THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE HORSE.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] Snt,—Your issue of July 14th arrived here last week, in which you relate the picturesque incident of the trooper and his horse at Germiston. A young fellow of nineteen, Frank Bird, who went out as trooper from Westport, the town next to this on the northward, with one of the New Zealand con- tingents, had in two or three months trained his horse to follow him, to lie down, and to kneel, and so aptly or com- pletely was he trained that though Bird went away into the bush the horse would follow and find him. He would blindfold the horse and still he would go to Bird. Shortly before leaving, when the Westport squad had been paraded, Bird went off the ground and concealed himself, while another trooper went with a bowl of corn and tried to attract it. But the horse refused the seduction, and followed till it found its master. While no little trouble was experienced with other horses in getting them on board ship, Bird's horse followed him without hesita- tion into his stall on deck. Bird is quite a little, slim fellow, but an admirable horseman, taking after his mother, who was
an accomplished rider.—I am, Sir, R. S. H. Grernouth, New Zealand, September 9th.
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