In place of a bit there is a steel noseband on the horse's bridle by
which he is driven and guided, and instead of the ordinary pad on the
horse's back, a great ornamental brass affair is used.
Years ago I bought one of these pads and brought it home as a
curiosity. A friend met me as I was bringing it along, and said:
"Hullo! what on earth is this? Surely it must be some sort of musical
instrument. Look here! I am getting up a concert; you _must_
bring your instrument and play it there. Will you?"
Of course, I always like to oblige a friend, and I did not like to
disappoint this one, so I meekly promised.
I chose a beautiful piece of high-class music, and got the orchestra
to practise it over as accompaniment to my instrument, the "sellura."
I tuned it by winding the brass flags which adorn it.
I fingered the knobs up and down the front of it as if they were the
notes; the big projections on either side I pulled as if to alter the
tone.
And the music? Well, I got that out of a comb and paper affixed to the
back, and into which I sang.
But, mixed up with the other instruments, it sounded all right, and I
got lots of applause and lots of questions afterwards as to where you
could buy these wonderful organs, and how long did it take one to
learn to play them, and so on!
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