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you've done very well and I beg your pardon。 Now kiss me and go on。〃
But Mohammed； after giving his master a hearty kiss； still seems to be
hesitating。 Then Krall； to put him on the right track observes that the first
letter of my name is the same as the first letter of his own。 Mohammed
strikes a K； evidently thinking of his master's name。 At last； Krall draws a
big M on the black…board； whereupon the horse； like one suddenly
remembering a word which he could not think of； raps out； one after the
other and without stopping； the letters M A Z R L K； which； stripped of
useless vowels； represent the curious corruption which my name has
undergone； since the morning； in a brain that is not a human brain。 He is
told that this is not correct。 He seems to agree； gropes about a little and
writes； M A R Z L E G K。 Krall repeats my name and asks which is the
first letter to be altered。 The stallion marks an R。
〃Good； but what letter will you put instead？〃
Mohammed strikes an N。
〃No； do be careful！〃
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He strikes a T。
〃Very good； but in what place will the T come？〃
〃In the third；〃 replies the horse； and the corrections continue until my
patronomic comes out of its strange adventure almost unscathed。
And the spelling； the questioning； the sums； the problems are resumed
and follow upon one another； as wonderful； as bewildering as before； but
already a little dimmed by familiarity； like any other prolonged miracle。 It
is important； besides； to notice that the instances which I have given are
not to be classed among the most remarkable feats of our magic horses。
Today's is a good ordinary lesson； a respectable lesson； not illumined by
flashes of genius。 But in the presence of other witnesses the horses
performed more startling exploits which broke down even more decisively
the barrier； which is undoubtedly an imaginary one； between animal and
human nature。 One day； for instance； Zarif； the scamp of the party；
suddenly stopped in the middle of his lesson。 They asked him the reason。
〃Because I am tired。〃
Another time； he answered：
〃Pain in my leg。〃
They recognize and identify pictures shown to them； distinguish
colours and scents。 I have made a point of stating only what I saw with my
own eyes and heard with my own ears； and I declare that I have done so
with the same scrupulous accuracy as though I were reporting a criminal
trial in which a man's life depended on my evidence。
But I was practically convinced of the truth of the incidents before
going to Elberfeld； and it was not to check them that I made the journey。 I
was anxious to make certain if the telepathic theory； which was the only
one that I considered admissible； would withstand the tests which I
intended to apply to it。 I opened my mind on the subject to Krall； who at
first did not quite grasp what I was asking。 Like most men who have not
made a special study of the questions； he imagined that telepathy meant
above all a deliberate and conscious transmission of thought； and he
assured me that he never made any effort to transmit his and that； for the
most part； the horses gave a reply which was the exact opposite of what he
was expecting。 I did not doubt this for a moment； in fact； direct and
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deliberate transmission of thought is； even among men； a very rare；
difficult and uncertain； phenomenon； whereas involuntary； unpremeditated
and unsuspected communications between one subconsciousness and
another can no longer be denied except by those who of set purpose ignore
studies and experiments that are within the reach of any one who will take
the trouble to engage in them。 I was persuaded therefore that the horses
acted exactly like the 〃tipping…tables〃 which simply translate the
subliminal ideas of one or another of those present by the aid of
conventional little taps。 When all is said； it is much less surprising to see a
horse than a table lift its foot and much more natural that the living
substance of an animal rather than the inert matter of a thing should be
sensitive and susceptible to the mysterious influence of a medium。 I knew
quite well that experiments had been made in order to eliminate this theory。
People； for instance； prepared a certain number of questions and put them
in sealed envelopes。 Then； on entering the presence of the horse； they
would take one of the envelopes at random； open it and write down the
problem on the black…board； and Mohammed or Zarif would answer with
the same facility and the same readiness as though the solution had been
known to all the onlookers。 But was it really unknown to their
subconsciousness？ Who could say for certain？ Tests of this kind require
extraordinary precautions and a special dexterity； for the action of the
subconsciousness is so subtle； takes such unexpected turns； delves in the
museum of so many forgotten treasures and operates at such distances that
one is never sure of escaping it。 Were those precautions taken？ I was not
convinced that they were； and； without pretending to decide the question； I
said to myself that my blissful ignorance of mathematics might perhaps be
of service in shedding light upon some part of it。
For this ignorance； however deplorable from other points of view；
gave me a rare advantage in this case。 It was in fact extremely unlikely
that my subliminal consciousness； which had never known what a cubic
root was or the root of any other power； could help the horse。 I therefore
took from a table a list containing several problems； all different and all
equally unpleasant looking； covered up the solutions； asked Krall to leave
the stable and； when alone with Zarif； copied out one of them on the
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black…board。 In order not to overload these pages with details which would
only be a repetition of one another； I will at once say that none of the
antitelepathic tests succeeded that day。 It was the end of the lesson and late
in the afternoon； the hor