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On annual races on May 21, 1926 in Ipson [79] the general attention was drawn by a draw of the first prize in five thousand pounds sterling. Two applicants for superiority were distinguished from three-year-olds of beautiful English racers: light-golden Lorelya and red handsome Viking. The majority of rates was put on these two horses who already showed the extraordinary qualities on training run. But Viking, by universal recognition, had more chances of a prize.

Jumps began. Did not pass also minutes as Lorelya and the Viking moved forward out of operation on the head, and in several seconds the Viking was ahead of the rivals already by one and a half cases.

– Bravo, Viking! – the frenzied crowd shouted. The victory, appear, was behind it. But here on turn there was an event which probably for a long time will remain in memory of those who were present at this derby.

The Viking as if went mad. It did not curtail on turn, and rushed directly on a fence, расшибся and fell. The horses who flew behind nearly crushed the poor Viking together with his jockey. Having got rid of one danger, they got to another. The part of crowd putting on the Viking got savage. Respectable gentlemen, risking to get under hoofs of horses, jumped off from stands on a race path with obvious intention to tear to pieces the traitor jockey. They did not doubt that the jockey was bribed by the owner Lorelya, the large merchant, the silk wholesaler. Fortunately, the skilled jockey did not suffer when falling. He considered the moment and ran from the crowd pursuing it with such speed as if he wanted to take part in jumps instead of the Viking who left an operation.

The rage and indignation of losers on the Viking were so strong that many from run together to the scene pushed the Viking in a stomach with a leg. It was an ugly show. The crowd dammed all racetrack. It fell on time to stop jumps. Stands reminded the volcano crater filled with the boiling lava. And this lava of human passions was not less terrible, than magma.

When the first nervousness settled, immediately started the investigation. To the aid of the jockey the group of policemen who saved it from crowd mob killings appeared in time in time. The jockey, of course, swore and swore that he is not guilty in anything and itself does not know that with the Viking; ordinary the horse obeyed the slightest movement of a hand. The crowd did not trust words of the jockey, but as nobody could prove him to guilt, the investigation was temporary is directed to other party. The Viking was lifted up and carefully examined. His breast was seriously injured, a part of skin and meat is broken, but it were fresh wounds from blow about a fence. Eyes and legs of a horse were as though are not damaged. She looked normally. The Viking was lashed a switch and looked how it will go. Being unsteady, the Viking moved forward. Before it there was a column. The Viking as the blind person, went on a column, without turning. And, having only hit a breast, stopped.

– He went blind! – voices were heard. One gentleman approached and waved before the Viking’s eyes a hat. The Viking involuntarily hitched up the head.

– Sees!

– He went mad! – someone shouted.

– Unless the horse can go mad? – objected it. – They rage, but it happens absolutely differently.

The Viking was taken away from a column, by stegnul, and it went again. Surprising business! It went only in a straight line, without turning neither to the right, nor on the left. Eventually it reached a deadlock between two booths and stood there as if he, burning down from shame, wanted to leave all, to see nobody. Skilled grooms defined at once that the Viking without assistance cannot break an impasse into which he came only because the deadlock lay on the way of its rectilinear wandering.

Now anybody did not have doubt that the Viking is sick with a strange disease of straightforwardness. It did not dismiss charge from the jockey, but nevertheless broke confidence that a disease of a horse – his hands business a little. Jockeys too become attached to horses, and it was difficult to assume that the jockey could go to such crime. Strangers could spoil a horse. But how the jockey overlooked?

The crowd rushed to the jockey again:

– The Viking was ill something?

– Was ill – the jockey answered. – The groom said to me what the Viking on the eve of races badly ate and badly drank. Mr. Dzhibbs, the owner Vikinga, even wanted to refuse participation in jumps, but Mr. Thompson, the veterinarian, told that it is trifles and that by the morning everything will pass. He promised to watch the Viking. And it is valid, Mr. Thompson stayed in Vikinga’s stable all night long…

Continuation of the investigation was after races. And any more not crowd, but the investigator interrogated Mr. Thompson. The veterinarian assured that, except an easy indisposition which occurred because of the groom who broke the feeding mode the Viking was not sick with anything. And now he, Thompson, finds it difficult to define a disease of the Viking though has to note that the Viking is really sick: it can go only on a straight line.

The best forces of medicine and veterinary science were attracted to the diagnosis of a disease of the Viking, but nobody could understand anything. The beautiful horse was spoiled. But whom, when and how? The Viking set the scientist an unsoluble riddle.

Here on the stage professor Wagner who was in a scientific business trip in Oxford at this time also acted. Having read in newspapers that nobody can understand a disease of the Viking, Wagner wrote the letter to the editorial office:

«The Viking is not more expensive than the red skin now. Kill the Viking, open to him a skull, and you learn what his disease consisted in».

It was told so resolutely as if Wagner already looked that he becomes in the head of the sick Viking. And Wagner even on jumps was not.

The owner Vikinga obeyed this council and, having killed a horse, opened a skull. And what was found? Vikinga did not have part of a brain. Obviously, the veterinarian bribed by someone did this operation at night and so successfully sewed up places of section on the head of a horse that nobody noticed operation traces. Thompson denied this crime. But as a result of a careful search proofs were found, and eventually Thompson confessed. Lately he received so many the menacing letters that he in prison felt more safely, than on freedom.

After this case the name of professor Wagner became known also in England…

(It is reported to t. A. A. K.)

* * *

Ivan Stepanovich Wagner wrote on a reverse side of the last leaf of this manuscript:

«Inventions. Nothing similar with me was. In May, 1926 did not go abroad. During bilateral removal of frontal lobes of a brain such strangenesses could be found in a horse, as well as in a dog (over which I conducted experiments), really: the animal (of course, and the person) deprived of frontal lobes finds fragility of static coordination, inability to turn here and there thanks to what the dog operated thus always runs in the direct direction and, having hidden in a corner or in the close back street which is not able to leave it without assistance.

As you can see, all this is similar to a case with the Viking. But… first, I glanced over the London newspapers during this time and did not find anything similar to the case described by your acquaintance. Secondly, if this case occurred, then in London there would be many scientists who could understand the disease of the Viking which is not representing anything mysterious for anything who studies reflexology. And in England it is studied not less, than at us. Thirdly, the disease of the Viking, of course, would be found on the first turn from its stable, and the jockey would not be on jumps with such horse».