lace, we had to go into outer darkness and
carefully avoid the tent pegs and ropes in finding our way to the other
entrance. While we were waiting our turn to jump, we had to stand near a
cage of lions which growled savagely during the whole time, and also in
the vicinity of two camels. My mount disliked the camels far more than
the lions; in fact, she hated the sight of them, and would have done her
best to escape, if I had not turned her head away from them and patted
and soothed her. Mr. Frank Fillis, who was the proprietor of the circus,
told me that horses have such an antipathy to camels that they will not
drink, however thirsty they may be, from a bucket which has been used
by one of these long-necked animals. By-the-bye, my acquisition of this
cup caused me to be branded as a "circus rider" by the ladies in a
Little Pedlington village in this country; for when the local society
leader called on me, I was out, and my son, by way of entertaining her,
showed her "the cup that mother won in a circus!"

In order for the voice to be effective, the word of command must be
given at the moment when a horse is about to play up in any way, not
after he has committed a fault, and therefore a knowledge of horses and
their ways is necessary before we can use the voice properly. It is
always advisable to keep an eye on our mount, because if we do not do
so, we shall be unable to seize the generally brief moment which exists
between the thought of evil in the animal's mind and its execution.
Those who have lived much among horses must have frequently noticed this
preparatory period before a horse plays up, and no doubt have profited
by the warning their experienced eyes gave them; for if we see what is
about to come, and know how to avert it, we are often able to save
ourselves from disaster.

In order that the animal may thoroughly understand our words of command,
we should have as few of them as possible, employ them only when
necessary, and always in the same respective tone of voice, whether it
be a soothing word of encouragement accompanied by a few pats on the
neck, or the word "steady" given in a determined tone, and accompanied
by a restraining pull on the reins as may be necessary. The word "whoa"
is best uttered in rather a high key and in a drawling tone, when we
begin to pull up a horse during movement; but we should reserve
"steady," like the curb, for use in emergency, and should utter it in a
threatening tone of