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out and let go before he had fully withdrawn it, then withdrew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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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