DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12665#0143
THE DESERT HORSES.
127
side, the beautiful animal would snort and paw the
ground, as if proud of what she had done, and anx-
ious for another course. I could almost imagine I
saw the ancient war-horse of Idumea, so finely de-
scribed by Job—" His neck clothed with thunder.
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the
glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the
valley, and rejoiceth in his strength : he goeth on
to meet the armed men. He mockelh at fear, and
is not affrighted ; neither turneth he back from the
sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glit-
tering spear and the shield. He swalloweth the
ground with fierceness and rage : neither believeth
he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith
among the trumpets, ha, ha ; and he smelleth the
battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the
shouting."
Nothing showed the hardiness of these horses
more than their drinking. Several times we came
to deposites of rainwater left in the hollow of a
rock, so foul and dirty that I would not have given
it to a dog; and while their sides were white with
foam, the sheik would take the bits out of their
mouths, and sit down with the bridle in his hands>
and let them drink their fill; and I could not help
thinking that a regular-bred English groom, accus-
tomed to insinuate a wet sponge in the mouth of a
heated horse, would have been amazed and horri-
fied at such a barbarian usage. These two horses
were twelve and twenty years old respectively ?
and the former was more like a colt in playfulness
127
side, the beautiful animal would snort and paw the
ground, as if proud of what she had done, and anx-
ious for another course. I could almost imagine I
saw the ancient war-horse of Idumea, so finely de-
scribed by Job—" His neck clothed with thunder.
Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the
glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the
valley, and rejoiceth in his strength : he goeth on
to meet the armed men. He mockelh at fear, and
is not affrighted ; neither turneth he back from the
sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glit-
tering spear and the shield. He swalloweth the
ground with fierceness and rage : neither believeth
he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith
among the trumpets, ha, ha ; and he smelleth the
battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the
shouting."
Nothing showed the hardiness of these horses
more than their drinking. Several times we came
to deposites of rainwater left in the hollow of a
rock, so foul and dirty that I would not have given
it to a dog; and while their sides were white with
foam, the sheik would take the bits out of their
mouths, and sit down with the bridle in his hands>
and let them drink their fill; and I could not help
thinking that a regular-bred English groom, accus-
tomed to insinuate a wet sponge in the mouth of a
heated horse, would have been amazed and horri-
fied at such a barbarian usage. These two horses
were twelve and twenty years old respectively ?
and the former was more like a colt in playfulness