Horses

Strasbourg was a garrison town then, with enormous barracks housing thousands of Frenchmen doing their military service. There were also recruits from the French colonies - regiments of Tirailleurs, Spahis and Zouaves from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal and Madagascar. In colourful uniforms, preceded by a good-sized wind band, their parades were always spectacular. Horses were important to the army in those days, in the cavalry and for drawing artillery and equipment wagons. Seeing them so often, combined with so much movement of troops and material, was thrilling, but it also made me angry to see how people mistreated them. I used all my strength to try to stop the brutes who treated those brave creatures as mere tools, or tractors.