"Have you never seen a horse that could add, subtract, multiply, and divide?" asked Merry, with pretended surprise.
"No, sir, I never have, nor has any one else."
"Wait a moment before you make such a confident statement. Now this horse of mine can do all those little things and still other things a great deal more surprising. I'll prove the truth of my statement to you. Hey, Dick—Dick, my boy, give me your attention. Now, sir, I wish you to do a little sum for me. Are you ready? Are you listening? Are you attentive?"
The horse nodded its head as if in answer to these questions.
"Very good, Dick," said Frank. "I'll give you a small sum in addition. How many are two and two?"
The horse lifted its forward right foot and struck the ground four times.
"That's right, Dick—that's right," laughed Merry, patting the creature's neck. "Now we'll take a little example in subtraction. If we subtract five from ten, how many have we left?"
The horse struck the ground five times with its foot.
"That's right again, Dick. Let's see what you can do in multiplication. Three times two make how many?"
Six times the horse struck the ground.