164 STORIES ABOUT HORSES.

‘‘ He must, indeed, have been a determined
animal, Uncle Thomas, to overcome a whole
pack of wolves.”

“YT have, Boys, pretty well exhausted my
stories about the horses of the Old World, and
must now say a few words about the American
horses; but, before doing so, I wish to direct
your attention to a curious story about the abo-
lition of torture in the examination of criminals
in Germany. It 1s true that the horse has not
much to do with the matter, but as it was one
of the instruments used in bringing about this
great and beneficial change, I think I may intro-
duce it here without much violence.

** A German judge having, in the exercise of
his duty, frequent opportunities of observing the
effect of the rack on supposed criminals, in
making them confess almost anything which it
was desired to extort from them, so as to be
released from the torture, even though the crime
which they pretended to confess involved the loss
of life, resolved to make it a subject of experiment.