Then，onenteringthepresenceofthehorse，theywouldtakeoneoftheenvelopesatrandom，openitandwritedowntheproblemontheblack-board；andMohammedorZarifwouldanswerwiththesamefacilityandthesamereadinessasthoughthesolutionhadbeenknowntoalltheonlookers。Butwasitreallyunknowntotheirsubconsciousness？Whocouldsayforcertain？Testsofthiskindrequireextraordinaryprecautionsandaspecialdexterity；fortheactionofthesubconsciousnessissosubtle，takessuchunexpectedturns，delvesinthemuseumofsomanyforgottentreasuresandoperatesatsuchdistancesthatoneisneversureofescapingit。Werethoseprecautionstaken？Iwasnotconvincedthattheywere；and，withoutpretendingtodecidethequestion，I
saidtomyselfthatmyblissfulignoranceofmathematicsmightperhapsbeofserviceinsheddinglightuponsomepartofit。
Forthisignorance，howeverdeplorablefromotherpointsofview，gavemearareadvantageinthiscase。Itwasinfactextremelyunlikelythatmysubliminalconsciousness，whichhadneverknownwhatacubicrootwasortherootofanyotherpower，couldhelpthehorse。Ithereforetookfromatablealistcontainingseveralproblems，alldifferentandallequallyunpleasantlooking，coveredupthesolutions，askedKralltoleavethestableand，whenalonewithZarif，copiedoutoneofthemontheblack-board。Inordernottooverloadthesepageswithdetailswhichwouldonlybearepetitionofoneanother，Iwillatoncesaythatnoneoftheantitelepathictestssucceededthatday。Itwastheendofthelessonandlateintheafternoon；thehorsesweretiredandirritable；and，whetherKrallwasthereornot，whethertheproblemwaselementaryordifficult，theygaveonlyabsurdreplies，wilfully\"puttingtheirfootinit，\"asonemightsaywithverygoodreason。But，nextmorning，onresumingtheirtask，whenIproceededasdescribedabove，MohammedandZarif，doubtlessinabettertemperandalreadymoreaccustomedtotheirnewexaminer，gaveinrapidsuccessioncorrectanswerstonearlyeveryproblemsetthem。IamboundinfairnesstosaythattherewasnoappreciabledifferencebetweentheseresultsandthosewhichareobtainedinthepresenceofKrallorotheronlookerswho，consciouslyorunconsciously，arealreadyawareoftheanswerrequired。
Inextthoughtofanotherandmuchsimplertest，butonewhich，byvirtueofitsverysimplicity，couldnotbeexposedtoanyelaborateandfarfetchedsuspicions。Isawononeoftheshelvesinthestableapanelofcards，aboutthesizeofanoctavovolume，eachbearinganarabicnumeralononeofitssides。I
oncemoreaskedmygoodfriendKrall，whosecourtesyisinexhaustible，toleavemealonewithhispupil。Ithenshuffledthecardsandputthreeoftheminarowonthespring-boardinfrontofthehorse，withoutlookingatthemmyself。Therewastherefore，atthatmoment，notahumansoulonearthwhoknewthefiguresspreadatthefeetofmycompanion，thiscreaturesofullofmysterythatalreadyInolongerdarecallhimananimal。