Thrice, within a few months, I have stood by a horse for hours unable to do anything for it, but to put a rug over it as it was shivering so from the cold (having been injured when in a profuse sweat), and moisten its mouth.
I was not allowed to kill the horse, only a licensed slaughterer is allowed to do that, and then only if the owner can be found, and gives his consent for the horse to be killed.
I have since seen one of the principal horse-slaughterers of London and got his telephone number, and arranged with him to send immediately to any part of London, at any time of the day or night, if I telephone to him.
But even then if we cannot communicate with the owner of the horse we will have to stand doing nothing, possibly for hours, beside the suffering animal.
The poor old worn-out, half-starved horses in London are not only worked to death, but when injured, they are not even allowed to die, without further torture.
There is another form of humane killer which I am not able to endorse, although the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals seem to think highly of it.
I refer to the instrument which consists of a pistol fixed at right angles to a pole called, I believe, the Humane Killer.
The pistol is fired by pulling a wire which runs down the pole to the hand.
I consider this instrument very dangerous to use for slaughtering animals but it would be very useful in trench warfare.
An ordinary firearm is dangerous enough if it happens to be pointed in the direction of the spectators. But what will be thought of a pistol which, when you carefully keep what corresponds to the barrel (i. e., the pole) from pointing at anyone, you find it shoots at right angles to your aim.