CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL
OF
POPULAR
LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART.

THE HIGH-METTLED RACER.

At Cooke's well-known travelling Circus theremay be seen some remarkable performances withhorses and small ponies that have been trainedfor the purpose. In London, at Hengler's Cirque,as it is called, there is a fine stud of horses, whichcommands general admiration. Without depreciatingmodern establishments of this kind, ourrecollections go back to Astley's Amphitheatre,near Westminster Bridge, as it used to be thirtyto forty years ago, under the management of thelate Mr Ducrow. The feats there performed bysome of the horses were exceedingly wonderful.The animals seemed to possess a degree of humanintelligence. They were accomplished actors. Theirpowers of simulation with a view to entertainspectators went far beyond what any one couldexpect whose knowledge is confined to the ordinaryclass of horses. We will mention a fewparticulars regarding the horses at Astley's as theyoccur to our memory.

One evening the performance represented ahouse on fire. All the inhabitants of the dwellinghad managed to escape except a lady inan upper story. You saw her at a windowthrowing about her arms wildly, and screamingfor help. Her appeals to the assembled crowdbeneath were heart-rending. The firemen couldnot reach her, for the stair was seemingly in ablaze, and there was no fire-escape. The spectatorsin the theatre were wrought up to an agony, itbeing but too evident that the poor lady wasdoomed to perish by a painful and violent death.In the midst of the commotion, a horse whichbelonged to the lady rushed upon the stage. Inits stable it had heard the screams of its mistress,and hastened to do its best to save her. Withoutsaddle or bridle, it was seen to rush into the house,and to climb the stair amidst flames and volumesof smoke. It reached the apartment where thelady was. She mounted on its back, holdingby the mane, and the horse descending the stairbrought her safely to the ground. Prolongedshouts of applause rewarded the hazardous exploit.The whole thing was a beautiful piece of acting,evoking throughout sentiments of pleasure andadmiration. Nothing but kindness and longtraining c

BU KİTABI OKUMAK İÇİN ÜYE OLUN VEYA GİRİŞ YAPIN!

Sitemize Üyelik ÜCRETSİZDİR!