lines of dainty breed in neck and crest and shoulder. He was
indeed a glorious sight as he stood there, his beautiful body
leaning back from his wide-spread and propped fore legs, his head
craned high, his ears erect, his mane bristling, his red nostrils
opening and shutting with wrath, and his flashing eyes turning
from side to side in haughty menace and defiance.

Scattered round in a respectful circle, six of the Abbey lay
servants and foresters, each holding a halter, were creeping
toward him. Every now and then, with a beautiful toss and swerve
and plunge, the great creature would turn upon one of his would-be
captors, and with outstretched head, flying mane and flashing
teeth, would chase him screaming to the safety of the wall, while
the others would close swiftly in behind and cast their ropes in
the hope of catching neck or leg, but only in their turn to be
chased to the nearest refuge.

Had two of these ropes settled upon the horse, and had their
throwers found some purchase of stump or boulder by which they
could hold them, then the man's brain might have won its wonted
victory over swiftness and strength. But the brains were
themselves at fault which imagined that one such rope would serve
any purpose save to endanger the thrower.

Yet so it was, and what might have been foreseen occurred at the
very moment of the arrival of the monks. The horse, having chased
one of his enemies to the wall, remained so long snorting his
contempt over the coping that the others were able to creep upon
him from behind. Several ropes were flung, and one noose settled
over the proud crest and lost itself in the waving mane. In an