dog +or any other quadruped. He can also remember injuries or insults, even +though years may have passed since they occurred.” + +[Illustration: 0130] + +“I have read,” said Charley, “of a tailor at Acheen who was in front +of his shop one day when an elephant put his trunk in and begged for +something. Instead of giving him anything the man pricked the creature's +trunk with a needle and the elephant turned and went away. A long +time afterward the same elephant was in the neighborhood, and as he +approached the shop he filled his trunk with water from a trough, and +then watched his chance to eject it upon the man who had offended him.” + +[Illustration: 0131] + +“That story is in one of the books on the sagacity of animals,” Mr. +Graham answered. Then, turning to George, he said they would now +listen to something from M. Jacolliott about the mode of catching wild +elephants in India and Ceylon. + +Thereupon George read as follows: + +“Mounted on well trained elephants, the ordinary dangers of hunting are +readily comprehended and foreseen; the intelligence of these splendid +animals is sufficient to inspire confidence. Nevertheless, grave +accidents may arise. When the elephant becomes enraged in his pursuit +of a tiger, it sometimes happens that he listens to no voice whatever, +dashing madly onward until the 'howdah,' in which the hunter is +enclosed, is broken in pieces against a huge tree, branch, or other +obstacle. + +“It is extraordinary, in hunting wild elephants, that the trained +beasts, once on the field, have no other guide than their own +instincts. At the first sight of a human form the hunted animal retreats +immediately to the thicket, where pursuit is very likely to end in a +catastrophe to the pursuers; or, the wild elephants, sometimes being +assembled in force, will turn courageously to give battle to the trained +animals, of which battle the result can never be foreseen. + +“In these expeditions, the slightest carelessness will sometimes reveal +the lurking-place of the hunters; the chase is only undertaken with +twice as many trained elephants as there are wild ones to be captured, +and then only when it has been ascertained by trustworthy scouts that +there are no large troops of elephants within a circle of forty or fifty +miles. The utmost care is used in this respect. When there is no other +way, the Hindoos who make a profession of elephant-hunting sometimes +attack with an inferior force, but the European, who follows the chase +for pleasure, does not fail to take all necessary precautions.” + +“The following is an account of one of these hunts: + +“The last commands had hardly been given to Manjari, the chief elephant, +by his master, when he started, at the head of his little troop, to +descend the hill on the opposite side to that by which we had ascended; +he marched slowly, giving no evidence of his intention to rejoin the +party which he was leaving behind. The intelligent animal played his +part to perfection; he moved slowly, with his companions, toward the +stream which wound through the depth of the ravine, as if he intended to +slake his thirst at the water. On his way down he stopped here and there +to break a tree branch or to pick up a bunch of grass, which he lazily +deposited in his mouth. + +“The wild elephants, resting in the valley, gazed on Manjari and his +troop with curiosity but without, alarm; every movement proved that they +had no suspicion of the intentions of the new-comers. + +“Suddenly we witnessed a remarkable sight. A young elephant, which was +in the wild herd with its mother, seeing Manjari and his companions +advancing slowly, bounded toward them to make acquaintance with the +strangers. + +[Illustration: 0133] + +The young animal was recalled two or three times by its mother, but she, +seeing that no attention was paid to her calls, continued her watching +from a distance wondering, without doubt, at the welcome extended to her +little one. The old elephant Manjari received the little wanderer with +cries of joy and marks of tenderness which were too well feigned to +arouse suspicion. When, however, the first reception was over, Manjari +gave a signal and two elephants placed themselves, one on each side of +the young one, and he was a captive. + +[Illustration: 0134] + +“They marched to the banks of the stream and drank eagerly; then, +without the slightest hesitation, they directed their way toward the +two wild elephants who were to be brought back as prisoners. The young +elephant seemed overjoyed to see its new friends going toward the place +where its mother was lying. She answered its cries, without an idea of +the danger which was impending. Her companion was gathering here and +there tufts of grass, and devouring the young buds of the trees. + +“They were surrounded in a very short time, and when they realized that +they had to deal with enemies, it was too late to fly; each one had been +caught by its trunk by two of the animals under Manjari and opposition +and resistance were alike vain. After a few struggles they seemed to +understand their position and they commenced to fill the forest with +roars and cries of despair. + +“Four more trained elephants were now turned loose and they immediately +joined their troop; they were not needed, however, as two of the trained +elephants could easily lead a wild one, but their presence served to +remove the last faint hope of escape for the captured animals. All this +was accomplished easily, without any visible resistance. In a moment +their trunks were seized, all power of defence was taken away, and the +captives were pressed on each side with such terrible force by their +captors, that they seemed to understand instinctively the futility of +resistance. + +“When the first attempt was made to force them to walk, they made +a supreme effort to remain, but a shower of blows from the trunk of +Manjari decided their movements in a short space of time. When the poor +brutes saw our party, they were terror-stricken and trembled violently; +our weak appearance evidently produced a greater effect on their +imagination, than did that of their captors. + +“In a little time, a hunter crept behind each of them, and having given +orders to have them held firmly, bound their hind feet with chains of +special strength. From this moment a single elephant easily guarded +them; they could only march slowly, and a child could have escaped them. +Nothing now remained but to train them, and to make them forget, by kind +and gentle treatment, their early life and the great forests in which +they were born. + +“Ordinarily it is possible to approach a captured elephant at the end of +three days; on the eighth day the chains are taken off, and when a month +has passed by the animal will go about quietly with the trained ones, +imitating their actions, and offering to take part in their work. +Indeed, it sometimes happens that, a few hours after the hunt is over, +captors and captives are on the best of terms with each other, and the +latter are set free by the Hindoo banters on the third or fourth day. + +[Illustration: 0136] + +“When the elephant has tasted the delights of civilized life, he never +returns to the jungle except to hunt, in his turn, his own fellows, and +in this pursuit he displays as much cunning as the older ones did in +capturing him.” + +“Another mode of hunting elephants,” said Mr. Webb, “is by driving them +into a keddah or corral. A strong yard is built with trunks of trees set +in the ground like posts about two feet apart so that men can easily go +in and out but elephants cannot pass. + +[Illustration: 0137] + +From the entrance of the yard two fences enclosing a space shaped like a +'V' are extended several miles and the herd of wild elephants is driven +so that it will come into the space enclosed by the 'V' Until they are +within the jaws of the fences the driving is done very quietly so as +not to alarm the animals and put them to flight, but when they are once +inside of it, all silence comes to an end, and the hunters make as much +noise as possible with guns, drums and other instruments. This frightens +the elephants and they rush pell-mell into the keddah, where they are +made prisoners.” + +George asked if the elephants were killed when caught or were simply +made prisoners. + +“No elephants are wantonly killed nowadays in India and Ceylon,” said +Mr. Webb, “with the exception of those that are actually dangerous on +account of their vices. There are stringent laws against shooting an +elephant, the animal being under government protection, and whenever a +herd is driven into a keddah the officials select as many as are wanted +for use and allow the rest to return to the forest. In the early part of +this century the government gave a bounty in Ceylon for the slaughter of +elephants and great numbers were killed by hunters. The mistake in the +policy was not discovered until the animals became very scarce, when the +laws were reversed. Instead of paying now to have elephants killed the +government protects them by making it a serious offence to shoot one.” + +“But the case is different in Africa,” said the gentleman. “The African +elephant is not domesticated at present, or very rarely so, though he +seems to have been in ancient times if we may judge by history. The +famous Jumbo was an African elephant; you remember that his ears were +about three times as large as those of an ordinary elephant, and this is +the principal feature which distinguishes one kind from the other. The +African is not as docile as the Asiatic elephant; he is hunted for his +ivory and for his flesh, which is eagerly devoured by the natives. He +is shot, speared, driven into pit-falls, and otherwise taken, and his +numbers are said to be diminishing rapidly. By the end of the century, +at the rate the destruction is going on, there will not be many African +elephants remaining.” + +George asked about, the mammoth which formerly lived in Siberia, and +whose remains are occasionally found at the present time where they have +lain for thousands of years imbedded in the frozen earth. Mr. Graham +told him that the mammoth was a member of the elephant family, and his +body was covered with thick fur or long hair to protect it from the +cold. Of the few specimens that have been found the tusks were longer +than those of the elephant and greatly curved; the skele were trimmed +into the required shape for telegraph poles; a number of them being +piled at intervals along the track. + +[Illustration: 0140] + +“Then the elephants were sent to carry the poles to the distances they +were to be set apart. I saw one mahout conduct his elephant to-a pile +of these heavy poles and tell the intelligent animal to pick one up. He +then, with a long wand he had for the purpose, measured off the distance +and accompanied the elephant, who carried the pole to the place the +mahout indicated. Then I saw the mahout tell the elephant to go to the +pile and place them in line along the track, at the ton of one is in +the museum at St. Petersburg, and portions of the hair and skin are +preserved with it. + +[Illustration: 0139] + +Returning to the subject of the intelligence of the elephant, Mr. +Grahani read the following from the pen of an American traveler in +Burmah, who tells how the elephant was employed in building a telegraph +line: + +“First a track was made by felling all timber and clearing off any +undergrowth, etc., to about twenty feet in width, hundreds of men being +employed. Such trees as were suitable in length and otherwise same +distance apart as the one he had measured. The man then lay down under +a tree and went to sleep. In the meantime the noble animal took up each +piece of timber, and carried it to its proper place in the line. I felt +so interested that I stayed to witness the whole proceeding. I measured +the distance by pacing and found them all to be equal in length and +correctly placed like the first one. The beast then went to his mahout +and gently touched him with the tip of his trunk and awoke him, as much +as to say, 'All is finished, master, according to your orders.' The +mahout awoke, mounted the elephant, and went forward to continue the +line in the same easy and agreeable manner.” + +[Illustration: 0141] + +The same writer says:-- + +“The young elephants are made pets of and not allowed to work until +fully grown. That they are not deficient in understanding, even at +an early age, the following anecdote will prove:--The commissioner at +Shweygheen had a young elephant, quite a baby, given him by a Burmese +gentleman, and the lively intelligent beast afforded much amusement to +his owner and all who knew him. + +“The youngster could do everything but speak. He was kept in a stable +in the garden, specially made for him, the sides being composed of stout +planks instead of the usual wattled split bamboo. The heavy teak door +was fastened on the outside by a sliding bar of the same wood, running +in iron staples. The paths and walks through the garden were made of +ground rolled and pressed to the hardness of a macadamized road. + +“Shortly after the young elephant's arrival and installation in his +stable, the garden was found one morning to have been robbed during' the +night, the mangoes especially suffering, a quantity of the best fruit +having been taken. No traces were left by the thief or thieves, there +were no footprints on the soft ground outside, nothing to indicate how +an entrance had been made into the garden. This went on for several +nights, and at last it was discovered that the young elephant was the +thief. He used to raise the edge of the roof so as to put out his trank +and slide the bolt; then there was no obstacle to prevent opening the +door, and he opened it and went into the garden. After regaling himself +on the fruit he returned to the stable, closed the door, slid the bolt +into its place, let the edge of the roof fall to its proper position, +and thus made it impossible for any one to know he had been out.” + +[Illustration: 5142] + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +_Apes, Baboons and Monkeys--The Apes at Gibraltar--How they Saved the +Fort from Surprise--A Monkey Fishing Party--The Monkey's Resemblance to +Man--Illustrations of his Intelligence--A Monkey Theater--Dressing the +Performers--The Four-handed Actors and What they Did--Interview with +their Trainer--Mandrills and their Peculiarities--The Chacma and +his Uses as a Watch-Dog--How Monkeys find Water--Differences between +Old-World and New-World Monkeys--Monkeys with Prehensile Tails--The +South American Howler--Sapajous and Spider Monkeys--Simian +Intelligence--Organizing to Rob Gardens--A Bridge of Monkeys._ + +WHAT animal shall we consider now?” queried Mr. Graham at their next +conversation. + +“We've just had the elephant,” said George, “who belongs in Africa and +Asia. + +[Illustration: 8143] + +Suppose we talk about another animal of those countries, the monkey.” + +“If you mean that the monkey belongs exclusively in Africa and Asia +as the elephant does,” said Harry, “you're wrong. The monkey is found +there, it is true, but he is also found in America and Europe.” + +“I know he's found in America,” replied George, “but didn't know that he +lived in Europe in a wild state. The only European monkeys I ever heard +of were in captivity.” + +“You're not far wrong, though,” Harry answered with a slight, laugh, “as +there's only one place in Europe where monkeys run wild and that is on +the Rock of Gibraltar.” + +[Illustration: 0144] + +“Are there many of them?” + +“No, not a great number, and they are supposed to be descended from +some that were brought there from Africa and escaped from captivity. +The naturalists class them as Magots or Barbary Apes, and say they are +identical with the monkeys or apes of Northern Africa. Before we go +further let me explain that an ape is a monkey without a tail, a baboon +is a monkey with a short tail, and a monkey is an animal of the same +great family with a long tail.” + +“We thank you for the explanation,” said Harry, and his words were, +echoed by George. + +“Some interesting stories are told about these Gibraltar monkeys,” said +Mr. Graham, resuming the topic of conversation. + +“What are they, please?” exclaimed the youths in a breath. + +“It is said,” remarked Mr. Graham, “that a few weeks before the famous +siege of Gibraltar, the Spaniards attempted to surprise one of the +British outposts, and they would have succeeded if it had not been for +the monkeys. The party which was attempting the surprise had to pass a +group of monkeys; the animals set up such a chattering as to alarm +the outpost and put it on its guard. As a reward for their services +in saving Gibraltar, the English garrison has ever since allowed the +monkeys to live unmolested. + +“Another story,” the gentleman continued, “relates to the imitative +powers of the monkey. When Lord Howe went to the relief of the garrison +during the siege, he had among the reinforcements the Twenty-fifth +Regiment of infantry. After peace had been declared, several officers of +this regiment went to a spot at the back of the rock to amuse themselves +by catching fish. They found a good place for their purpose, and were +busily engaged in catching whiting, when they were pelted by some one +concealed on the steep rock above them. They shifted their ground two +or three times, and finally found a place where they were no longer +disturbed. + +“The fish were biting at a goodly rate when suddenly the drums sounded +to arms. The officers rowed their boat ashore, left it high and dry on +the beach, and then hurried away to report for duty. + +“When they came back they were greatly surprised to find that the +position of the boat had been changed, and some of the hooks which had +been left bare were baited. The lines were a good deal tangled, and it +was evident that whoever used the boat had not been at all particular +about other people's property. + +“In a day or two the mystery was explained. An officer of Hanoverian +Grenadiers had taken a solitary walk on that very afternoon, and found a +party of young monkeys pelting the fishermen from behind the rocks. The +officer was a good deal of a naturalist, and so he concealed himself +carefully and watched the performance. + +“While the youngsters were pelting the fishermen, several old monkeys +arrived and drove the mischievous youths away. Then they sat down and +watched very attentively the business of fish-taking, and when the +officers beached their boat and went away, the monkeys determined to +improve their lesson. They launched the boat, baited the hooks, and went +to fishing. They caught a few fish, and then came back to shore, left +the boat and retired up the rock before the officers came in sight +again.” + +“Did they carry off the fish they had caught?” George asked. + +“Yes,” was the reply, “not only what they caught themselves but those +that the officers had left in the boat.” + +“What a human action!” exclaimed Harry. + +[Illustration: 9146] + +“The men who argue that we are descended from monkeys ought to know of +the performance of the Gibralter apes.” + +“Not only in actions but in structure,” said Mr. Graham, “does the +monkey bear a resemblance to man. Several naturalists have regarded the +monkey as only an inferior form of the human race and have so classified +him. The celebrated naturalist Linnæus placed man with monkeys in his +order of Primates or first animals. He made his genus _Homo_ consist of +human beings (_Homo sapiens_), of chimpanzees (_Homo Troglodytes_), of +orang outangs (_Homo satyrus_), and the Gibbons _Homo lar_.” + +“Was his classification accepted by the other naturalists?” one of the +youths asked. + +“By some, but by no means by all,” was the reply. + +“There was aloud protest against it, not by the monkeys, who didn't +trouble their heads on the subject, but learned men and others who felt +that the dignity of the human race had been affronted. As time went +on the opinions of Linnæus fell more and more into disfavor, and the +present classification places man in a distinct genus, that of _Bimana_ +(two-handed) while the whole tribe of monkeys, apes and the like, are +classed as _Quadrumana_ (four-handed.) + +“It must be admitted,” continued Mr. Graham, “that from a purely +anatomical point of view, the monkey has a close resemblance to man. He +can stand upright, has a nude face, his eyes are directed forward, +his internal organs are very much the same, and he is subject to many +diseases of which man is the victim. But although he can walk upright he +does so with difficulty; his forelegs or arms are much longer than the +human arm, in proportion to the rest of the body, and although he has +the same organs in his throat he has not the power of speech. Though his +hand is shaped like the human one in a general way, it is far from being +as perfect; the fingers do not act separately like those of man and the +thumb is short and unwieldy and does not oppose each of the fingers, or +only very imperfectly so.” + +“I have read somewhere,” said Harry, “that the highest intellect shown +by the monkey is lower than that of the most degraded savage. Monkeys +are not afraid of fire, but no monkey ever rose to the intelligence of +producing it by rubbing two sticks together as is done by the lowest of +savages.” + +“You are right,” said Mr. Graham. “The observation you refer to was made +by a French philosopher, Joseph de Maistre. There are other points in +which we can show a wide gulf between man and the quadrumana, but we +will drop them for the present.” + +At this moment an exclamation from George turned attention in his +direction. + +“Here's something for us to see,” said George, as he held up a newspaper +on which he had rested his eye for a moment, while listening to the +remarks of Mr. Graham. + +“What is it?” Harry asked. + +“A monkey show,” was the reply, “a theatrical performance by trained +monkeys, or rather a pantomime, as the animals cannot be expected to +talk as human actors do.” + +It was agreed at once that the monkey performance was something to +be seen, and accordingly arrangements were made for attending it. +Mr. Graham explained to the youths that while these performances were +comparatively rare in America they were an old established institution +in Europe. “Germany and Italy,” said he, “are famous for them, and in +some of the German and Italian cities there are monkey theaters where +performances are given by quadrumana throughout the entire year. They +are assisted by dogs and ponies, and altogether the show is very funny +and interesting.” + +The exhibition which our friends attended was managed by Mr. Brockmann, +a famous monkey-trainer of Vienna, who thought it would be a good +speculation to bring his troupe to America. Among the members of his +four-handed company were Kullman, the elegant circus rider; the fat +and lovesick Lottie; Anthony, a gentleman not to be joked with with +impunity; Jack, a little dandy; and George, the clown of the company, +who was said to create any amount of fun by his queer antics. + +[Illustration: 0149] + +Our young friends read with interest an account from a German paper of +the preparations for their nightly appearance on the stage. “As soon as +the operation of dressing begins,” says the writer, “the cunning little +animals begin to be restless. They shuffle to and fro on their high +stools; they sneeze and blow and sniffle, and make faces at the keepers +and each other. But woe to him who would dare laugh at their grimaces +and their fooling. He would soon make acquaintance with their teeth and +nails. The comical little fellows love to carry on all sorts of fun, +but they wont allow anybody to laugh at them. For this reason they are +attached with little chains to their stools as long as their dressing +lasts. + +[Illustration: 9150] + +They like to play all sorts of tricks with the keepers who are dressing +them. One of them amuses himself by tearing his brand new trousers into +shreds, and when he has fully succeeded in doing so, he gives vent to +his delight by loud screams. Another takes pleasure in pulling off the +vest which the keeper has had the greatest difficulty in buttoning on +him, and grins at the unfortunate man with truly fiendish delight. A +third absolutely refuses to put his tiny little hand into the sleeves, +although the keeper holds the armhole in the most inviting manner before +him. The little rascal pretends not to be able to find it, pushing his +hands in every direction but the right one. If the keeper at last loses +his patience and pushes the arm by force into the sleeve, the indignant +artist feels insulted, and replies with a ringing slap in the keeper's +face. + +“At last the operation of dressing has been performed. The little +artists sit quietly on their stools, not a little proud of their gay +costumes. They grin and wink at each other, and munch with great delight +nuts and almonds and other delicacies with which they are rewarded. +Lottie is particularly vain and proud of her pretty costume. With great +complacency she pulls her dress, arranges her coiffure, pushes her hat +from one side to the other to see which is most becoming, and keeps on +a continual flirtation with the gentlemen of the company. Dainty little +Jack, for whom these demonstrations of love are intended, seems to +trouble himself very little about his coquetish mistress. He sits +quietly in a corner enjoying the draughts from a small bottle of mild +beer, of which he is particularly fond, taking very great care that not +a drop of the precious liquor is spilled on his snowy white jacket and +apron, which as cook is his professional costume. Jack is possessed of a +most versatile talent. With equal skill and elegance he appears now as +a cook, then as a coachman, or a circus rider and athlete. Besides +this, he has assumed for his own pleasure the function of picking up the +various articles that lie scattered on the stage after the performance +and conveying them swiftly behind the scenes.” + +While waiting for the performance to begin, Harry read the following +account of a reporter's interview with Mr. Brockmann, the manager of the +monkey troupe. The reporter asked about the system of training, and in +reply to the question the manager said: “I cannot tell everything, as +I have certain methods which I do not want to make generally known. For +forty years my father and I have given exhibitions of trained animals, +and in that time we have naturally learned much of their habits and +dispositions. The great thing, however, is to gain command of an +animal's entire attention. Once this is obtained, all the rest is +comparatively easy. When a monkey's training begins he is restless, his +eyes wander all over the room, and his attention is never for more than +a minute concentrated on any one thing. I have to teach him to forget +everything else and watch me. He must learn to keep his eyes on mine. +If any one in the audience will watch the monkeys when they are doing +important acts, he will see that they never take their eyes off me. It +is a singular thing that, while dogs and ponies look larger on the stage +than they really are, monkeys appear very much smaller when dressed up. +I have a little monkey who is an even better tightrope performer than +the one now exhibited, but he would look so small that the audience +would scarcely be able to see his feats. My animals are very fond of me. +The rewards you see me give them on the stage are almonds and raisins.” + +The reporter had an opportunity of witnessing a display of the monkeys' +affection for Mr. Brockman, when he made his first appearance for the +day in their dressing-room. He went the rounds and spoke a word or two +to each. Some kissed him, others climbed up and put their arms around +his neck, and each exhibited the utmost impatience till his turn for +recognition came. + +“What monkeys are the easiest to train?” inquired the reporter. + +“Mandrills and baboons, though they are perhaps a little more delicate +than the other kinds. + +[Illustration: 9152] + +Still my father had one for thirty years. The oldest performer in the +present troupe is a blue-faced mandrill, whom I have had for twelve +years. He is very good-tempered and will not reject any attentions you +may feel inclined to show him. As a general rule, when a monkey holds +out his hand encouragingly it is safest to give him a wide berth, and +one who is chattering to himself is nearly always in a bad temper.” + +“How often do you feed them, and what, is their favorite food?” + +“When they are performing twice they get four light meals a day, milk, +fruit, and potatoes being their principal diet. We keep their cages very +clean, but they look after their own toilets and we do not wash them.” + +“What animals do you find possess the most intelligence, monkeys, dogs +or horses?” + +“There are clever and stupid specimens of each, but I don't think there +is any great difference in general intelligence. The great difficulty +with all of them is to get undivided attention.” + +[Illustration: 0153] + +“What is the difference between a mandrill and an ordinary monkey?” + queried Harry as he paused at the end of his reading. + +“The mandrill,” said Mr. Graham, “is one of the many members of the +monkey family, and belongs among the apes or the baboons. He is a native +of the coast of Guinea in Africa, and has a very short tail or no tail +at all; his face is furrowed, and so much resembles that of a dog, that +he is often spoken of as a dog-faced monkey. A full grown mandrill is +about, five feet high when standing erect, and his head is very large +in proportion to his body. He is not the best looking of his race, and +would never be chosen as a contestant for a prize for beauty. + +“There are monkeys with tails,” continued Mr. Graham, “and monkeys +without tails, and the list of each kind is so long that you couldn't +remember a quarter of it if it were repeated. Generally speaking the +apes, or the tailless monkeys, are more quiet in disposition than the +others, and hence they are the easiest to teach and control. At best the +monkey is a restless animal, and his attention cannot be kept at any one +thing for more than a few moments. Mr. Brockmann justly says that the +work of securing the monkey's attention is the most difficult part of +his education.” + +“I have read about a variety of monkey that the settlers at the Cape of +Good Hope train to serve as watch-dogs,” said Harry. “Are they of the +same kind as the mandrills?” + +“Not exactly.” was the reply, “but they are closely related to them. +They are known as chaemas, and when full grown are as large as an +English mastiff and excel him in strength and agility. The chaema has a +tail about half as long as his body and with a tuft of hair at the end. +Like most other monkeys he is a great thief, and cannot be trusted in +the presence of provisions of which he is fond. He has such a keen scent +that it is very difficult to poison him, and he can find water when +the most experienced traveler or bushman is unable to discover it. The +Hottentots in traveling carry a tame chaema with them, and when unable +to find water they turn him loose and follow him. After carefully +surveying the ground, he selects a spot and begins to dig; the +Hottentots dig where he directs, and almost invariably succeed in +finding the water that they want.” + +[Illustration: 0155] + +“But how about his serving as a watch-dog?” + +“He can hear sounds that are inaudible even to the dogs; in a camp he +will always give the alarm when danger approaches, and so much do the +dogs rely on him, that they go to sleep in the fullest confidence that +he will call them in case their services are wanted. When he gives the +alarm, they are on the alert and rush in the direction he indicates. + +“He generally lives on good terms with the dogs, and one traveler who +carried a chaema tells how the beast used to jump on the backs of +the dogs when he was tired. Some of them used to carry him without +objection, but others did not like to be employed as pack animals. One +in particular always stopped when the chaema mounted his shoulders, and +allowed the caravan to pass on out of sight. The monkey did not like to +be separated from the caravan, and as it disappeared over the plain or +among the hills he would dismount and follow it. The cunning dog then +joined him in running to overtake the caravan, but always managed to +keep the chaema a little in advance, so that he would not be likely to +jump again on the dog's shoulders.” + +“Which shows that the intellect of the dog was superior to that of the +chaema,” George remarked. + +“The dog's reasoning powers are superior to those of the monkey.” + said Mr. Graham, “but the latter has the greater faculty for pure +imitation.--Ah! there goes the curtain and the performance is about to +commence.” + +Here is the account which Harry wrote after his return from the theater: + +“The opening scene is entitled 'African Friends Meet--A dinner at +Delmonico's.' Seated at a table on the stage when the curtain rises, +are three monkeys, dressed in the height of fashion. They are Mr. +Blackberry, a dude: Colonel Axletree, a retired army officer, and Miss +Terrini, from the Darwinian Theater. Mr. Blackberry rings a bell which +summons a waitress. The waitress hands the diners a bill of fare and +each gives an order. Presently. M. Pouillon, the cook, comes in to +consult the feasters, who explain just how they want everything served. +The monkey cook bows in inimitable French style and departs. In a moment +or two the dinner is served, the only unusual thing in the act being the +fact that each monkey steals a portion of his neighbor's food. While his +master's back is turned the cook takes a sly drink from a bottle, and +also helps himself to the contents of a basket which he has been +ordered to place on the table. The monkeys at the table appear to be in +conversation, and the by-play among them is very amusing. The pantomine +is excellent and the apes do almost everything but speak. + +“The adventures of Robert Macaire are illustrated by two monkeys known +as Cadieux and Ravennes, while another called Robinson does several +clever acts as a circus rider. He rides upright upon a pony's back, +jumps through rings and over hurdles. + +[Illustration: 8157] + +Other monkeys stand on their heads, walk tight-ropes with balancing +rods, turn somersaults, and do acts on the flying trapeze.” + +On the way home from the theater the conversation about monkeys was +continued, and the youths made mental note of several matters on which +they desired information. Harry expressed his disappointment at the +absence of tails on the performing monkeys, a circumstance which has +already been explained. The youth said he had expected to see the +creatures suspending themselves by the tail from the ropes where they +were to walk or balance themselves; he thought it would have added +materially to the interest of the performance, and wondered if the +monkey trainers of Asia or Africa could not do better in this line than +did Mr. Brockmann. + +“As to that,” replied Mr. Graham, “I am in very great doubt or rather in +no doubt at all. No Asiatic or African monkey can suspend himself by the +tail, no matter how long that appendage may be.” + +“Do you mean,” said Harry, “that none of the old world monkeys have +prehensile tails?” + +“Exactly so,” was the reply. “The only monkeys that can use the tail +as a fifth hand, or for clinging to branches of trees, are found in +America, and never in the old world unless they have been carried there +from this country. But do not understand that all the American monkeys +have prehensile tails; some of them have the tail wonderfully developed +and useful, while others cannot hold on with it, and several varieties +have almost no tails at all. A naturalist who lived four years in South +America says that in that time he saw twenty-one varieties of monkey, +seven of them having prehensile and fourteen of them non-prehensile +tails. The Asiatic monkey does not seem to be aware that the tail can be +made of any use, but the liveliest of the American monkeys employ it for +picking up objects and for support while swinging among the trees. And +we may further say that the monkeys of the old world are unlike those +of the new, none of the varieties that exist on one side of the Atlantic +being found on the other. + +“The largest of the American monkeys is far below the largest of his +Asiatic or African cousins in the matter of size. While several members +of the baboon family are five feet in height, and a large gorilla is +said to be six feet or very nearly when standing erect, the largest of +the American monkeys, if we leave his long tail out of calculation, does +not exceed three feet. He belongs in South America, and is known as +the Howler, and he can howl louder than twenty men if the stories of +travelers are to be believed. The noise he makes is so terrific, that +many a traveler has been frightened by it and has thought that all the +wild beasts of the woods had assembled close at hand, and were about to +devour everybody and everything within their neighborhood. One monkey +gives a howl, and when he is tired he signals to the rest tried to +ascertain accurately how far the sound could be heard. Judging the +distance by the time it took him to reach the tree where the monkeys +were, he thought two miles not an over estimate; when the sound came +across a lake unimpeded by trees it was easily audible a good three +miles.” + +George asked if these animals kept up their howling when in captivity? + +“They all shout in chorus. After a while they stop, and then the +solitary one starts up again. And in this way the unearthly chorus is +kept up from midnight till sunrise; sometimes they begin at the close of +day and keep it up all night, making it quite impossible for a traveler +to sleep within a mile of them.” + +[Illustration: 0159] + +“Can they really be heard at the distance of a mile?” one of the boys +asked. + +“Yes, and farther still,” was the reply. + +Mr Graham explained that they were active enough in the woods, but as +soon as they became prisoners they lost all their spirit, displayed +surly dispositions, refused to make friends with anybody, and soon died +of grief. + +[Illustration: 9160] + +Other varieties of South American monkeys were more tractable, Mr Graham +further explained, and he specially mentioned the little spider monkey +and a sapajou as amusing and affectionate. + +“Some of these American monkeys,” Mr Graham continued, “show a great +deal of intelligence, bordering upon reason. A naturalist who studied +them in Brazil says that when one of them received an egg for the first +time he broke it clumsily and lost half the contents, but so, he handled +it with the greatest care. Lumps of sugar were occasionally given to +him wrapped in paper; one day a live wasp was put in the paper with the +sugar, so that when the monkey tore it open he was stung. After that +he always held the paper to his ear and listened intently to detect any +movement within.” + +“Haven't I read,” said Harry, “about monkeys organizing raids upon +orchards and gardens in a very systematic manner, just as boys or men +might do?” + +“Quite likely you have,” was the reply, “for such things are by no means +uncommon. Monkeys are gregarious animals and hunt in the second time he +only broke the top and lost nothing. Ever after that when he received an +egg he gently broke the top by hitting it against a hard substance, +and then picked off the fragments of the shell with his fingers. After +cutting himself once with a sharp tool he would not for some time touch +it again, and when he finally did troops; these troops generally have +their chiefs, whom they obey implicity, and there would seem to be +some mode of communication among them by which orders are issued and +understood. + +“The monkeys of Northern Africa come down from their places of +concealment in the forest and rob the gardens of the people, carrying +off the fruit by wholesale. Sentinels are posted to give warning in +case of danger, then one of the troop climbs over the fence followed by +another and another. They form a line from the wall to the tree which is +to be robbed, and as fast as the fruit is plucked it is passed from one +to another with the greatest rapidity. Those at the farther end of the +line and outside of the garden wall, load themselves with all they can +carry and then move away; as soon as the fruit has been stripped from +the tree, or at the slightest note of alarm, the whole line scrambles +off and is out of reach in a moment.” + +[Illustration: 0162] + +“How do they divide their spoil?” one of the youths asked. + +“We don't know that,” was the reply, “but it is certain they have some +form of division or they would not pass the fruit from one to another as +they do. It is quite possible that the chief takes the best for himself +and either assigns the others their shares or lets them quarrel over +what he does not want.” + +“Another instance of their close imitation of human customs,” said +George with a laugh. + +“Captain Mayne Reid gives an interesting account,” said Mr. Graham, “of +how monkeys in the tropical forest of America cross a stream. It is an +excellent illustration of the subject we have under consideration.” + +When they reached home Mr. Graham found the book containing the story +and handed it to Harry, who read aloud as follows: + +“The half-human voices now sounded nearer, and we could perceive that +the animals were approaching the spot where we lay. Presently they +appeared upon the opposite bank, headed by an old gray chieftain, +and officered like so many soldiers. They were of the _comadreja_ or +ring-tailed tribe. + +“One--an aide-de-camp, or chief pioneer, perhaps--ran out upon a +projecting rock, and after looking across the stream, as if calculating +the distance, scampered back, and appeared to communicate with the +leader. This produced a movement in the troops. Commands were issued, +and fatigue parties were detailed and marched to the front. + +[Illustration: 8163] + +Meanwhile several of the _comadrejas_--engineers, no doubt--ran along +the bank, examining the trees on both sides. + +“At length they all collected around a tall cotton-wood tree that grew +over the narrowest part of the stream, and twenty or thirty of them +scampered up its trunk. + +“On reaching a high point, the foremost, a strong fellow, ran out upon +a limb, and taking several turns of his tail around it, slipped off and +hung head downwards. The next on the limb, also a stout one, climbed +down the body of the first, and whipping his tail tightly round the neck +and forearm of the latter, dropped off in his turn, and hung, head down. +The third repeated the maneuver upon the second, and the fourth upon the +third, and so on, until the last one upon the string rested his forepaws +upon the ground. + +“The living chain now commenced swinging backward and forward, like +the pendulum of a clock. The motion was slight at first, but gradually +increased, the lowermost monkey striking his hands violently on the +earth as he passed the tangent of the oscillating curve. Several others +upon the limbs above aided the movement. + +“This continued until the monkey at the end of the chain was thrown +among the branches of a tree on the opposite bank. Here, after two or +three vibrations, he clutched a limb and held fast. This movement was +executed adroitly, just at the culminating point of the oscillation, in +order to save the intermediate links from the violence of a too sudden +jerk. + +“The chain was fast at both ends, forming a complete suspension bridge, +over which the whole troop, to the number of four or five hundred, +passed with the rapidity of thought. + +“The troop was now on the other side, but how were the animals forming +the bridge to get themselves over? This was the question which suggested +itself. Manifestly by number one letting go his tail. But then the point +d'appui on the other side was much lower down, and number one, with half +a dozen of his neighbors, would be dashed against the opposite bank, or +soused into the water. + +“Here, then, was a problem, and we waited with some curiosity for its +solution. It was soon solved. A monkey was now seen attaching his tail +to the lowest on the bridge, another girded him in a similar manner, and +another and so on until a dozen more were added to the string. These +last were all powerful fellows, and running up a high limb, they lifted +the bridge into a position almost horizontal. + +“Then a scream from the last monkey of the new formation warned the +tail-end that all was ready, and the next moment the whole chain was +swung over, and landed safely on the opposite bank. The lowermost links +now dropped off like a melting candle, while the higher ones leaped on +the branches and came down by the trunk. The whole troop then scampered +off into the chapparal and disappeared.” + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +_A Famous Chimpanzee--Mr. Crowley of Central Park--His Origin +and History--Details of his Early Life--His Training and +Accomplishments--Elating at Table with Knife, Fork, and Spoon--Furniture +of his Apartment--Drinking from a Cup--What he Eats and Drinks--His +appreciation of Music--Refusal to wear Clothes--Ill of Pneumonia and +Recovery--A bad Temper--The Gorilla and his near Relatives--The Gorilla +at Home--Du Chaillu's Experiences--Friendship between a Dog and a +Gorilla--The Orang-outang--His Home and Habits--Performances of a +Baby Orang--The Gibbon--Gentlest of the Monkey Family--Mr. Newmian's +Pet--Long-nosed Monkeys--Monkeys catching Crabs with their Tails--How +the Traveler Lost and Recovered his Red Caps--The Monkey and the +Mirror--The Orang that Saved the Child._ + +The afternoon of the day following the visit to the monkey theater was +devoted to a visit to the collection of wild animals in Central Park. +The special object of the visit was a famous chimpanzee known as Mr. +Crowley, who was the wonder and admiration of many children and grown +people on account of his intelligence and accomplishments. + +Unfortunately for the interest of science and the amusement of the +public, Mr. Crowley met the fate that befalls most monkeys who are +brought from their tropical homes to colder climates; he died of +pneumonia and pleurisy after having been several times dangerously ill. + +[Illustration: 0166] + +Monkeys rarely live long in northern countries; they die of pneumonia or +consumption, generally in a few months, in spite of the greatest care +in shielding them from the effects of draughts or chills. The tailless +monkeys are more hardy than the tailed ones, but even they are not proof +against the rigors of the north. + +From his own observations, aided by free quotations from a little book +entitled “Mr. Crowley of Central Park,” by Henry S. Fuller, George +prepared the following description of this remarkable animal: + +“Crowley was captured when very young in the forests of Africa, not far +from Monrovia, Liberia. He was presented to the Central Park Museum by +the Hon. Mr. Smythe, U. S. Minister to Liberia, and became a resident of +New York in May 1884. He was then thought to be about six months old and +weighed not far from twenty-five pounds; he was very active, and soon +after his arrival a trapeze was fitted up for him on which he took great +pleasure in swinging. + +[Illustration: 0168] + +A pair of ninepins were obtained for him, in shape like small Indian +clubs, and several wooden balls sufficiently large not to be slipped +through the grating. He took great pleasure in making targets of the +pins, and would hurl the balls at them with all his strength and chatter +with delight when the targets were struck. Tiring of this, he would +seize the pins, one in each hand, and exercise with these, not entirely +according to the written rules of club exercise, but with a zest that +was of equal benefit to the muscles; although, when he abandoned +this practice and used them as drumsticks to batter the sides of his +apartment, the uproar sometimes became too great to be endured. + +“His meals were usually taken outside of his apartment. Seated in one of +the office chairs about six o'clock, after his morning toilet had been +made, he was handed a plate of boiled rice, sweetened with a little +sugar, which he ate in genteel fashion with a spoon, and with apparent +relish, often looking up at his benefactor with one eye in apparent +gratitude, and only pausing an instant to wipe his spacious chin of +little rivulets of rice that would trickle at times from the convex +corners of his mouth. + +[Illustration: 9169] + +A cup of milk would then be given him to aid the digestion of more solid +food.” + +“These meals were prepared punctually four times a day, a custom which +has become of a second nature to the chimpanzee and continues to the +present time. The first meal was in the morning, and a lunch followed +about ten o'clock; between one and two he was given his dinner, and his +supper hour was at five, after which he invariably indicated a desire to +retire to his blanket and dispose of himself for the night. The lunch in +the morning and the supper were often varied with fruit, an orange or +a banana, which was first carefully prepared by peeling. Otherwise +his diet was quite plain; all sweetmeats, candies and dainties being +positively prohibited. + +“During the fall of 1884, his weight, increasing at more than a pound +a month, reached forty pounds. His height and strength developed +proportionately. The coat of hair that had begun to appear upon his body +was black and glossy. It was brushed daily, an operation which he seemed +to enjoy; about the head, where it grew longer, a natural inclination +was discovered to part in the center, and for better effect the hair was +brushed down over his forehead and kept trimmed and banged, imparting a +more civilized appearance when he was presented to visitors. + +“On being permitted to view himself in a glass, Crowley expressed his +entire approbation of this fashion. He displayed much vanity and did not +soon tire of admiring himself. When he grasped a policeman's club +that was in the room and paraded up and down with it for a cane, his +appearance was striking. The natural stoop of his shoulders became +profoundly English, and taken in conjunction with the cane, so thick +and heavy in proportion to Crowley's figure, the resemblance was most +perfect. + +“He was quite conscious of his increasing importance, and took great +pleasure in receiving visitors. He submitted to the cleaning of his +nails and the scrubbing of his teeth, but the washing of his hands and +face was always extremely distasteful to him. He never became entirely +reconciled to that practice, and after he became older he discarded it +almost entirely. + +“A small chair and a table of solid oak were made for him, both articles +being sufficiently heavy to withstand an outburst of animal spirits that +he sometimes indulged in after a meal. For the same reason his dishes +were of the heavy ware used in down-town restaurants. He had previously +learned to drink from a cup and sip his milk with a spoon. Now he was +instructed in the use of knife and fork, and in the absence of meat or +other solid food, he carved into slices the bananas and other fruits +given him, and conveyed these slices to his mouth on the fork. + +“One admirer sent him a napkin enclosed in a plated silver ring. The +ring was engraved, 'Remus Crowley, Esq.,' and a corner of the napkin +had also the name embroidered on it. After inspecting both with grave +deliberation, he grunted his appreciation, and proceeded to thrust the +napkin into his mouth. Much patient persevering was required to impress +upon him the importance of laying the napkin on one knee, or of folding +it over his chest while eating, and that its function was to keep his +mouth and chin clean, but repeated instructions at last instilled these +precepts on his mind. + +“The chimpanzees are keen, observant animals, and Crowley inherited the +full gifts of his race. Little that transpired around him escaped his +attention, while his understanding was not less ready and intelligent. +In a few days he learned to lock and unlock the doors of the room in +which he lived, and to hide the key which was used to lock him in the +apartment. More care was needed with him than for a child of live years. +If he could not express himself intelligently in speech. He was neither +deaf nor dumb, and he had a vocabulary of his own made up of gutteral +monosyllables, which his attendant professes to understand quite well, +though to the uninitiated it is more than Greek or Sanscrit.” + +[Illustration: 0171] + +“'Shall I wash your face, Crowley?' asked his keeper. + +“'Ooh! ooh! ooh!' exclaimed Crowley, moving away disgusted. 'That means +no,' explains the attendant. + +“'Here's an orange, baby.' + +“'Ut, oot, oot, oot!' and Crowley thrust out a fist eagerly. His other +expressions are more complex, except with regard to pain or pleasure. +With the first he utters a yell that would startle a Sioux Indian; when +pleased, the ends of his mouth stretch to each ear, while he dances and +mumbles with enjoyment. + +“By the summer of 1885 Crowley weighed fifty pounds and was very +vigorous. A new cage was made for him in the west end of the monkey +house; it was about ten feet long, six feet high, and of the same +width, open on all sides, and protected by a grating of iron wire, the +thickness of a lady's little finger. One of the new features introduced +in it was a swing or trapeze; a wooden bar suspended at one end of the +cage by two stout ropes from the ceiling. At the other end of the cage +was a spring board, to enable him to indulge to his full bent in his +propensity for leaping. When placed in his new quarters he made a +dignified circuit of his room, walking as erect as possible, only +resting on the knuckles of his hands, or supporting himself by holding +to the grating, He inspected the spring-board as if accustomed to +spring-boards of various patterns, and passed on without testing its +elasticity. The trapeze he eyed with some curiosity, but did not deign +to try it. + +“At the close of his second summer, it was decided that many changes +would be needed another year, to fit that place for his growth. When +standing erect, and flat on his feet, Crowley was now nearly four feet +in height. He had outgrown the baby chair provided for him the first +year, and it was succeeded by one better suited to a person of his +size and importance. A bedstead of oak was procured, so that instead of +stretching himself on the hard floor, he could sleep like other people. +The bedstead was five feet long and three feet wide, giving him ample +room to turn around without rolling out; but for greater security it was +attached to the floor with iron braces, which defied, for the time, Mr. +Crowley's ingenuity to unscrew, and his strength to remove from their +places. + +“Crowley had a fondness for music. Whenever his attendant produced a +mouth organ and played on it “Sweet Violets,” or “Yankee Doodle,” the +chimpanzee's whole attention was at once arrested. He would listen for a +few moments intently, and as the air proceeded, a state of great nervous +excitement would come upon him. His body would begin to sway in unison +with the attendant's foot as it beat upon the floor, until at last, +no longer able to contain himself, he would spring up and down in a +chimpanzee jig, which appears to be a kind of cross between a Virginia +reel and an Irish break-down, keeping this up until he became exhausted +or the music ceased. When the instrument was given to him and held for +him, he would blow upon it and try to reproduce the sounds which caused +him pleasure, and when he succeeded, an expression of delight would +brighten his flexible features. But his performances were never such as +to warrant his applying for a situation in Theodore Thomas's orchestra +or even in an ordinary street band. + +“With the winter of 1887-88 Crowley entered upon his fifth year. He +had attained the weight of nearly one hundred pounds, and when erect he +stood quite four feet two inches in his bare feet. His hands were as big +and knotted as those of a negro laborer inured to toil, and his muscles +were thoroughly developed. His temper did not improve, and it became +necessary to apply a whip to him occasionally to keep him under +discipline. During the winter he had an attack of pneumonia, and when +the fever came on all his bluster and bad temper disappeared. His +strength left him and he became quite helpless, lying all day on the +floor in the center of his cage, his head resting on one arm for a +pillow, with a piece of heavy bagging beneath him for a mattress. When +strangers entered his cage he was too weak to raise his head. Many +physicians called to see him and tender their services. He recognized +their kindness and their purpose with a low grunt, which often ended in +a fit of coughing. + +[Illustration: 0175] + +“When requested, he would proffer his arm for the physicians to feel his +pulse, turn over that the breathing in his chest might be listened to, +and show his tongue for examination. For a long time he regarded the +thermometer used to secure his temperature with suspicion. It could not +be placed beneath his tongue for fear of the consequences, but, as he +became weaker, and unable to repel the liberties, he was persuaded to +hold the instrument under an arm. + +“All that could be done for Crowley seemed of little avail, and for two +weeks he remained in this hopeless state.. His temperature at times rose +to one hundred and five degrees, and pulse beat nearly a hundred. In the +absence of hot applications, only hot teas and liquors could be given +him. A concoction of rum and molasses was prepared and he was prevailed +on, at a critical point of his illness, to swallow a large dose of this, +to which a quantity of brandy was added. Soon after swallowing it +he fell into a heavy stupor which continued for several hours. About +midnight he startled his attendant by suddenly leaping into his trapeze +with all his old nimbleness. He bounded upon his spring-board and for an +hour danced and shouted in his cage, and then staggered and sank down in +a profound perspiration. He was covered with a blanket and slept soundly +until morning. + +“When he awoke, there was something like the old grin on his face as he +looked up at his keeper. + +“'Comin' around, old man?' asked the keeper tenderly. + +“'Oogh, oogh!' muttered Crowley, faintly, and closed his eyes. + +“Sure enough he was on the way to recovery. His strength and flesh +returned, and with them his occasional displays of bad temper that +required the use of the whip.” + +“What is the difference between the chimpanzee and the gorilla?” Harry +asked, when George had finished reading his description of Mr. Crowley +and his curious ways. + +“The name has sometimes been given to all the great apes, including the +gorilla and the orang-outang,” said Mr. Graham, “but it properly belongs +to the lowest of the man-shaped apes of equatorial Africa. The gorilla +stands at the head of the list; then comes the kooloo-kamba, then the +nachiego-mbouve, then the soko, and after these the chimpanzee. They are +all so closely allied that any one but a close student may mistake one +for the other, and this circumstance has led to confusion in the stories +of explorers. + +“In size and shape the gorilla approaches more nearly to man than any +other of the monkey family, but he is still a long way from being able +to claim one of us as his brother. The arms are so long that they almost +touch the ground when the animal stands erect, which he does not do +easily. + +[Illustration: 0177] + +“Mr. du Chaillu was the first explorer to see the gorilla at home; he +killed several specimens of this remarkable creature and sent their +skins to England, but though he tried very hard to bring away a living +sample he was unable to do so. Later travelers have been more fortunate, +and I have read to-day in a newspaper that Boston has just received +from Africa the largest gorilla ever landed in this country. His name +is Jack, and he is five feet in height when standing erect, and measures +seven feet from the end of one outstretched hand to the other. He weighs +about one hundred and twenty-five pounds and exhibits enormous strength, +compared with which that of man seems like a child's. He arrived in a +large box made of planking two and a half inches thick, and when being +removed from the ship he tore large splinters from the hard wood planks +with as much ease as a child would break a twig. The hair, which is very +coarse, and from two to four inches in length, is of a greenish-gray +color, and on the back, legs and arms inclines to a black. His shoulders +are immense. The expression of his face, which is black, is scowling. +The eyes are small, sunken in the head, and the lips large and thin.” + +“I suppose the gorilla does not make as good-natured a captive as Mr. +Crowley, for example,” one of the boys remarked. + +“Not by any means,” answered Mr. Graham. “He is of an ugly disposition +and generally refuses to be tamed, though occasionally one is found that +is comparatively submissive. Some years ago a gentleman bought a gorilla +that was thought to be about two years old and shipped it to England. +It was not spiteful or obstinate in its ways, but seemed to be very shy; +its owner thought the best plan was to allow it to run about the ship, +and after it was given its freedom it got along very well. It would +take food from the hands of passengers and sailors, but permitted no +familiarity; it formed a great friendship for a bull terrier, and the +two used to play together by the hour, the dog occasionally giving +a very sharp nip which was not resented by the larger animal. But, +unfortunately, the gorilla was missed one morning, and was supposed to +have fallen overboard during the night.” + +“The gorilla is the largest monkey of Africa and in fact of the whole +world. The largest Asiatic monkey is found, not on the continent of +Asia, but on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. He is know to foreigners +as the orang-outang or wild man of the forest, and is generally called +'mias' by the natives. Many of the people believe that the creature is a +human being who lives in a wild state, and hence the name by which he +is described to strangers. In habits, size, and general appearance, the +mias is much like the gorilla, but he is more easily tamed and kept in +captivity. He lives in the forestand travels from tree to tree without +descending to the ground; in fact he sleeps in the trees, making a bed +of leaves among the branches. Mr. Wallace, a naturalist, describes how +he shot at a mias and broke his arm. The animal was in the top of a +tree at the time, and immediately proceeded to break off branches and +make a nest for himself. Mr. Wallace fired at him several times, but +he did not quit his work, and he finally laid down in the nest and died +there from the effects of the shot. It was necessary to cut down the +tree in order to obtain the body, which proved to be a very large one. + +[Illustration: 0179] + +“Mr. Wallace caught a young mias and managed to keep it six or eight +weeks; he hoped to be able to take it to England, but it died at the end +of that time, probably from the impossibility of obtaining proper food. +He said it would cry like a child when hungry or when its food did +not suit its taste; if its keeper persisted in offering food that it +disliked it would scream and kick violently, exactly like a baby in a +passion. Altogether he thought it very human in its actions, and was +very sorry when it died from intermittent fever.” + +Harry asked if the gibbon monkey which comes from Siam and the +neighboring countries was anything like the mias. + +Mr. Graham explained that the gibbon was much smaller than the gorilla +or the orang-outang, and more human in his general appearance. He is +a delicate creature and cannot exist in a cold climate even with the +greatest care. An adult gibbon rarely lives more than a few weeks in +captivity, and when captured young the animal does not usually reach +maturity. The gibbons are very gentle in their manners, devotedly +attached to their masters when kindly treated, and not at all +mischievous. + +“On a steamer that carried me from Bangkok to Singapore,” said Mr. +Graham, “one of the passengers, Mr. Newman, had a gibbon which he was +undertaking to carry to England. The little fellow was very gentle and +playful and easily made friends with all the passengers. Mr. Newman +said he had kept the monkey at his house in Bangkok and allowed him the +largest liberty. + +“The house was full of bric-a-brac and curios of various kinds, but the +monkey went about with the greatest care and never injured anything. + +“One of his favorite amusements was to race around the verandah of the +house with his master, the two starting from one point and going in +opposite directions. Frequently he came in the morning and by signs +indicated that he wished a race; Mr. Newman generally allowed the monkey +to beat him, and the creature always seemed pleased at his triumph. + +“He sat at the table and drank milk and coffee from a cup, and his +manners in general were far better than those of most monkeys in +captivity. + +“Another gibbon that was being carried to England on a steamer would +walk the entire length of the saloon table at dinner without breaking or +even touching anything upon it, although the table might be covered with +glasses and plates and the vessel was rolling heavily. He would start +from the foot of the table, walk to the other end to take a glass of +wine with the captain, and then return in the same careful manner. The +wild gibbons drink by scooping up the water with a single paw, and it +requires some patience to teach them to drink from a glass or cup in a +human fashion. + +[Illustration: 0182] + +“But of all the monkeys in the world,” continued the gentleman, “the +most comical is the long-nosed monkey of Borneo; as far as known it has +been found nowhere else than in that island. He grows to the size of a +large pointer dog, lives in the same forests with the orang-outang, and +probably associates with him. He has a funny appearance at any age, but +perhaps the funniest when young and the nose has just begun to develop. +Its hair grows naturally down the sides of the head as though parted by +a comb, it has whiskers but no mustaches, and it has a long tail which +starts high enough up the back not to be in the way when the animal sits +down. + +“The Dyak natives believe that these monkeys are a race of men who have +fled to the forest in order to avoid the payment of taxes!” + +[Illustration: 0183] + +“And now,” said Mr. Graham, glancing at his watch, “we will drop the +subject of apes and their kindred until to-morrow.” + +The youths took the hint and no further questions were asked that +evening about quadrumana and their strange ways. But the next day +they were ready with several “monkey stories,” some of which are worth +repeating. + +Harry found the following, which certainly shows a reasoning power on +the part of the monkey: + +“There is on the coast of Java a peculiar long-tailed monkey, and a sand +crab that grows to extraordinary size and possesses great strength in +its claws. + +[Illustration: 8184] + +The monkeys are particularly fond of these crabs, which live in deep +holes in the sand, but spend much of their time on the outside of their +holes, where they run and hop about. They range in size from that of a +silver dollar to that of our edible crabs. Their claws are not large, +but have a grip that is vise-like. The monkeys make daily raids on the +haunts of these crabs, and occasionally succeed--by creeping stealthily +to within a few feet of a group of them and then springing down upon +them--in capturing one. Usually, however, the crabs are so wary that +while the monkey is in the air during his spring toward them they have +separated and disappeared into the ground. The monkey finding himself +too slow to make a capture, then resorts to a bit of strategy to +secure a dinner; he backs himself up to a hole into which a crab has +disappeared, and sitting down, thrusts his long tail into the hole. The +crab seizes the end of the tail the moment it approaches near enough. +Any one who may have been fortunate enough to hide himself in the +bushes unobserved by the monkey making a raid, will have a hard time to +restrain his laughter when the critical moment of contact between the +crab's claw and the monkey's tail is reached. There is a look of comical +suspense on the monkey's face as he thrusts his tail in the hole. When +the crab closes on the tail the look of suspense departs. The monkey +gives an involuntary start, and then settles on his haunches while +he closes his teeth together with a determined air, and eventually, +springing forward, out comes the tail from the hole with the crab +dangling to it, and the monkey is soon proceeding with his meal.” + +“Here's another story,” said George, “which is old but good: 'A Spanish +mule-driver once invested his scant earnings, purchasing a number of red +woolen caps, which form the crown of the turban worn throughout Turkey +and Africa, and set out to make his fortune in the interior. + +[Illustration: 9185] + +He started before sunrise, and, when the heat of the day came on, lay +down to sleep beneath a tree in a wood. Taking off his hat he opened his +valise, and, putting on a red cap, was soon asleep. + +“'When the sun was low in the horizon he awoke, and to his horror, saw +the trees tilled with monkeys in red raps. They had seen the Spaniard +put on the red cap before going to sleep, and followed his example. +The poor Spaniard, with all the gesticulation peculiar to his country, +stamped his foot in anger, and tearing off his red cap threw it on the +ground, when--blessed and unexpected result--all the monkeys followed +his example. He picked up his caps and moved on.'” + +“Here's a story from a St Louis newspaper,” said Harry, “about an +incident that must have been very funny: + +“'Yesterday was a good day for the monkeys at the Fair grounds, and they +liked it. They frisked about in the sunshine, and cut their antics with +an abandon that showed them to be bubbling over with fun and mischief. +There is one that by some amusing peculiarities becomes an immediate +favorite with every spectator. A gentleman in the crowd yesterday +happened to have a small pocket-mirror, and just for sport passed it to +the favorite. The monkey's behavior, on seeing his face reflected in +the glass, kept the crowd in a roar of laughter for nearly an hour. The +monkey of course failed to recognize the reflection of himself, and took +it for another monkey, and his anxiety to get hold of that monkey was +what made the fun. He would look behind the glass, and feel for it in +such a comical way while he was looking in the glass, that one could not +help laughing. While the glass was close to his eye he gradually bent +over, casually, and noticing that the evanescent monkey was on his back +apparently he dropped the glass and made a sudden grab for him. When he +didn't get him he looked surprised and commenced looking under the straw +to see what had become of him. He was then seized with a luminous idea. +He picked up the glass and ran to the topmost branch of the dead tree +that is erected in the cage, and climbing to the extreme end, again +looked in the glass. It seemed he reasoned that in such a position the +monkey could not get away. He felt for it, grabbed at it, and tried all +sorts of strategy to capture it, notwithstanding repeated failures.'” + +That the monkey can be a hero is shown by a story which George found in +_Our Animal Friends_, credited to _The Children's Treasury_. + +“A nobleman had a favorite monkey, a large orang-outang. + +[Illustration: 8186] + +This monkey was very much attached to his master and to the baby boy who +was the pet of the whole family. One day, a fire suddenly broke out in +the house, and everybody was running here and there to put it out, +while the little boy in the nursery was almost forgotten; and, when they +thought of him, the staircase was all in flames. What could be done? + +“As they were looking up and wondering, a large hairy hand and arm +opened the window: and presently the monkey appeared with the baby in +his arms, and carefully climbed down over the porch, and brought the +child safely to his nurse. Nobody else could have done it; for a man +cannot climb like a monkey and is not nearly so strong. + +“You may imagine how the faithful creature was praised and petted after +that. This is a true story, and the child who was saved was the young +Marquis of Kildare.” + +[Illustration: 5187] + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +_A Calf saving a Child from Drowning--Another that +Seasoned--Illustrations of the Intelligence of Horned Cattle--Oxen +taking care of Sheep--The Cow that sought Help for Another--Natural +History of the Ox--Peculiarities of the Bison--Encounter with a +Bull-bison--How a Hunter Escaped being Trampled to Death--Stampeding a +Herd--The Aurochs or European Bison--A bad Character--The Yak and the +Musk-ox--Mr. Graham's Narrow Escape from an Egyptian Buffalo--The Cape +Buffalo--How the Natives Hunt him, and are Hunted by him._ + +Here's a good story,” said Harry, “about the intelligence of a calf. It +is copied from the Atlanta Constitution.” + +Mr. Graham and George listened attentively while Harry read as +follows:--“Little Dillie Welsh is the four-year-old daughter of +Yard-master Welsh, of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. + +[Illustration: 8188] + +She is bright and a general favorite. Her father keeps a Jersey cow, +which has a calf. The calf and little Dillie have formed a mutual +affection. + +“In the adjoining lot to Mr. Welsh is a mineral well, which has a low +opening, and a child can stand and look over it. A few days ago Dillie +and her calf were playing near the well when the little girl went too +near. She crawled up and was looking over, when the calf came up and +held onto her dress with his teeth. She lost her balance and fell over +in the mouth of the well. The calf held on to the child's clothes while +she was suspended in the air over the water. If the animal had let go +the dress, the child would have been drowned. The child was rescued by a +servant, and the calf was happy.” + +“That's a very pretty story,” said George; “and I have a good one to +go with it.” Thereupon he read something which he said was from _The +Greenville (N. C.) Reflector_. + +“An amusing incident occurred at the home of Mr. S. M. Jones, near +Bethel, recently. Among his cattle was a calf that seemed to possess a +very great dislike to being roped at milking time and always made quite +an objection. One morning Mrs. Jones went out to attend the milking, +and upon looking in the accustomed place for the rope failed to find it. +While the search for it was going on the calf thought, perhaps, to get +more than his share of the milk, but something seemed to interfere with +the imbibing process, and his peculiar actions attracted attention to +him, whereupon it was discovered that the calf had swallowed the rope, +but failed to make a complete job of it, as the noose was hanging from +one corner of his mouth. The noose was laid hold of and a steady pull +brought the rope to light. The calf is sufficiently amused and doesn't +swallow any more ropes to evade being tied.” + +“Isn't it unusual for calves or any of their relatives to display as +much intelligence as we have in these two stories?” one of the boys +asked. + +“Decidedly unusual,” was the reply, “and that's the reason why these +performances have been placed on record. But the fact is,” the gentleman +continued, “that the ox is not as stupid a creature as is generally +supposed. He is patient and slow, and for this reason the conclusion has +been arrived at that he is correspondingly dull. The naturalists tell us +that some of the tribes of South Africa trust to oxen to care for their +flocks, and that the sagacious animals perform their duties in a manner +worthy of the highest praise. They are quick to discover the approach of +danger, and if the flocks are attacked by wild animals the oxen show a +great deal of bravery in defending their charges. But while brave, they +are prudent, and will not take any needless risk. When night approaches +they drive the flocks to the camp or village, and if any of the sheep +are inclined to straggle. The watchful guardians prod them in no gentle +manner with their horns and make them understand that they are liable to +severe punishment. + +[Illustration:0191] + +“The South African oxen are not only used for teaming purposes like oxen +in other parts of the world, but they are excellent for carrying burdens +on their backs. African hunters tell how they have used oxen in this +way. Andersson, a famous hunter in South Africa, had an ox that he rode +more than two thousand miles, and for ordinary traveling preferred him +to a horse. When it came to pursuing wild animals, and especially to +escape from a furious elephant or lion, he found a great advantage +in the superior speed of the horse. His plan was to ride the ox while +traveling and reserve his horse for hunting expeditions. + +“There are many varieties of _bovidae_,” said Mr. Graham, “as this family +is called, and these varieties have certain subdivisions. The most +remarkable are the American bison, commonly called the buffalo, the +European bison or aurochs, the yak of Tartary, and the musk ox of the +extreme parts of North America. The greatest intelligence of the bovine +family is displayed by the wild animals, for the reason that they +have been obliged to depend entirely on themselves, while the domestic +species have the protection and care of their owners on whom they rely. +A domestic ox or cow, when in trouble, will seek the aid of his master +when it is possible to do so. + +“I was reading not long ago,” said Harry, “of a cow that came from the +pasture one afternoon, and called the attention of some of the men about +the place in a way which told very plainly that help was wanted. She +repeatedly tried to induce somebody to follow her; when she finally +succeeded she trotted off and led the way to a clump of trees, where +another cow had become entangled in such a manner that she could not +free herself without assistance. When the prisoner was liberated both +she and the cow that had gone for help fairly danced about the man, and +showed in every way in their power how grateful they were to him. They +licked his hands with their rough tongues, caressed him with their +noses, and when he returned to the barn they trotted along, one on +each side of him until he reached the gate. Then they went back to to +pasture and resumed their grazing.” + +“Many stories of the same kind have been told about domestic cattle, all +of them showing the reliance that these good-natured animals place upon +man. + +[Illustration: 9193] + +The time when they were first domesticated is unknown; the Egyptians had +their herds of oxen and cows, and some naturalists think the ox was a +domestic animal while the dog and cat were still in a wild state, in +other words it was the earliest animal which submitted to the control +of man. Centuries of domestication have made him the patient and gentle +animal that he is, but he retains enough of his original instincts to be +made wild again without much difficulty. A herd of cattle turned loose +and allowed to run free for a single season are half wild at the end of +it, and very difficult to manage. A few seasons make them fully so, and +the calves that grow to maturity without any association with man seem +to have lost everything that came from centuries of domestic ancestors. +The wild cattle of South America are descended from tame ones and the +same may be said of wild cattle in most parts of the world.” + +George asked if the buffalo of America was anything like that of the +old world. He said he had read about the differences between them but +couldn't remember what they were. + +“The name of buffalo,” said Mr. Graham, “is improperly applied to the +bison, whose scientific name is _Bison Americanus_. The American bison +is rapidly becoming extinct, and it is quite probable that there will +not be one of these animals alive at the end of the present century. +Fifty years ago there were countless millions of these animals, and as +recently as twenty-five years ago vast herds of them roamed the western +prairies from Texas to the Saskatchewan. + +[Illustration: 0194] + +At this moment their numbers have diminished to a few dozens, or at most +a few hundreds; if I have read correctly there are only two or three +small herds known to exist, one of them being in the north of Texas and +the other near the boundary between Canada and the United States. An +effort is being made to capture the few remaining bison and keep them +in reserve fields or pastures, but it is doubtful if the experiment +succeeds. The bison does not thrive in captivity, and as for taking him +alive that is a very difficult matter. The calves and cows may possibly +be captured but as for the bulls I would rather not be the one to +attempt to take them.” + +“They are hard fighters; I suppose,” said George. + +“When driven into a corner and forced to defend themselves,” Mr. Graham +answered, “they do so with great vigor. Properly speaking, the bison +is not a ferocious animal: he does not wantonly attack man but on +the contrary will always flee from him if he has the opportunity. His +fighting qualities come out when he is obliged to defend himself or when +men get in the way of the herds in their movements across country. The +fiercest and strongest bulls are always in advance: they turn aside if +they can do so in time, but if men get in their way and attack them they +dash on without regard to circumstances. A man who is thrown down in +front of an advancing herd has very little chance of escape. The herd +passes on and tramples him to death, even if he escapes the advance +guard of bulls.” + +“I have read,” said Harry, “of a man who was in front of a herd of +buffalo when his horse stumbled and fell. The man had the presence of +mind to draw his revolver and fire it several times, not at the herd or +any animal in it, but straight up in the air. If he had wounded one of +the bulls he and his horse would have been gored to death; the sound of +the shots caused the advance to divide and leave him unharmed. The rest +of the herd followed the example of the advance and for several hours +the man and the horse lay there like a little islet in a vast river of +buffaloes. When the last of the herd had passed, the man mounted his +horse and rode away, very thankful to have escaped unharmed from so +great a danger.” + +“Incidents of the same kind have occurred in stampedes of cattle in the +far west of our country and in Australia,” said Mr. Graham. + +Harry asked what a stampede was. + +“Cattle and horses are said to be stampeded,” Mr. Graham answered, “when +they take fright at anything and run away. The word is of Spanish origin +and seems at present to be regularly adopted into our language. When a +large herd of half-wild cattle is stampeded it is very apt to run over +anything that comes in its way. Sometimes the herdsmen are thrown from +their horses right in the midst of a frightened herd and trampled to +death; if it happens that the herd separates at the moment a man falls +the rest of it will do likewise and nothing serious occurs. + +“Returning to the bison,” continued Mr. Graham, “the animal looks much +more fierce than he really is. His head is large and carried quite low, +his eyes are small and piercing, and his head and shoulders are covered, +with long shaggy hair that make the forward half of the animal look very +heavy. He has a hump on his shoulders which consists partly of fat and +partly of strong muscles, the amount of fat varying according to the +season of the year and the condition of the animal. The flesh of the +bulls is so tough and strong that only a very hungry man can eat it, +but that of the young cows is rich and juicy like good beef. The choice +parts of the buffalo are the hump and the tongue, the latter being the +greatest delicacy of the buffalo country. You see I have fallen into the +universal practice and speak of the animal as the buffalo, when he is +really the bison, as I have before told you. + +[Illustration: 0196] + +“But by whatever name he is known, it is a pity that he is rapidly +becoming a creature of the past. Indians and white men have waged +incessant war upon him: as long as only the Indians attacked him with +their arrows and lances, the slaughter was not sufficiently great to +make any impression upon the herds, but when the white men poured into +the West bringing their improved weapons, which were speedily acquired +by the Indians, the destruction of the buffalo became simply a question +of time. When the buffalo became scarce on the plains they were followed +to their winter haunts, and killed in the deep snow, where they were +unable to make any resistance. Thousands, and we could almost say +millions, of buffaloes have been shot for mere sport and left to rot on +the ground, not even their hides being taken away. Of late years their +hides have risen to high figures owing to their scarcity; 'buffalo +robes' were common enough twenty or thirty years ago, but at the present +time they are rarely seen.” + +[Illustration: 0198] + +“Isn't there a bison in Europe as well as in America?” queried George. + +“There is,” was the reply, “and he is known as the aurochs in books on +natural history. He is thought to be the oldest of his race, and +would have been extinct long ago were it not for the protection he has +received. He is found only in a few localities in Russia, where he is +protected by the Government, and no animal of the race can be killed +under severe penalties except by permission of the Russian Emperor. It +is needless to say that this permission is seldom or almost never +given. These creatures have never been domesticated, but run wild in the +forest, where they eat grass and brushwood, and the bark and twigs of +young trees. The aurochs does not reach maturity until its sixth year, +and next to the elephant, rhinoceros and giraffe it is the largest of +land animals.” + +One of the youths asked what was the size of a full-grown aurochs. + +“Measured at its withers,” was the reply, “it is nearly six feet high, +and it is immensely strong. Its horns are large, round and lateral, and +its tail is long with a tuft of hair at the end. The shoulders and all +the front part of the body are covered with long coarse hair very +much like that of the American bison, and it has a long mane under +its throat. The rest of the body has a thick coat of black hair, and +altogether the aurochs is not an amiable looking beast.” + +[Illustration:0200] + +One of the listeners asked whether he was fierce or gentle in his ways. + +“As to that,” Mr. Graham answered, “he bears a bad reputation. He is +very shy, and like the American bison will keep out of the way man face +to face, but rushes at him with great fierceness. If captured when young +he becomes accustomed to his keepers, but will not tolerate the presence +of any one else. + +“The aurochs is the urus of the ancients,” continued the gentleman, “his +name coming from Ure-ox. Fossil remains of the animal have been found +all over Europe, and in the time of Julius Cæsar it lived in Germany. It +was a contemporary of the mammoth and is the only existing land +animal whose skeleton has been found side by side when he can. He also +resembles his American cousin in having a keen scent, so that he can +only be approached against the wind; the buffalo hunters will tell you +that you cannot get anywhere near a herd if you approach it with the +wind, as the animals will scent the danger miles away and start off at a +rapid pace to avoid it. + +[Illustration: 0201] + +The aurochs also resembles the bison in fighting fiercely when cornered; +he is worse than the bison in one respect, as he will not try to escape +when he meets a with that of the huge creature whose remains have +astonished the scientific world. + +“From the bison to the buffalo is a very natural step, and by buffalo I +mean the animal to whom the name properly belongs. But before taking him +up I will mention the yak of Tartary, which has a flowing tail like that +of a horse, a hump on its shoulders, a tuft of hair on its forehead, a +mane along its neck and shoulders, and long hair on the lower part of +its body which varies in quantity according to the season of the year. +He is used as a beast of burden and can carry a very heavy load, and +he is as sure-footed as a goat. The Tartars keep large herds of these +animals and move about from place to place to find pasturage; they make +tents and ropes of the hair of the yak, and clothing out of his skin, +and they occasionally eat the flesh of the beast, though they prefer +that of the horse. They make butter from the milk, and by putting it +in bladders tightly closed against the air they can preserve it a long +time.” + +[Illustration: 0203] + +“I've been reading about another animal,” said Harry, “that must be a +near relative of the yak.” + +“What is that?” + +“The musk ox of North America,” was the reply. + +“Yes,” said Mr. Graham, “he is a relative of the yak, though somewhat +smaller, in fact he is so small that he resembles a large sheep more +than an ox. He belongs in the cold regions of North America, and is very +useful to Arctic explorers, who feed upon his flesh. He has a covering +of thick and long hair of a dark brown color, and his horns are thick +and large, bending downwards over the sides of his head and then +suddenly backwards and upwards at the tips.” + +“He looks very clumsy.” said George, glancing at the picture of the +animal, “and evidently can't, get over the ground very fast.” + +“On the contrary.” was the reply, “he is as nimble as a goat and can +make astonishingly rapid speed over the rough and rocky ground where lie +lives. The hunter who thinks he can travel as fast as this apparently +clumsy animal makes a great mistake.” + +“He's not the only animal that deceives us that way,” said George. +“Nobody would think the hog could run and yet what a lively chase it is +to catch a wild one. But some hogs are swifter than others, and I have +heard of parts of the country where hogs were prized not according +to their fatness, but for their ability to out-run professional +hogthieves.” + +[Illustration: 0204] + +The buffalo of Europe and Asia,” said Mr. Graham, “is supposed to be +a native of the damp parts of India, whence he has spread over the +countries where he is now found. He is essentially a tropical animal and +does not thrive in mild climates, and he is fond of wallowing in the mud +and lying down to rest there.” + +[Illustration: 0205] + +George asked in what the Asiatic buffalo resembled the common ox. Mr. +Graham said it was about the size of the ox and had a bulging-forehead +with two black horns curved outward. It has a scanty coat and generally +presents a very dingy appearance. “It is of an ugly disposition,” + continued the gentleman, “and is much inclined to attack strangers. I +had an adventure with one of these creatures in Egypt that came near +costing me my life.” + +“Please tell us about it,” said one of the boys. + +“I was taking a walk in the fields a few miles from Cairo,” said Mr. +Graham, “and carried nothing except a small walking stick. While I was +looking at the grasses and the fields of cotton and douro, and watching +the pigeons circling in the air, I heard all at once the shouting of +the natives to indicate something unusual. Looking around I saw that a +buffalo was coming directly toward me and was not more than a hundred +feet away. His head was lowered and it was very evident that I was to be +the object of his attack. + +“I had to think and act very quickly, as none of the natives were near +enough to divert the attention of the brute. There was no fence near and +no building or enclosure in which I could find safety. + +“Close by me was a field of cotton, the bushes being as high as my head. +Into this field I ran, and once in its shelter I doubled on my pursuer +and ran the way that both of us had come. Then I met the crowd of +natives that were trying to catch the runaway animal and they soon had +him secured. A friend of mine in Egypt that same year only saved himself +by firing a charge of shot directly at the buffalo's eyes when the +creature was not more than ten yards away. He was compelled to pay for +the destruction of the animal, as it was very properly argued that he +was a trespasser in the field where the buffalo was grazing. You may be +sure that he was careful after that not to go where he had no right to +be, especially if there was a likelihood of encountering buffaloes. + +“A very pugnacious variety of the buffalo is the South African one. He +has large horns, that spread out at the base so as to form a sort +of helmet that is impenetrable for a bullet or for any other missile +smaller than a cannon shot. The African buffalo is found all the way +from Guinea to the Cape of Good Hope, and is often called the Cape +buffalo. He lives in large herds in the forests, though he sometimes +comes into the open plains, where he is more cautious and less +quarrelsome than when in the woods. The natives hunt the Cape buffalo, +but very often the animal shows so much fight that he becomes the hunter +and drives his assailants away. Not infrequently he kills some of them +with his powerful horns, and also with his feet, which he uses with +great alertness. A single buffalo has been known to resist successfully +a hundred natives armed with spears; since the introduction of fire-arms +the numbers of the Cape buffalo have diminished, as he is unable to +stand against the weapons of civilization any more than can his American +namesake. + +“We'll go from the cows to sheep at our next talk,” said Mr. Graham to +the youths, “and in the meantime please look at the books, and when we +sit down to discuss them you may tell what you have found.” + +In the language of Parliamentarians “the meeting then adjourned,” and +the boys proceeded to look at Cassell's Natural History and other books +for information on the topic which they were next to consider. + +[Illustration: 0207] + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +_Origin of the Sheep--The Asiatic Argali--Rocky Mountain +Big-Horns--Their Remarkable Intelligence and other Peculiarities--A +Hunter's Experience Among Them--Sentinels Guarding the +Flocks--Differences between Wild and Domestic Sheep--Gentleness of +the Lamb--The Lamb and the Children in the Well--The Sheep that Broke +Through the Fence--Varieties of Sheep--The Long Wool and the Short +Wool--The Merino--His Origin and Present Extent--Sheep in Australia--An +Old Question and its Answer--Astrachan Sheep--Intelligence and Activity +of the Goat--Some of his Performances--His Powers of Climbing--Goats +said to eat Tomato-Cans and Old Boots--What Buffon says of the Goat--the +End._ + +Well,” remarked Mr. Graham as they sat down for their next discussion +of the animal kingdom, “what have you learned about the sheep and his +kindred?” + +The youths waited a half minute or more, each desiring the other to +begin. Then Mr. Graham turned to Harry and nodded for him to speak. Thus +encouraged the youth made an end of the silence. + +“I have found,” said he, “that the naturalists do not agree as to the +origin of the sheep. Some think he is descended from the argali, an +animal which is found in Asia and is as large as a deer. In shape and +general appearance he resembles a sheep but is larger than the largest +known variety of the domestic sheep. He runs wild in the mountains but +can be easily tamed, especially if he is captured when young.” + +“Has he any relatives in America?” the gentleman asked. + +“Yes,” was the reply; “the Rocky Mountain sheep or big-horn, as he is +also called, is the American argali, and resembles the Asiatic one very +nearly, Now while some naturalists think the domestic sheep is descended +from the argali, others believe that the sheep is a animal that has +never lived in a wild state.” + +“What do you think about it?” was a query that somewhat puzzled the +youths. + +“We haven't made up our minds yet,” answered Harry, “and from present +appearances we are not likely to at once. We went to look at a flock of +sheep and concluded from what we knew of the habits of the animal that +they would have a hard time to exist if they were outside the care of +man. We don't know much about the argali either in Asia or America, +but if he is no more intelligent than the sheep he would not be able to +elude the hunters as he does.” + +[Illustration: 0209] + +“You are quite right,” said their mentor, “as the argali far surpasses +the sheep in intelligence and activity. The argali is graceful in +figure, wonderfully sure of foot, his vision and heaving are of the +keenest, and when there is any danger near he is always on the alert +to discover it. Read what a hunter say of the _Ovis montana_ or Rocky +Mountain sheep,” he continued, as he opened the pages of a book entitled +“Sporting Adventures in the Far West,” by J. Mortimer Murphy. + +George took the book and read as follows: + +“Few creatures are more difficult of approach than the big-horn, for, +like all mountain animals, it is exceedingly keen of scent, unusually +vigilant, and so cautious that it carefully reconnoitres a country from +an elevated stand-point ere it presumes to advance toward it. The Nimrod +who would place the head of the big-horn among his trophies of the +chase, must be not only of an active and vigorous form to bear steep +mountain climbing and a rarefied atmosphere, but he must also possess +the qualities of patience, perseverance and hardihood, for its pursuit +may lead him through deep and gloomy precipices, and over ground so +stony and rough as to seem impassable. + +[Illustration: 0210] + +“When a flock is migrating to new pastures the sentinels or leaden +carefully scrutinize the country before them from every commanding +position, and when they are satisfied with its appearance the whole +party advance boldly, and having made it their head-quarters, throw +out vedettes, generally males, who mount guard on elevated crags +or hillocks, and vigilantly survey their surroundings until their +companions have dined, when all seek shelter amidst crags, small pine or +fir coppices, and inaccessible shelves of rock or somber canyons, where +no ordinary enemy can follow them without making its presence known. + +[Illustration: 0211] + +“When a sentinel detects the approach of a suspicions object, he sounds +an alarm at once by a few loud and peremptory hissing snorts; this +brings the flock huddling together, the lambs and ewes in the center; +and when the column is formed, all dash for the highest ridges at their +best pace, and never stop until they have sought a safe refuge among +crags or chasms. The advance is always led by a sturdy ram, one that +is generally looked upon as the leader, and the rear and flanks are +carefully guarded by the young males. In regions where they are little +disturbed they raise their heads every few minutes while feeding and +survey their surroundings; and as they are both sharp of eye and keen +of scent it requires the most careful stalking to approach them within +shooting range without being discovered. They will get the scent of a +hunter to windward seemingly half a mile away; and when that terrifying +odor is made known to the flock they display the greatest symptoms of +terror and dash wildly for the highest pinnacles, now leaping nimbly +from crag to crag, or vaulting dark and narrow chasms with the greatest +ease, nor do they stop until they have placed a goodly distance between +themselves and their most dreaded foe.” + +[Illustration: 0212] + +“A common sheep could do nothing like that,” said Harry, as George +paused and closed the book. + +“Not by any means,” responded Mr. Graham, “as he is heavy in his steps +and slow in his motions. His intelligence is low and his constitution +could not stand the exposure to the weather that the wild animal endures +without injury. Except under very favorable circumstances a flock of +sheep would soon perish if turned out to shift for themselves.” + +“Then I suppose we cannot find many stories of the intelligence of the +sheep as we can of the dog, the elephant and the horse,” one of the +youths remarked. + +“We cannot,” was the reply, “but to offset the lack of sagacity in the +sheep we have its patience and kindness of disposition, in which it +is without a superior. The lamb has been in all ages the type of +gentleness, and will probably continue so as long as man and the sheep +exist together. He is also the type of playfulness, and there can be few +more pleasing sights than that of a flock of lambs sporting on the grass +or a single lamb playing among children by whom he is kept as a pet. I +have somewhere read a story of a lamb that belonged to some children and +went out with them one day as he had often done before. An hour or so +later the 'lamb came to the house bleating loudly and evidently wishing +to attract somebody's attention. When he obtained it he led the way to +where the two children had fallen into a shallow well, and though not +injured by the fall, which had only been a few feet, they were unable to +get out. It seems they were standing on a plank which covered the well; +the plank being old and rotten had given way beneath them, but as the +well had been filled nearly to the top with earth they suffered no +damage. In this case the lamb had the intelligence to understand that +help was needed and he went to bring it. + +“Sheep will sometimes display considerable cunning in getting into +fields and pastures where they have no right to go. On the country farm +where I lived when I was a boy we had a small flock of sheep; they were +all stupid enough with the exception of one, that used to devote himself +to hunting for weak places in the fence between the pasture where they +ran and the adjoining field. It was what we called a 'brush' fence, and +this mischievous animal used to walk along the line and survey it with +great care. When he found what he thought was a weak place he would +insert his head through the opening and work patiently till lie had +enlarged it sufficiently to permit him to get through. Then the rest of +the lot followed 'like a flock of sheep,' and when we went to drive them +out the shrewd leader took them in a direction quite opposite to the +opening. He seemed to understand that it would be blocked up as soon as +discovered and he wanted to keep it for further use.” + +[Illustration: 0214] + +Harry asked how many varieties of sheep there are in the world. He had +looked through the works on natural history but was unable to find out. + +“There are two great varieties,” answered George proudly, as he realized +that he had come upon some information which had escaped his brother. +“They are the long-wool and the short-wool,” said he, “the former being +most useful for the production of meat and the latter for their wool. +The long-wooled sheep have the wool straight or slightly curved +while the short-wooled kind have it thick and curly. The Leicesters, +Cotswolds, Scotch and Welsh breeds are of the long-wooled kind, while +the Merino is the most noted of the other sort.” + +[Illustration: 0215] + +“That is right,” said Mr. Graham, “and can you tell me which is the most +widely known of the short-wooled sheep?” + +“I can,” said Harry; “it is the Merino, which was brought into Spain +by the Moors and derives its name from the Spanish word _merino_ which +signifies 'wandering.' It was introduced into France more than a hundred +years ago and has gradually spread all over Europe and to America and +Australia. There wasn't a sheep in Australia when Governor Philip went +there in 1788, and now that country sends a million and a quarter +bales of wool every year to London alone besides what it ships to other +countries and consumes at home. The merino is the favorite sheep of +Australia, and it has also found a home in the British colonies at the +Cape of Good Hope. + +[Illustration: 0216] + +“As to the other kinds of sheep,” continued the youth, “they are, as the +auctioneers say in their advertisements, too numerous to mention. Almost +every county of England has its peculiar breed, some of them being +more famous for their mutton than their wool, and others _vice versa._ +Scattered over Europe are many breeds, but it is safe to say that the +most of them came from one original stock and owe their variation in +development to the differences of climate and modes of rearing. One of +the most famous breeds of sheep in England is the Southdown, which is +famous both for wool and meat: it has been introduced into France and +other countries, and we have a good supply of Southdowns nowadays in +America.” + +“I am reminded,” said George, “of a conundrum I heard a while ago, and +it is about sheep.” + +“What is it?” + +“Why do white sheep eat more than black ones?” + +“I know,” said Harry, “that's a chestnut. It's because there are more of +them.” + +“Yes,” responded Mr. Graham, “and the naturalists have had much +difficulty in separating the one from the other in consequence of the +intermediate forms between them. The goat is generally believed to be +descended from the paseng or ibex of Asia, and he inherits some of the +qualities of his ancestors who dwell among the rugged mountains. He is +marvelously sure-footed, and can go where almost any other quadruped +would not dare venture.” + +“I wonder if it is true,” said one of the youths, “that when two + +“But it isn't exactly right,” said George, “at least not for all parts +of the world. In Central Asia the flocks contain more black sheep than +white ones; the Astrachan sheep is generally black and his wool is very +soft and curly. The skin of the Astrachan lamb is used as a sort of fur, +and very pretty cloaks, muffs, collars, coats and similar things are +made of it.” + +[Illustration: 0217] + +“While I was looking up the description of sheep,” said Harry, “I read +something about the goat, who may be called his first cousin, when goats +meet on a mountain road where it is too narrow for them to turn around +or pass at the side, one will lie down and let the other go over him.” + +[Illustration: 0218] + +“It has been told so often,” Mr. Graham answered, “that it certainly +ought to be true. Not long ago I read of exactly such an occurrence +somewhere in Spain, and it was witnessed by several persons. But what +is much more likely to happen is that the animals would fight for the +possession of the road, and one or perhaps both would be forced over the +precipice and dashed to death on the rocks below. + +“The goat's power of climbing and his fondness for getting into +dangerous places are something remarkable. I have seen in the Alps and +also in Algeria the goats browsing on the steep side of a mountain where +it would be impossible for a man to climb, and where a single slip +or mis-step would send the animal down for hundreds of feet almost +perpendicularly. At Constantine in Algeria there is a wall of rock +five or six hundred feet high; it is slightly, broken near the top, +perpendicular further down, and the goats browse along the broken part, +springing slowly from break to break until they can get no farther. Then +they slowly ascend the cliff and start out for a new grazing place. The +funny thing was that there was plenty of grass elsewhere and they had no +occasion to get into such dangerous positions. They seemed to do it for +the fun of the thing.” + +“You remember they had a goat at the monkey theater,” said Harry, “that +climbed upon bottles in the shape of a pyramid, stood on the top of a +pole, balanced himself on a table and did other curious things. I wonder +somebody doesn't train goats to walk a tight rope, for it must be they +could do it.” + +[Illustration: 0220] + +“I think I've heard of their doing it,” Mr. Graham remarked, “though I +am not positive on that point. I've seen an elephant walk a tight rope, +but it was stretched only a foot or so from the ground so that a fall +wouldn't injure him.” + + +[Illustration: 0219] + + +[Illustration: 0221] + +The conversation about goats took a wide range and included performances +both actual and apochryphal. George asked what variety of goat it was +that was credited with eating tomato-cans, umbrellas, boots, and similar +things usually considered inedible, and was told he must seek it in the +upper districts of New York and at Hoboken and other suburban places. +But while Mr. Graham would not aver that the goat lived upon the +articles mentioned, he positively assured the youths that he had seen +the creature devour newspapers and bill-posters with apparent relish, +and that it didn't seem to make any difference to him whether the +newspapers were Republican or Democratic, secular or religious. He was +sure that the digestion of the goat was one of the best in the world +and could justly be envied by a great many men. “But leaving all jest +aside,” said he, “the goat is a hardy feeder and can live on very +little; he has been called the poor man's cow, as he can be kept by +people who cannot afford the expense of a cow and the milk of the goat +is rich and nutritious. Invalids are sometimes nourished on it when the +milk of the cow does not answer the purpose, and in some countries large +flocks of goats are maintained for their milk. The medicinal properties +of goat's milk and whey are well known, and cheese made from goat's milk +brings a higher price in the market than that from cow's milk.” + +“I found what Buffon, the naturalist, said of the goat,” said George, +“and it is worth remembering. He considers the goat superior to the +sheep both in intelligence and agility. He is stronger, lighter, and +more agile than the sheep, he is sprightly, capricious and given to +wander, and it is with difficulty he can be confined to a flock. He +loves to retire into solitude, and climb steep and rugged places. Though +he seems to feel the effects of severe cold, he is not afraid of rain or +storms or too great a degree of heat: he cheerfully exposes himself to +the sun and without inconvenience sleeps under its most severe rays.” + +The various kinds of goat, the Angora and Cashmere varieties, which +supply the wool for shawls and other fine fabrics, the Syrian goat with +pendulous ears, the Swiss goat which is kept in large flocks and is +highly profitable to its owners, and the common goat which is found +in all civilized countries of the world, all were discussed and duly +considered. But the youths were disappointed in the animal, as they were +obliged to offset his numerous good qualities with the fact that he +is wayward and unruly, and does not form any serious attachment to his +owner. The youths decided that they would not enter the business of +rearing goats, but be content with the pet animals they then possessed. + +George suggested that it was time to look after their horses. While they +are busy with those favorites we will lay down our pen for the present, +in the hope that we will be allowed to listen whenever they again +discuss the members of the animal kingdom. + +[Illustration: 5222] + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Horse Stories, by Thomas W. Knox + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 51949 *** |