CHAPTER I.

Uncle Thomas resumes his Stories about the Instinct of Animals.—­Tells about the Horse, and of the Immense Herds which are to be found on the Plains of South America; of their Capture by means of the Lasso; the Arab and his Mare; the Gadshill Robber; the Benevolent Planter; the Lawyer-Highwayman; as well as several other Curious Stories about the Intelligence, Affection, and Docility of the Horse.

“Come away, boys, I am glad to see you again!  Since I last saw you I have made an extensive tour, and visited some of the most romantic and picturesque scenery in England.  One day I may give you an account of what I saw, and describe to you the scenes which I visited; but I must deny myself this pleasure at present.  I promised, at our next meeting, to tell you some tales about the instinct of animals; and I propose to begin with the Horse.  I like to interest you with those animals with which you are familiar, and to draw out your sympathies towards them.  After the stories about dogs which I told you, some of them exhibiting that fine animal in such an amiable and affectionate character, I am sure it must assume a new interest in your mind.  Such instances of fidelity and attachment could not fail to impress you with a higher opinion of the animal than you before possessed, and show that kindness and good treatment even to a brute are not without their reward.

“I wish to excite the same interest towards the other animals which, I hope, I have effected towards the Dog.  Each, you will find, has been endowed by its Creator with particular instincts, to fit it for the station which it was intended to occupy in the great system of Nature.  Some of them are wild and ferocious, while others are quiet and inoffensive; the former naturally repel us, while those of the latter class as naturally attract our regard, although, properly speaking, each ought equally to interest us, in as far as it fulfils the object of its being.

“But I know you like stories better than lectures, so I will not tire you by lecturing, but will at once proceed to tell some stories about Horses, which I have gathered for you.”

“Oh no, Uncle Thomas, we never feel tired of listening to you; we know you have always something curious to tell us.”

“Well, then, Frank, to begin at once with the horse.

“In several parts of the world there are to be found large herds of wild horses.  In South America, in particular, the immense plains are inhabited by them, and, it is said, that so many as ten thousand are sometimes found in a single herd.  These flocks are always preceded by a leader, who directs their motions; and such is the regularity with which they perform their movements, that it seems almost as if they could not be surpassed by the best trained cavalry.