Mrs. Hamilton was the only “audience” for the performance, and sat in the front row from the moment when Captain was brought upon the stage. The horse responded to the command by advancing to the railing over the footlights, extending his head and neck far forward and examining the front row of seats. He followed this by backing vigorously and pulling number “1” from the rack. In a flash of inspiration I asked, “How many people are there in the second row?” Captain walked forward again, looked into the second row and shook his head. I am glad that I have Mrs. Hamilton and my note book to remind me that this occurred when I was wide awake and in a very critical frame of mind. Mr. Sigsbee was standing to my left and the horse was to my right and several feet in front of us when this occurred. I expressed my unwillingness to believe my own senses, and Mr. Sigsbee quite seriously expressed the opinion that the horse had been influenced by the master’s mind to shake his head.
10. I eliminated Mr. Sigsbee by placing him where I could keep my eye on him, but where he was outside the horse’s field of vision. Then I commanded Captain to bring me number “6” from the rack. He obeyed and followed this by bringing me “4,” “9,” and “7.”
11. I exchanged “1” and “4” and commanded Captain to tell me how many people were in the front row. He brought me number “1.”
12. Mr. Sigsbee, at my direction, gave Captain the number, “30,724.” The numbers in the rack were in the unfamiliar order, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0.” By obstructing Captain’s view of his master I was able to eliminate the possibility of directing gaze-cues from master to horse. Long experience with my quadruple choice method has enabled me to control the movements of my ocular muscles, and to depend a good deal on peripheral vision, so that I am sure that I did not involuntarily direct the horse during this test.
Captain promptly pulled “3” from the rack, pulled “8” part way out and let go before he had fully withdrawn it, then withdrew “0,” “7,” “2,” and “4” in rapid succession.
13. I put “4,” “1,” and “8” on the floor, sent Mr. Sigsbee to the rear of the stage and gave the following commands:
“Two times nine.”
“Seven times twelve.”
“Nine times nine.”
The horse took up “1” and “8” in the response to the first command, and dropped them. I arranged the three numbers in the same order in which they lay on the floor before the first command was given (“4” was at the left end, “1” in the middle and “8” at the right end.) The second command was given, and answered correctly, without hesitation. I now reversed the positions of “4” and “8” and gave the third command, which was also answered correctly.