"I don't
happen to know your name, but----"

"My name is Basil Bearover. This young man here"--with a jerk of his
thumb toward Badger--"informs me that you are Frank Merriwell."

"Yes, I'm Frank Merriwell, Mr. Bearover. We were speaking of horses. Now
I'll admit that Pansy yonder hasn't been properly educated. In time I
hope to improve her greatly. In time I hope to teach her to perform a
few simple mathematical problems, although I doubt if she'll ever be
able to talk."

"Huh?" blurted Bearover. "Mathematical fudge! Able to talk? What sort of
rot are you trying to give me, young man?"

"Have you never seen a horse that could add, subtract, multiply, and
divide?" asked Merry, with pretended surprise.

"No, sir, I never have, nor has any one else."

"Wait a moment before you make such a confident statement. Now this
horse of mine can do all those little things and still other things a
great deal more surprising. I'll prove the truth of my statement to you.
Hey, Dick--Dick, my boy, give me your attention. Now, sir, I wish you to
do a little sum for me. Are you ready? Are you listening? Are you
attentive?"

The horse nodded its head as if in answer to these questions.

"Very good, Dick," said Frank. "I'll give you a small sum in addition.
How many are two and two?"

The horse lifted its forward right foot and struck the ground four
times.

"That's right, Dick--that's right," laughed Merry, patting the
creature's neck. "Now we'll take a little example in subtraction. If we
subtract five from ten, how many have we left?"

The horse struck the ground five times with its foot.

"That's right again, Dick. Let's see what you can do in multiplication.
Three times two make how many?"

Six times the horse struck the ground.

"You're right up to the mark this morning, Dick," said the animal's
master. "We'll finish up with a little subtraction. If we take seven
from fourteen, how many will be left?"

Seven times Dick pawed the ground.

"There you are, Mr. Bearover," nodded Merriwell. "Are you satisfied that
even horses have brains?"

"I'm satisfied that you've trained that critter to do a few tricks," was
the answer. "You must think I'm purty dull witted. Why, you begun with
an example that made the horse paw the ground four times. Your next
question required five strokes of the critter's foot. Then came six, and
you followed it up with seven. Come, come, Mr. Merriwell, you're not
dealing with chumps. I've seen