Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 82.djvu/174

170 and said to the horse: "King, add these figures." The trainer then said: "King, do as the gentleman bids you. Go to the rack and show what is the sum of the first two figures. Go along and do it quickly." Then turning to the audience he remarked: "King is mischievous to-day, perhaps because it is so cool, and he may not do just as he should unless I compel him to. Usually I never have to take a switch to him, but sometimes when he is too mischievous, I have to correct him, and urge him to attend to his business." It was interesting to note the effect of this statement upon the observers. It put them at once into sympathy with the horse, and predisposed them to explain King's lack of responsiveness and his mistakes to his "mischief," and not to his inability to understand what was wanted of him. The remarks served effectively to divert many of the observers from studying the commands and actions of the trainer as possibly affording a clue to the reactions of the horse. They just naturally concluded that so much talk by the trainer was necessary in order to control the horse's "mischief," and it did not occur to them that verbal clues were mixed in with the commands.

Meanwhile the horse was standing at the rack without indicating any interest in the proceedings. He was not "studying" the figures on the board. He did not appear to understand what Dr. Boyd was saying about him. At least it was impossible for the writer, who was carefully noting King's reactions at short range, to detect any recognition on King's part of the trainer's remarks or commands, though it was claimed he understood every word. Turning to the horse again the trainer said, "King, why don't you do as the gentleman asked you? Find the first number. Come on, behave yourself, and find the first number," and he picked up a stick as if to slap him. The horse then walked over to the rack on which the number 10 had been placed near the lower end. He moved down to this number, and pushed it off. However, just as King came to the number 10, the trainer said, "Show the gentleman what the first number is." After having pushed off the right number, he pushed off the number 6 which was next to it. The trainer then said, "What is the number you carry? Find the number which you should carry." The horse moved along the rack, and while the trainer was talking to and commanding him, stamping occasionally to impress King with the necessity of "cutting out" his "mischief," he pushed off the number 1 and the number next to it. Then the trainer said, "What is the next number in this addition? Find it for the gentleman." The horse moved along the rack, and at the command, "Show the gentleman," he pushed off the number 13, and the one next to it. The trainer then had some one in the audience put the number 1 on the rack, though it could not be determined whether the horse was looking at the moment; and being commanded to show the