THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES GIFT OF WILLIAM P. WREDEN General Grant's favorite charger Cincinnati, who was ridden by President Lincoln. Famous Four-Footed Friends BY G. C. HARVEY AUTHOR OF "THE LIGHT THAT LIES," ETC. ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK ROBERT M. McBRIDE & COMPANY 1916 Copyright, 1916, by ROBERT M. McBaiDE & Co. Published November, 1916 PREFACE The attempt has been made, in the following pages, to combine, with the stories of great men's horses and dogs, a certain amount of information concerning the owners of the animals. Where it seemed advisable, some slight geographical information has been introduced, though not, it is believed, in such a manner as to give the book the appearance of an educational work. Finally, the excuse for the introduction of certain ancient tales that are not strictly founded on fact must be, that even if they are not true, they are good enough V to be so. A 682970 CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE FOR A KING'S SAKE I Alexander the Great and his horse Bucephalus. CHAPTER II A TOWN NAMED FOR A DOG . IO Perites, the favorite dog of Alexander. CHAPTER III A MAD EMPEROR'S FAVORITE 19 The Roman Emperor Caligula and his petted charger Incitatus. CHAPTER IV A GIANT'S CHARGER 28 Ogier of Denmark and his faithful horse Broieffort CHAPTER V A PRINCE'S SAD MISTAKE 39 The story of the hound Gellert and his master Llewelyn. CHAPTER VI A DOG THAT CHOSE His MASTER 45 Pompee, the little dog of William the Silent. CHAPTER VII A FICKLE PET 53 Richard II of England and his greyhound Mathe. CONTENTS CHAPTER VIII FACE A KING'S WARRIOR 60 Frederick the Great and his brave dog Gengisk, CHAPTER IX "WHOSE DOG ARE You?" 68 Stories of the poet Pope and his little dog Bounce. CHAPTER X A QUEEN'S LAST FRIEND 75 The sad tale of Marie Antoinette and her pet dog Thisbe. CHAPTER XI A CURIOUS SNUFF Box 83 Marengo, the horse that was named after Napoleon's great victory. CHAPTER XII THE IRON DUKE'S CHARGER 92 Copenhagen, the horse that Wellington rode at Waterloo. CHAPTER XIII THE DOGS OF ABBOTSFORD 98 Sir Walter Scott and his pets Camp and Maida. CHAPTER XIV "Ou> WHITEY". . 107 How Zachary Taylor and his horse marched into Mexico. CHAPTER XV "BOATSWAIN, A DOG" 113 The poet Byron and his faithful Newfoundland. CHAPTER XVI A SOUTHERN HERO'S CHARGER ....,,,. 120 Robert E. Lee and his gray horse Traveller. CONTENTS CHAPTER XVII PACE Two FRIENDS OF A CONQUEROR 126 Cincinnati and Ponto, two friends of General Grant CHAPTER XVIII HONORED BY A GOOD WOMAN . . ., ,...,.'.' . . 134 The story of Grey Friar's Bobby. CHAPTER XIX THE SOLE SURVIVOR .......... 140 How the horse Comanche carried General Custer at the fight of Little Big Horn. CHAPTER XX A STATESMAN'S COMPANION 145 Gladstone and his little dog Petz. CHAPTER XXI A MOURNER WITH KINGS . . 153 How Caesar followed the coffin of his master Edward VII. CHAPTER XXII A CHIEFTAIN OF HEROES 162 Barry, a St. Bernard of the Alps. CHAPTER XXIII A CITY'S SHEEP DOG . . 168 Jack, the shepherd dog of Central Park. CHAPTER XXIV Two MODERN DOG HEROES . . . . . , . ... . 173 Fend 1'Air and Loulou, two dogs of the French army. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS GENERAL GRANT'S CHARGER, CINCINNATI, WHO WAS RIDDEN BY PRESIDENT LINCOLN Frontispiece FACING PAGE A FAMOUS STATUE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND BUCEPHALUS WHICH LAY BURIED FOR NEARLY 1700 YEARS AMONG THE RUINS OF THE CITY OF HERCULANEUM IN ITALY 6 THE EMPEROR CALIGULA ON His CHARGER INCITATUS WHO FED FROM AN IVORY MANGER 20 FREDERICK THE GREAT AND GENGISK, THE DOG WHO SAVED HIM FROM CAPTURE 62 MARIE ANTOINETTE AND THISB, THE LITTLE DOG WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE WHEN SEPARATED FROM HER MISTRESS .... 76 NAPOLEON AND MARENGO, THE CHARGER WHOSE HOOF Is THE SNUFF Box OF AN ENGLISH REGIMENT 84 COPENHAGEN, THE WAR HORSE WHO BORE THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON THROUGHOUT THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO 94 A GREAT AUTHOR AND THE DOG HE DESCRIBED IN ONE OF His NOVELS 102 WHEN BYRON'S NEWFOUNDLAND DIED, THE POET DECLARED THAT HE HAD LOST His ONLY FRIEND 116 GENERAL LEE AND TRAVELLER, THE FAITHFUL CHARGER WHO CARRIED His MASTER ALL THROUGH THE CIVIL WAR 122 PONTO, THE CONSTANT COMPANION OF GENERAL GRANT, WHO WAS CARRIED WHEN A PUPPY IN His MASTER'S POCKET . . .132 GREY FRIAR'S BOBBY, WHO FOR FOURTEEN YEARS DAILY VISITED His MASTER'S GRAVE 136 THE LITTLE DOG CESAR MARCHING AT THE HEAD OF FIFTY PRINCES AT THE FUNERAL OF KING EDWARD VII 156 JACK, THE SHEEP DOG AT CENTRAL PARK, WITH His MASTER, JAMES CONROY A MILLIONAIRE'S GIFT TO A FAITHFUL SHEPHERD . .174 FEKD L'AIR, THE BEST LOVED DOG IN EUROPE, WHO RESCUED His MASTER WHO HAD BEEN BURIED BY THE EXPLOSION OF A SHELL , 178 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS Famous Four- Footed Friends CHAPTER I FOR A KING'S SAKE FROM the days of long, long ago comes this tale, one of the oldest stories that seems to be at all founded on fact, ever told about a horse. It is to be feared that if the horse had not belonged to such a wonderful man, we should never have heard much about him, and yet his fidelity is worthy of all the songs and tales that have been sung and written about him. The horse's name was Bucephalus, which means that he had a broad head like an ox, and we are told that he was a fine, tall fellow, coal black, with a star on his forehead. He was the favorite companion and charger of Alexander the Great, one of the most wonderful generals ever known. Alexander, who lived a great many years ago almost four hundred years before Christ was born was the son of King Philip II of Macedonia. Under ordinary circumstances, Macedonia might i 2 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS not appear to be a particularly interesting part of th world to most of us. When we begin to think, how ever, that over the snow-coated mountains of thi country the Serbians fled, in 1915 and 1916, befor the advancing Bulgarian and Austrian armies, it doe not seem so difficult to become interested in what tool place there so many years ago. In fact, when we rea< of the battles of Alexander the Great, it is hard t believe that we are not reading of what has occurrei in our own time. Macedonia was not such a very large kingdom whei Alexander's father began to reign, but Philip was very brave as well as an extremely ambitious man, an< before he died he had conquered the neighboring coun tries on the east and the west and the south. So thai when his father was killed by traitors, Alexander be came ruler of most of what we have always known a Turkey in Europe. And it brings us a little closer t< those distant times, perhaps, when we realize tha Saloniki, where the Allies landed their troops an< supplies to go to the aid of the Serbians, was also : seaport in Alexander's dominions. Philip was very proud of his son, and did every thing in his power to give him the best education tha could be obtained. Aristotle, a renowned Greel philosopher, was engaged as Alexander's tutor, but i FOR A KING'S SAKE 3 seems as if the boy must have spent more time in watch- ing the soldiers drill than at his lessons; for, when he was only sixteen years old, he commanded, very suc- cessfully, an army against some rebellious hill-tribes during his father's absence. Still, he must have learnt some wisdom from the good Aristotle, for he was usually very just to those whom he conquered. When Alexander was twelve years old, a mam named Philonicus offered to sell Bucephalus to Philip. Phil- onicus, who reared horses in Thessaly, declared that Bucephalus was the finest horse that he had ever owned, and that he was well worth the money that was asked for him: almost $17,000. Now $17,000 was a great deal of money to pay for a horse in those days, so Philip wisely said that he would not buy Bucephalus until he had seen and tried him. Philonicus did not much like the idea of this, because, while Bucephalus was perfectly sound and a remark- ably handsome animal, Philonicus was really selling him chiefly because no one in Thessaly could ride him. However, not wishing to lose the chance of making such a large amount of money as he had asked for the horse, the dealer agreed at last to send him to Philip. He probably did not take the animal himself, because he knew quite well what was going to happen when Philip's men began to try to ride Bucephalus. 4 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS The king was much' interested when he heard that Bucephalus had arrived, and as it was a beautiful, bright sunny day, he decided to make an occasion of the trial of his proposed purchase. So he invited all the members of his court to go with him to a large plain, where there was abundance of room and good, soft springy turf. No doubt the assemblage was a very gay and gorgeous one, so that Philip must have felt extremely put out by what occurred. When the guests had arrived at the plain, and were standing about in little groups discussing the trial that was to take place, Bucephalus was led up by the servants. Imagine Philip's horror, when he saw that the horse's glossy coat was flecked with sweat, and that the attendants were evidently having a very exciting time of it. At last the horse was brought up in front of Philip and his courtiers, and then the real struggle began. Bucephalus jumped from one side to the other, then stood on his hind legs and pawed the air. Moreover, when the expert riders attempted to get on his back, he bit and kicked and struck out with his fore feet in the most vicious manner. Vainly the riders, ashamed of their failure in the presence of their king, tried to control Bucephalus; but it was a hopeless task. At last the king flew into FOR A KING'S SAKE 5 a furious rage and it was a very fortunate thing for Philonicus that he was not there. Philip at once made up his mind that he would not have the horse at any price, and he shouted out to the men who had brought Bucephalus to take him back to Thessaly ; and, without, doubt, the king let fall some very uncomplimentary remarks about Philonicus. At this moment, young Alexander, who had been, for a walk with his tutor, Aristotle, joined the group of disappointed courtiers. He listened to what his father had to say and then, pointing to Bucephalus, said: "It seems a pity to lose the chance of getting such a beauti- ful animal just because no one has sense enough to know how to ride him !" Philip turned indignantly, and asked Alexander how he dared to make such a remark. He said, "Don't you know that it is great impertinence for you, a mere boy, to attempt to give advice to your elders? What can you know about horses?" "I know enough to ride that horse!" replied little Alexander quietly. His father was very angry for a moment at his son's assurance, and then it occurred to him that the best way to point out Alexander's folly was to allow him to try to ride Bucephalus. It must have been very hard for him to permit his son to run such a risk of being 6 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS seriously injured, but he said, with a smile, "How much will you bet, my son, that you can ride him successfully?" The boy flung up his head. "The price of the horse, by Zeus!" he cried proudly. Now it appears that Alexander had noticed that Bucephalus was very much afraid of his own shadow, and that this was what made him so restive. The boy stood in thought for a moment, and then stepped very cautiously up to the horse's side and succeeded in plac- ing his hand on the frightened creature's neck. For a few moments he stood there, patting the horse gently and talking to him in soothing tones. Then he gradually turned the animal's head toward the sun, so that he could no longer see his shadow. In a few moments Bucephalus stood still, though he trembled all over from excitement, and the king and his courtiers gazed with mouths open at the wonderful transformation that had taken place in the vicious animal. While they were so standing, staring at one another in wonderment, Alexander vaulted suddenly to the horse's back and away he and his mount flew. Bucephalus, furious because this mere boy had suc- ceeded where all the rest had failed, fought hard to unseat Alexander, but the young rider clung fast and urged his steed on and on. At last the pace began to A famous statue of Alexander the Great and Bucephalus, which lay buried for nearly 1,700 years among the ruins of the city of Hercu- laneum in Italy. FOR A KING'S SAKE 7 tell on Bucephalus, and he would have preferred to go a little slower, even at the price of having to submit to the indignity of bearing a rider on his back. Alex- ander would not allow any slackening of speed, though, until he was sure that Bucephalus was thoroughly worn out; then he turned the horse's head and rode him slowly back to where the king was waiting anxiously. When the young horseman rode up, he was received with cheers, and after he had dismounted, his father embraced him and said proudly, "My kingdom is too small for you, my son!" After this, Bucephalus became Alexander's property and was always gentle and obedient to his young master; but he did not like any one else to ride him. In fact, it is said that he would repeat his old tricks of biting and kicking when strangers came near, and yet he was stolen once after Alexander became king. When this robbery happened, however, Alexander was so angry and uttered such terrible threats against the thief that the horse was returned in a hurry. We must remember that in those days, when guns were unknown, soldiers fought with spears and swords at close quarters, and that their generals used to plunge into the thick of battle, so that a fleet horse was a very valuable possession. Alexander was so attached to Bucephalus that he spent a great deal of time with him, 8 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS and the horse learnt to kneel when his master wished to mount or to dismount. Alexander was only twenty years old when he be- came king of Macedonia, and yet he had to gather his armies together immediately and set out to put down a number of rebellions. It seems that the countries that Philip had conquered thought this a good time to regain their independence. The young king soon suc- ceeded in suppressing these outbreaks, and then set off down south and quelled other uprisings in lower Greece. Later on, he crossed the Dardanelles and con- quered Asia Minor, and then overcame Egypt and founded the city of Alexandria which still stands near the mouth of the river Nile. At last, having conquered the whole of Persia, he marched through Afghanistan and fought King Porus of India. In this battle, as in most of the former ones, Alexander rode faithful Bucephalus. It seems that in this great battle of Hydaspes, Alexander rode recklessly into the thick of the fight, straight up to the enemy's lines, and that more than one spear was buried in the neck and flanks of his valiant horse. At last, when the conflict had begun to turn in Alexander's favor, Bucephalus, for the first time, re- fused to obey his master's orders, and turned and fled to the rear. We can easily imagine how Alexander FOR A KING'S SAKE 9 struggled with his mount at this exciting moment, and how he did everything in his power to force him back into the struggle, but he did not succeed, and finally Bucephalus bore his master to a place of safety behind the lines and there knelt for him to dismount. Then, as Alexander, indignant and perplexed, slipped from his back, this faithful servant trembled for a moment and sank down dead, happy in the knowl- edge that his last action had been to carry his beloved master to a place of safety. CHAPTER II A TOWN NAMED FOR A DOG ALTHOUGH the writers who have told us about Alexander the Great's boyhood do not mention it, we may be sure that he was a friend to all animals. No boy who could control a high-spirited horse, such as Bucephalus, would be content without the love and companionship of other pets. So we may be sure that there were favorite dogs who accompanied Alex- ander on his long walks with his tutor, and on his expeditions to the military camps, where he loved to go to watch his father's armies being trained and prepared for their victorious campaigns. As a matter of fact, however, there seems to have been only one dog that the writers considered remark- able enough to be worthy of mention. This animal's name was Perites, and he was presented to Alexander by the king of Albania. This was a short time before Alexander set out to conquer King Porus of India. Of course no king would think of giving a dog to such a great man as Alexander, unless there was some- thing about the animal that would cause the king of 10 A TOWN NAMED FOR A DOG n Macedonia to value him very highly. For, usually, in those days, great men made presents to one another only when they hoped for something in return. Alexander was so distinguished, and so powerful, that we may suspect that the king of Albania looked for some favor in return when he sent the beautiful dog. Perites was not merely handsome. He was so large that his size terrified all who saw him for the first time, and he would, no doubt, have been muzzled in short order, if he had lived in our time. Alexander, undoubtedly, was delighted to receive so fitting a companion for Bucephalus, and it is pleasant to believe that a strong friendship sprang up between the proud, big-hearted horse and the noble dog. With such a horse to carry him from camp to camp, and with this magnificent dog to keep watch over him while he slept in his tent at night, Alexander was indeed fortunate. It appears that when the king of Albania sent the dog, he called Alexander's attention particularly to the fact that Perites was renowned for his exceptional courage. Alexander, who was so fearless himself, was attracted by this quality more than by the size or beauty of his new pet, and soon made up his mind to test the dog's bravery. In those days there were, of course, no theaters like 12 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS those that we go to so frequently nowadays, and enter- tainments were given in large out-of-door theaters similar to the stadia that have been built at some of our universities for the football matches and other sports. The performances, however, were even more exciting and dangerous than football games, for they consisted, usually, of contests between armed men; or, worse still, between men and savage beasts. Alexander, therefore, decided that Perites should be placed in the arena as the large open stage was called to give an exhibition of his much-vaunted courage; and, as his father did, when he invited the courtiers to see the trial of Bucephalus, the king determined to make a grand spectacle of the test of Perites. He decided that one of his slaves should enter the arena with the enormous, fierce-looking dog, and he issued a proclamation inviting all those who cared to come to be present at the grand entertainment. It is easy to picture in one's mind the vast multitude seated around the arena, waiting impatiently to see the remarkable dog of whose gigantic size they had heard so much gossip. It is also not difficult to imagine the terror of the poor slave, as he lay in his chains awaiting the call to struggle for his life with a ferocious hound. At length, however, the king and his courtiers arrived at the amphitheater, and the shouts of the A TOWN NAMED FOR A DOG 13 people gave place to a sudden silence, as the slave was led into the arena. How his eyes must have swept the immense, sandy space, in the forlorn hope that he might find some place of refuge! But, in an instant, the door to the arena was opened again, and in dashed Perites, splendid in his bulk, with his muscles quivering from excitement, and his great fangs showing. A great outburst of applause must have arisen from the spectators when they saw the wonderful dog, and no doubt Alexander felt almost as proud as if he had won a great battle. But, as is so often the case, his pride was to receive a severe blow, for Perites did not hurl himself at the poor slave as the spectators and Alexander supposed he would. Instead, after taking one good look at the slave, he lay down and rested his great head on his paws, just as if he were going to settle down for a good sleep. At that moment, the king of Albania's chances of obtaining favors from Alexander must have been very slight. Undoubtedly, the great Alexander concluded that the dog's former master had been playing pranks with him, and it is remarkable that the quick-tempered King of Macedonia did not set out immediately to punish the joker. Probably, however, Alexander was already so at- 14 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS tached to Perites that he made excuses for him, and declared that the dog was of too noble a nature to attack a harmless human being. In any case, he gave orders for the thankful slave to be taken from the arena, and for a wild boar, one of the most ferocious of beasts, to be brought in in his place. The appearance of a wild boar is enough to strike terror to the heart of any dog, but Perites merely raised his head a little, glanced lazily at the newcomer, and then resumed his former air of unconcern. Determined to force Perites to display his courage, if he really possessed it, the king called for a bear to be brought in to face the dog. This was done, and though the spectators were now on tiptoe with excite- ment, Perites displayed no inclination to molest the bear, and probably the bear concluded that it was good judgment not to arouse the enormous dog, for no fight ensued. By this time, Alexander's patience was almost ex- hausted, especially as he must have known that the spectators were quietly laughing at him; though, of course, they were too wise to display any outward signs of amusement. Laughing at the failure of kings' plans was a very dangerous pastime in those days. The king knew that there was one beast that would not stay in the arena for a moment with Perites, without A TOWN NAMED FOR A DOG 15 forcing him to take am interest in his presence. So he shouted to the attendants to turn a wild lion loose. We can almost see the spectators rising in their seats when this order was given. Very likely they said among themselves, "This is the end of Perites!" For, surely, no dog not even one as powerful as Perites appeared to be could hope to live long in a fight with a savage lion. At last, however, Alexander's confidence in his dog's valor was to be justified. No sooner did Perites's eyes fall on the lion standing before him, switching its tail from side to side, and roaring fiercely, than he, too, growled savagely and sprang to his feet. Then, indeed, the spectators must have trembled with excitement, as they gazed at those two magnificent beasts facing each other with their hair raised in fury. For an instant, even Alexander must have felt his heart beat more rapidly, when he realized how slight a chance his dog could have against such a foe. But, as the king sat with his eyes fastened on the two animals, whose straining muscles stood out clearly in the bright sunlight, he saw Perites crouch suddenly in preparation for a spring; and as the voices of the spectators died away to an amazed hush, the great dog hurled himself at the lion and bore him to the ground. There was a quick, terrifying struggle, and Perites 1 6 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS stood, with head erect, over the body of his defeated and dead adversary. In an instant all doubt of the dog's courage fled from the minds of the multitude, and an ear-splitting cheer arose as the spectators proclaimed Perites the king of dogs. Monarch though he was, we may be sure that Alexander dashed into the inclosure and made much of the noble Perites, who had shown by his refusal to attack the first three antagonists, that the king of animals was the only one he considered worthy of his fighting qualities. From that day, Perites was second only to Buce- phalus in Alexander's affections. He accompanied his royal master on all occasions, and, one day, probably during Alexander's invasion of India, an event occurred that established Perites' reputation for dauntlessness more firmly than ever. At times, elephants, who usually appear to be the most docile of animals, become exceedingly dangerous and attack any person, or beast, that crosses their path. It is quite likely that Alexander, while leading his forces through the thick jungle in India, was set upon by one of these mad elephants. Whether this was the case, or not, we read that on one occasion Perites had an encounter with one of these enormous animals. The fight once begun, Perites sprang, repeatedly, at his A TOWN NAMED FOR A DOG 17 gigantic foe with such ferocity, that the clumsy ele- phant was at its wit's end how to avoid the dog's fangs which were wounding its tender trunk. Try as it might to seize the dog with its trunk, or to trample its adver- sary under its mighty feet, the great creature could not succeed in ridding itself of its smaller foe. Of course it was evident that Perites could not hope to conquer an enemy so many times larger and more powerful than himself, yet his bold heart refused to be daunted, and he persisted in his savage assaults. Finally, the elephant's alarming trumpetings ceased and the great beast staggered feebly, as it attempted to escape through the dense undergrowth. Perites, how- ever, was not to be shaken off so easily, and pursued his enemy relentlessly. And then an event occurred that filled Alexander and his officers with amazement. For the elephant, with one last despairing trumpeting, fell to the earth dead. The poor creature's heart was broken by its failure to defeat its antagonist. Thereafter, Alexander had little cause to fear the attack of any enemy, as long as Perites was by his side ; but, alas, soon after this display of his daring, this wonderful dog was called upon to give his life for his master. It appears that one night, when Alexander was asleep in his tent, an enemy crept in with a dagger in 1 8 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS his hand, and stepped stealthily toward the king's bed. Perites, alert as ever, sprang at the intruder's throat and bore the would-be murderer to the ground. The faithful dog saved his royal master's life, but he re- ceived a stab, which caused his death, from the enemy's poisoned dagger. The king was deeply distressed by the loss of his brave guardian and comrade, and did everything in his power to express to the world the sincerity of his grief. He erected several temples in honor of the dead Perites and even had a town built in memory of the valorous animal. This town was called Perite, and, probably, was the only one that was ever built in honor of a dog's memory. CHAPTER III A MAD EMPEROR'S FAVORITE A LITTLE more than four hundred years after Alexander the Great built a town to keep the memory of his well-loved dog in the minds of his people, a Roman emperor went to still greater lengths in honor of a horse. This emperor was Caligula, who ruled the mighty Roman nation from 37-41, A. D., and whose name, even after all the years that have passed since he lived, is used as an epithet for cruelty and wickedness. No one would ever have supposed, at the time that Caligula was a very young man, that when he came to rule the country he would be a cruel, vicious despot. His father, Germanicus, was a kindly, vigorous soldier- prince, who, like all loving and good fathers, no doubt indulged in many a day dream in which he saw his dear son a great and beloved ruler. It is possible that Caligula inherited some of his bad traits from his mother, Agrippina, who was a proud, vain and passionate woman; but after all, the kindest thought that we can have about him is to consider that 19 20 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS he was not in his right mind. No one could have had a better opportunity, than he, to become a great soldier and a leader of armies. For he was born at the great military camp at Antium, and the first sounds that greeted his ears must have been the clashing of armor and spears, as the troops drilled on the plains around him. He was educated in this bustling army center, and he even owed his name to the soldiers who nick- named him Caligula, on account of the caliga, or military boots, that he loved to strut about in. As a youth, he entered politics and soon became a very powerful statesman. To everyone's delight, no doubt, he showed at this time a decided inclination to grant more liberties to the people, and to improve social conditions generally. We can believe that the people at their gatherings discussed, with enthusiasm, the im- provements that the young prince favored, and they must have looked forward with pleasure to the day when he would rule them, in place of his wicked uncle, Tiberius. But, alas, they were soon to be sadly disappointed. We, who live in democratic countries whose govern- ments allow us to own property, and to do as we please with it, as long as we are good citizens, can scarcely realize the bad treatment that most of the people had to submit to in the days of Caligula. Then, if one The Emperor Caligula on his charger Incitatus, who fed from an ivory manger. A MAD EMPEROR'S FAVORITE 21 happened to be born a Patrician, that is, an aristocrat, he enjoyed life and was able to wear the best clothes and eat the choicest food, as well as to spend the greater part of his time in amusing himself. But the Plebeians, or ordinary people, as we would call them, had a rather miserable existence. As a rule, they did not have much that they could call their own ; and, even if they did succeed in getting ahead a little, they never knew when their possessions would be seized by someone in authority. So that we can easily understand why Caligula's efforts to better things, when he first entered public life, aroused the hopes and the enthusiasm of the people. It is hard to say why the young emperor changed so. It may have been because his father and mother died when he was quite young, and he was left to the bad influence of his uncle; or, perhaps, he lost his mind on account of the epileptic fits from which he suffered. He used, also, to lie awake, night after night, unable to sleep. If this had happened in later years, we should not be so much surprised, for his cruel and foolish acts were enough to cause anyone to suffer from sleep- lessness. Some people thought that stepping suddenly into the possession of such vast power as he grasped, when he became emperor of the greatest nation in the world, 22 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS upset Caligula's balance. We have all seen cases in our times, when men who have suddenly come into the control of great wealth, or immense power, have seem- ingly gone mad in their desire to dazzle the world. And this seems to have been the case with Caligula, for soon after he came to the throne he began to waste money in such a way, that it seemed as if he was trying to show the world that he could spend more money than anyone else. The people were probably rather amused when he gave theatrical performances in different parts of the city; but, when he arranged for these plays to take place at night, which was unusual then, and insisted that the whole city must be illuminated, the taxpayers must have begun to grumble at the expense. And what would we think, nowadays, of a ruler who dissolved almost priceless pearls in vinegar, and then drank the mixture? Caligula had only been emperor for about eight months when he became very ill from a nervous break- down. After a while, he recovered his former physical strength, such as it was, but his actions, thereafter, show that he was never quite right mentally. Everyone admires a man who is fond of animals, but only a lunatic could have paid the absurd attentions to horses that this emperor, who was being watched by A MAD EMPEROR'S FAVORITE 23 the world, did. And, if the people had not been so accustomed to being oppressed, they surely never would have allowed Caligula to waste their money in such a ridiculous manner. It is certain that no nation, in these days, would sit still and allow its monarch, or President, to spend over one hundred million dollars in less than five years, simply for his own amusement. It would not take the people long to revolt and remove the spendthrift. There was, in Rome, a large circus, or hippodrome, known as the Circus Maximus, or Great Circus. It was an oblong inclosure, two thousand feet long and about six hundred feet wide. On three sides of it, rows of stone seats for the spectators rose in tiers one above the other, and in the center there was a course for the chariot races. In this circus, sports of all kinds took place, but the Romans probably enjoyed the chariot races more than any of the other trials of skill. As Caligula's insanity showed itself more strongly in his treatment of horses than in any other direction, it was natural that he should be a great patron of these chariot races. We have all seen these races imitated at the circuses of our times, and we know that there is an element of danger to them, though the drivers are trained to keep out of one another's way. How much more exciting those races at the Roman circus must 24 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS have been! Then, the drivers had no thought for their own safety, but forced their half-wild horses to their utmost speed, and cheerfully took any risk of death to gain the praise of their emperor and of the thousands of spectators. And, though it seems strange to us, because we are always filled with horror if an accident occurs when we are at a circus, the crowds that attended the performances, in those days, seemed to think that it added to the excitement if the chariots collided and the drivers were killed, or injured. No one could blame Caligula for being interested in this sport, but he could not even enjoy this form of amusement without spending money foolishly. And he became so attached to one set of charioteers who wore a green uniform, that he had his meals served, and spent several nights, at the stable where their horses were kept. It is possible that he had bet a great deal of money on the horses and feared that someone might injure them, but it is more likely that he had already begun to think that his horses were more worthy of consideration, than his people. Naturally a man who wasted money, as Caligula did, would not spare any expense when he came to build a stable for his favorite horse, Incitatus. So that we are not surprised to read that Incitatus lived in a marble palace, and that his manger was carved out of ivory. A MAD EMPEROR'S FAVORITE 25 Of course all this grandeur did not make Incitatus any more comfortable, but it was done, just as everything was done by Caligula, for the purpose of gratifying this wicked man's vanity. Then, too, this silly emperor built a palace and had it fully furnished with the most expensive furniture, all for the horse's use. He appointed a number of slaves to wait on Incitatus, and to receive the guests who were invited to dine with the horse. The dinner parties given by Incitatus were very elaborate affairs, and on these occasions the horse was fed on oats that had been dipped in molten gold. Poor Incitatus must have dreaded these banquets, and it is remarkable that, being fed on such an indi- gestible diet, he lived as long as he did. Of course he may have felt that, being an emperor's horse, he had to do a great many things that he would rather not have done. Just as we often see people eating rich food, and living uncomfortable lives, because they believe they have to live up to their positions, though they would much sooner be living a simpler life, and would be very glad indeed to enjoy one good, homelike meal. It would be interesting to know if Caligula was as cruel to this favorite horse, as he usually was to people and animals. It does not at all follow that, because he surrounded Incitatus with luxuries, he was good to him 26 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS in other ways. One of Caligula's peculiarities was, that his friends never knew when he might turn on them and treat them as badly as he did his worst enemies. On one occasion, he behaved to his guests in a manner that showed how dangerous it was to depend, in the slightest degree, on his friendship. It seems that he took it into his head that riding on land was very com- monplace. So he had a bridge, almost four miles long, built over the water, and rode over it at the head of his soldiers, pretending that he was riding on the water. The most absurd part of this silly procession was, that the soldiers carried flags to celebrate Caligula's victory over Neptune, the god of the sea. How even his guests must have laughed at their hostl But they did not have a chance to laugh long, for, when the procession was over, Caligula had a number of them thrown into the sea, as a fitting end to the day that he was enjoying so much. So, it is plain that, even if he was supplied with an ivory manger to eat from, Incitatus could not at all depend on kind treat- ment from his changeable master. The sports at the great circus were known as the Circensian games, and the day before these were to take place, Caligula used to have soldiers stationed near the stable in which Incitatus stood, to compel the A MAD EMPEROR'S FAVORITE 27 people to keep silent so -that his horse might not be disturbed. It would be pretty hard to keep people quiet in a big city, in these days, for a horse's sake, even if soldiers were standing about, or policemen either, for that matter. As time went on, the mad emperor became more and more ridiculous in his treatment of Incitatus. Finally, he had the horse made a member of the college of priests, and as if this was not absurd enough, fully intended to have him raised to the consulate, when, for- tunately, the pampered animal died; perhaps from too many gilded oats. Of course we cannot believe all that we read about Incitatus. But it is certain that if Caligula had not behaved very foolishly about this horse, none of the stories would have been written. The worst part of it is, that Incitatus does not seem to have done anything to merit all these attentions. Had he been a hero, like Bucephalus, we should be glad to know that he was being rewarded for his bravery. But we may be sure that he would have been much happier at large in a field of sweet, green grass than in a marble palace, how- ever artistic it, and its ivory manger, may have been. As it is, we can but sympathize with him for being famous only because he was one of the many examples of a mad emperor's folly. CHAPTER IV A GIANT'S CHARGER THE quaint old story that follows, is told about a man who undoubtedly lived in the time of Charlemagne, the great king of the Franks and Em- peror of the West. Of course we cannot be sure that the story is very true, because in those days over eleven hundred years ago authors were not as particular about their facts as they are nowadays. Still, we can- not help hoping that the wonderful horse, that we read about, did exist, and that he was as faithful to his master as the historians tell us he was. The horse was called BroiefTort, and we are told that he was a tremendous fellow, and the possessor of great strength and speed. In fact, as Ogier, the Dane, Broie- ffort's master, is said to have been a real giant, an ordinary horse would never have been able to carry him; so that it is very easy to believe that Broieffort was a giant too. Ogier was the son of Duke Godfrey, of Denmark, and when he was very young was sent to Charlemagne's 28 A GIANT'S CHARGER 29 court. It seems that his father was too proud to do homage to Charlemagne that is, to acknowledge him as his master so he sent his son to the court as a hostage. This meant that if Charlemagne had wished to punish Godfrey for his pride, he had poor Ogier at hand to ill-treat, which makes us have rather a poor opinion of Godfrey for placing his son in such a risky position. Soon after Ogier went to live at Charlemagne's court, however, the powerful king was called upon by the Pope of Rome to come to his aid against the Saracens, or Arabs, who were about to attack him. Ogier gladly accompanied Charlemagne's army, and in the battle that followed distinguished himself very greatly. It appears that the Arabs were winning the battle, and the retreating Prankish soldiers were in danger of losing their flag, which would have been considered a great disgrace. But the brave young Ogier sprang forward, knocked the cowardly standard-bearer down, and, holding the flag aloft, called on the fleeing troops to follow him. He then charged at the enemy's ranks, followed by the heartened Franks, and the tide of battle quickly turned in Charlemagne's favor. As he plunged into the thick of the fight, Ogier came face to face with Brunamont, an Arab chief, who was mounted on a magnificent, great horse. After a des- 30 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS perate struggle, Ogier hurled Brunamont from his saddle and, as conqueror, took possession of his foe's armor and horse. Thus he became owner of Broieffort, who was to be such a faithful servant ever after. Not satisfied, however, with all that he had already done, young Ogier presently, in the midst of the raging battle, came across the king who had been unseated from his horse and was being set upon by two fierce Arabs. Ogier flung himself at the king's assailants, and soon drove them off; and indeed they must have been very much alarmed when they saw Ogier wearing their chief's armor and riding his well-known steed. After the battle had been won, Ogier and a number of other young warriors brought the flag that they had saved to their king and proudly laid it at his feet. For his great services, the king embraced the young Dane, and made him a knight, so that the poor hostage now became a great favorite at court. For, in those days, when a great man honored a person, that person sud- denly became a great favorite with everybody. After some years, Ogier married and had a son. He brought his little boy to the court, and the king relieved Ogier of his hostageship, so that he became a free man. Unfortunately, just as all was going so well for Ogier, the king's son, Chariot, grew very jealous of all the favors that his father was showing to the one-time A GIANT'S CHARGER 31 hostage. Not only was Chariot jealous of Ogier, but he took a great dislike to the Dane's son, Balduinet. One day, when the boys were playing chess together, a serious quarrel took place between them, and Chariot, in a fit of rage, struck Balduinet over the head with the chessboard and killed him. Undoubtedly, he was very, very sorry when he realized what he had done, and perhaps if he had gone to Ogier and explained that he did not mean to kill his boy, all might have ended well. But he did not do this, and so when Ogier heard the news he probably thought that Chariot had killed Balduinet intentionally. He set out at once to look for Chariot, but when the young prince heard that Ogier was coming, he ran at full speed to his father, the king, for protection. Poor Ogier was so enraged and distressed at the death of his little son that he followed Chariot into Charlemagne's presence, and there would have been a still greater tragedy had not the courtiers prevented it. For Ogier tried hard to kill the king as well as his son, and, though he was prevented, he swore that he would never be satisfied until he had revenged himself on Chariot. Of course, after this, Ogier had to leave the court, for the king and his son could never feel safe with the vengeful Dane nearby. So Ogier fled, with a number 32 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS of friends who sympathized with him, and shut himself up in his castle which was called Beaufort. When he had gathered his army together, Charle- magne followed Ogier to Beaufort and for seven long years besieged the castle. But it was no easy matter to conquer Ogier, who, when he was least expected, would charge out with his brave men and secure food, besides killing many of Charlemagne's men. One of the king's men invented a machine that threw fire into the castle and burnt up everything inside, so that we see that this kind of warfare was used many, many years before the Great War. Even this kind of attack did not dis- courage Ogier, however, for he and his men charged out and smashed the machine into a thousand pieces. As the fight went on from day to day, with little hope of success, young Chariot became still more sorry for what he had done, and several times made offers of friendship to Ogier. But the stern Dane always re- plied, "A life for a life!" and continued to fight on against hopeless odds. At last the time came when all of Ogier's followers were killed, and he was left alone with Broieffort to defend the castle. One would suppose that Ogier would have listened to Chariot's offers now. But he thought of a plan that turned out to be very successful. He knew that if Charlemagne discovered that he alone was A GIANT'S CHARGER 33 the only defender of the castle, the king would soon break in and capture, or kill, him. So he made a num- ber of imitation soldiers out of wood, and stood them up on the battlements where the king could see them. To make them look a little more lifelike, Ogier pulled the 'hair from Broieffort's tail and made wigs and whiskers for the wooden soldiers. Charlemagne was much alarmed, and greatly puzzled, when he saw this fresh army, for he had made up his mind that almost all those in the castle must be dead. He could not imagine how these fresh men got into the castle, or where Ogier found them, and he thought it was rather useless to continue the siege, if the Dane could replace the soldiers as fast as they were killed. Accordingly, he rode out in front of the castle and delivered a long speech to these dummy defenders. He told them that he would pardon them all if they would give up Ogier to him, and he offered them many rewards if they would come and join his army. It must have been very discouraging to talk on and on earnestly, as he did, and to find that he was making no impression on his hearers ; for the wooden soldiers made no reply to him, and finally he concluded that their loyalty was too great to be upset. By this time, Ogier 'had become very despondent from being all alone, without food, and with no oppo- 34 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS tunity of getting it. For he did not dare to venture out alone in search of provisions for himself and his horse. At last he decided that he must choose between an attempt to fight his way out in daylight, which he knew was hopeless, and an escape at night. Finally, he de- cided to leave the castle at midnight, and, aided by a thick mist, and the intelligence of BroiefTort, who stepped very lightly and cautiously between the lines of Charlemagne's sleeping soldiers, he escaped. When the king discovered that his enemy had tricked him, he called all the peers before him, and forced them to swear that they would never give Ogier a chance to escape if they ever found him again. Among these peers, or lords, was Turpin, the archbishop of Rheims, that town in which stood the beautiful cathe- dral that was destroyed in the Great War. Had it not been for Broieffort's vigilance and fidelity, Ogier would soon have been captured, for, thoroughly exhausted, he grew a little careless and flung himself on the ground for a nap. The wide- awake Broieffort, though he, too, must have been very, very weary, heard his master's enemies drawing near, and stamped with his hoofs so hard on the ground, that his master was aroused in time to spring on his watchful charger's back and escape. On another occasion, however, fortune turned against A GIANT'S CHARGER 3$ Ogier, and he was captured. It appears that he came to a lake around which luxuriant grass grew, and as poor Broieffort had had no food all that day, Ogier took off the horse's saddle and bridle and turned him loose to graze. After he had attended to fais horse's needs, the good Ogier removed his own sword and armor and lay down to sleep. Unfortunately, at this moment, Turpin, the old archbishop, discovered him. Now Turpin admired Ogier very much, and did not at all want to take him prisoner, but he had sworn to the king to do so, and of course had to keep his oath. Consequently, he ordered his men to bind the sleep- ing giant, and to catch his horse. No doubt the men were just as well pleased to have the chance of taking Ogier while he was asleep, for it would have been rather a serious undertaking to tie him if he had been prepared. When the prisoner had been securely bound, Turpin took him to Rheims. So that we see that all this is said to have taken place in a part of the world that has been very much talked about of late. The king was delighted to hear that his powerful enemy was captured at last, and at once made up his mind to put Ogier to death. But the prince, Chariot, pleaded hard for the man to whom he had done so great an injury, and the king agreed, at last, to Ogier's imprisonment On the face of it, this decision seemed 36 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS kind, but, as a matter of fact, Charlemagne had quite made up his mind to get rid of Ogier. So he gave secret orders to Turpin that the prisoner was to have only one-quarter of a slice of bread, one-quarter of a piece of meat, and one-quarter of a cup of wine every day; believing that on such short rations Ogier would soom starve to death. But good old Turpin at once thought of a plan, by which he could obey the king's orders and yet preserve Ogier's life. Accordingly, he had huge loaves of bread baked, so that one-quarter of a slice was a great deal larger than an ordinary loaf ; he also had an enormous beaker, or pitcher, made, from which the wine was to be poured, and gave orders that the meat was to be cut from a whole lamb or pig. After Ogier had been cast into prison, the king gave BroiefTort to an abbot. When the priest, who was lean and light in weight, mounted the great horse, BroiefTort, surprised at the sudden change from carrying his heavy master, played and kicked up his heels. And, when the abbot's robes began to tickle his sides, the horse ran away with great leaps along the mountain passes until he came to a convent, when he threw the old abbot off in sight of the abbess and all the nuns. This was very embarrassing for the abbot, and it made him so angry that he turned BroiefTort over to some workmen, who A GIANT'S CHARGER 37 made him drag stones for the new chapel that was being built. And so, ill-fed and hard worked, poor Broie- ffort passed several unhappy years. In the mean time, Charlemagne was becoming much alarmed because he was threatened by two armies. Ogier's friends were coming to liberate their hero, and the Saracens, under Bruhier, Sultan of Arabia, were on their way to Paris. In this emergency, Turpin and the other peers begged Charlemagne to release Ogier, but for some time the king refused. At last, however, when Bruhier, who believed Ogier to be dead, offered to fight any champion that Charlemagne selected, and to remove his Saracen army if he were defeated, the king decided that Ogier was the only one who could save the day. When Ogier had been released and had put on his armor, the question of a charger came up. It was plain that no ordinary horse could carry him in such a combat as he would have with Bruhier, and he had quite made up his mind that poor old Broieffort was dead. But Turpin knew where Broieffort was, and sent at once for the horse. We can imagine how surprised and delighted Ogier was when his dear charger was led out before him. But it was not the same Broieffort. Hard work and poor food had reduced him to a mere skeleton, and all his 38 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS old spirit seemed to have left him. No sooner did he hear his beloved master's voice, though, than he dis- played the greatest delight and all his old fire returned. Ogier shouted with joy when he saw that Broieffort was his old self again, for he felt confident now that he would conquer the Saracen chief. Light-heartedly, he rode out to meet the other giant, and before long the astonished Bruhier had been tumbled from his horse and killed. But, alas, before he was defeated, the Saracen, by a stroke of his enormous sword, had slain poor Broieffort, and Ogier felt very, very sorry that he had not let his brave horse go on hauling stones. Broieffort, we may be sure, would have chosen to be with his dear master to the end, and, great warrior that he was, it was fitting that he should die in battle. After the Saracen's death, Ogier took the beautiful horse that he rode. This horse was called Marche- ballee, but we may be sure that Ogier never loved him as he had Broieffort. CHAPTER V A PRINCE'S SAD MISTAKE IN the extreme middle west of Great Britain, there is a country that has always seemed to be very different from the other parts of the kingdom. Even today many of the people who live in this part of the British Isles speak a language which cannot be under- stood by those who live in the other parts, and they also dress in pretty costumes such as were worn by their ancestors hundreds of years ago. This country is called Wales, and it was only con- quered by the English kings after many centuries of fighting, for the Welsh, as the people are called, are a very sturdy and brave race. For many years, however, the Welsh have been very patriotic, and they are proud, now, to think that the heir to the English crown bears the title of the Prince of Wales. One of the last Welsh chieftains to struggle success- fully against the English, was a prince named Llewelyn ap lorwerth, or, as he was usually called, Llewelyn the Great. He was prince of North Wales, and very soon showed his prowess as a fighter, for, when he was 39 40 FAMOUS FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS a mere boy, he recovered his estates by going to war for them. Before many years had passed, he was looked upon as the greatest prince in Wales, and he became so important that he married the daughter of King John of England. This was the King John who signed the Magna Charta which was the beginning of British liberty. Even after Llewelyn had married John's daughter, the king fought with him and conquered him. It seems rather unfriendly for a man to go to war with his own son-in-law, but probably the English king did not like