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@@ -0,0 +1,6393 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Black Beauty + +Author: Anna Sewell + +Release Date: January 16, 2006 [EBook #271] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACK BEAUTY *** + + + + +Produced by A. Light, Linda Bowser, and David Widger + + + + + +BLACK BEAUTY + +The Autobiography of a Horse + +by Anna Sewell [English Quaker -- 1820-1878.] + + + +[Note: 'Black Beauty' was originally published in 1877. This etext was +transcribed from an American edition of 1911. Some small corrections +were made, after being confirmed against other sources.] + + + + + To my dear and honored Mother, + whose life, no less than her pen, + has been devoted to the welfare of others, + this little book is affectionately dedicated. + + + + +Contents + + + Part I + + Chapter + 01 My Early Home + 02 The Hunt + 03 My Breaking In + 04 Birtwick Park + 05 A Fair Start + 06 Liberty + 07 Ginger + 08 Ginger's Story Continued + 09 Merrylegs + 10 A Talk in the Orchard + 11 Plain Speaking + 12 A Stormy Day + 13 The Devil's Trade Mark + 14 James Howard + 15 The Old Hostler + 16 The Fire + 17 John Manly's Talk + 18 Going for the Doctor + 19 Only Ignorance + 20 Joe Green + 21 The Parting + + + Part II + + 22 Earlshall + 23 A Strike for Liberty + 24 The Lady Anne, or a Runaway Horse + 25 Reuben Smith + 26 How it Ended + 27 Ruined and Going Downhill + 28 A Job Horse and His Drivers + 29 Cockneys + 30 A Thief + 31 A Humbug + + + Part III + + 32 A Horse Fair + 33 A London Cab Horse + 34 An Old War Horse + 35 Jerry Barker + 36 The Sunday Cab + 37 The Golden Rule + 38 Dolly and a Real Gentleman + 39 Seedy Sam + 40 Poor Ginger + 41 The Butcher + 42 The Election + 43 A Friend in Need + 44 Old Captain and His Successor + 45 Jerry's New Year + + + Part IV + + 46 Jakes and the Lady + 47 Hard Times + 48 Farmer Thoroughgood and His Grandson Willie + 49 My Last Home + + + + + +Black Beauty + + + + +Part I + + + + +01 My Early Home + + +The first place that I can well remember was a large pleasant meadow +with a pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and +rushes and water-lilies grew at the deep end. Over the hedge on one side +we looked into a plowed field, and on the other we looked over a gate +at our master's house, which stood by the roadside; at the top of the +meadow was a grove of fir trees, and at the bottom a running brook +overhung by a steep bank. + +While I was young I lived upon my mother's milk, as I could not eat +grass. In the daytime I ran by her side, and at night I lay down close +by her. When it was hot we used to stand by the pond in the shade of the +trees, and when it was cold we had a nice warm shed near the grove. + +As soon as I was old enough to eat grass my mother used to go out to +work in the daytime, and come back in the evening. + +There were six young colts in the meadow besides me; they were older +than I was; some were nearly as large as grown-up horses. I used to run +with them, and had great fun; we used to gallop all together round and +round the field as hard as we could go. Sometimes we had rather rough +play, for they would frequently bite and kick as well as gallop. + +One day, when there was a good deal of kicking, my mother whinnied to me +to come to her, and then she said: + +"I wish you to pay attention to what I am going to say to you. The colts +who live here are very good colts, but they are cart-horse colts, and +of course they have not learned manners. You have been well-bred +and well-born; your father has a great name in these parts, and +your grandfather won the cup two years at the Newmarket races; your +grandmother had the sweetest temper of any horse I ever knew, and I +think you have never seen me kick or bite. I hope you will grow up +gentle and good, and never learn bad ways; do your work with a good +will, lift your feet up well when you trot, and never bite or kick even +in play." + +I have never forgotten my mother's advice; I knew she was a wise old +horse, and our master thought a great deal of her. Her name was Duchess, +but he often called her Pet. + +Our master was a good, kind man. He gave us good food, good lodging, and +kind words; he spoke as kindly to us as he did to his little children. +We were all fond of him, and my mother loved him very much. When she saw +him at the gate she would neigh with joy, and trot up to him. He would +pat and stroke her and say, "Well, old Pet, and how is your little +Darkie?" I was a dull black, so he called me Darkie; then he would give +me a piece of bread, which was very good, and sometimes he brought a +carrot for my mother. All the horses would come to him, but I think we +were his favorites. My mother always took him to the town on a market +day in a light gig. + +There was a plowboy, Dick, who sometimes came into our field to pluck +blackberries from the hedge. When he had eaten all he wanted he would +have what he called fun with the colts, throwing stones and sticks at +them to make them gallop. We did not much mind him, for we could gallop +off; but sometimes a stone would hit and hurt us. + +One day he was at this game, and did not know that the master was in the +next field; but he was there, watching what was going on; over the hedge +he jumped in a snap, and catching Dick by the arm, he gave him such a +box on the ear as made him roar with the pain and surprise. As soon as +we saw the master we trotted up nearer to see what went on. + +"Bad boy!" he said, "bad boy! to chase the colts. This is not the first +time, nor the second, but it shall be the last. There--take your money +and go home; I shall not want you on my farm again." So we never saw +Dick any more. Old Daniel, the man who looked after the horses, was just +as gentle as our master, so we were well off. + + + + +02 The Hunt + + +Before I was two years old a circumstance happened which I have never +forgotten. It was early in the spring; there had been a little frost in +the night, and a light mist still hung over the woods and meadows. I +and the other colts were feeding at the lower part of the field when +we heard, quite in the distance, what sounded like the cry of dogs. The +oldest of the colts raised his head, pricked his ears, and said, "There +are the hounds!" and immediately cantered off, followed by the rest of +us to the upper part of the field, where we could look over the hedge +and see several fields beyond. My mother and an old riding horse of our +master's were also standing near, and seemed to know all about it. + +"They have found a hare," said my mother, "and if they come this way we +shall see the hunt." + +And soon the dogs were all tearing down the field of young wheat next +to ours. I never heard such a noise as they made. They did not bark, nor +howl, nor whine, but kept on a "yo! yo, o, o! yo! yo, o, o!" at the top +of their voices. After them came a number of men on horseback, some of +them in green coats, all galloping as fast as they could. The old horse +snorted and looked eagerly after them, and we young colts wanted to be +galloping with them, but they were soon away into the fields lower +down; here it seemed as if they had come to a stand; the dogs left off +barking, and ran about every way with their noses to the ground. + +"They have lost the scent," said the old horse; "perhaps the hare will +get off." + +"What hare?" I said. + +"Oh! I don't know what hare; likely enough it may be one of our own +hares out of the woods; any hare they can find will do for the dogs and +men to run after;" and before long the dogs began their "yo! yo, o, o!" +again, and back they came altogether at full speed, making straight for +our meadow at the part where the high bank and hedge overhang the brook. + +"Now we shall see the hare," said my mother; and just then a hare wild +with fright rushed by and made for the woods. On came the dogs; they +burst over the bank, leaped the stream, and came dashing across the +field followed by the huntsmen. Six or eight men leaped their horses +clean over, close upon the dogs. The hare tried to get through the +fence; it was too thick, and she turned sharp round to make for the +road, but it was too late; the dogs were upon her with their wild cries; +we heard one shriek, and that was the end of her. One of the huntsmen +rode up and whipped off the dogs, who would soon have torn her to +pieces. He held her up by the leg torn and bleeding, and all the +gentlemen seemed well pleased. + +As for me, I was so astonished that I did not at first see what was +going on by the brook; but when I did look there was a sad sight; two +fine horses were down, one was struggling in the stream, and the other +was groaning on the grass. One of the riders was getting out of the +water covered with mud, the other lay quite still. + +"His neck is broke," said my mother. + +"And serve him right, too," said one of the colts. + +I thought the same, but my mother did not join with us. + +"Well, no," she said, "you must not say that; but though I am an old +horse, and have seen and heard a great deal, I never yet could make out +why men are so fond of this sport; they often hurt themselves, often +spoil good horses, and tear up the fields, and all for a hare or a fox, +or a stag, that they could get more easily some other way; but we are +only horses, and don't know." + +While my mother was saying this we stood and looked on. Many of the +riders had gone to the young man; but my master, who had been watching +what was going on, was the first to raise him. His head fell back and +his arms hung down, and every one looked very serious. There was no +noise now; even the dogs were quiet, and seemed to know that something +was wrong. They carried him to our master's house. I heard afterward +that it was young George Gordon, the squire's only son, a fine, tall +young man, and the pride of his family. + +There was now riding off in all directions to the doctor's, to the +farrier's, and no doubt to Squire Gordon's, to let him know about his +son. When Mr. Bond, the farrier, came to look at the black horse that +lay groaning on the grass, he felt him all over, and shook his head; one +of his legs was broken. Then some one ran to our master's house and came +back with a gun; presently there was a loud bang and a dreadful shriek, +and then all was still; the black horse moved no more. + +My mother seemed much troubled; she said she had known that horse for +years, and that his name was "Rob Roy"; he was a good horse, and +there was no vice in him. She never would go to that part of the field +afterward. + +Not many days after we heard the church-bell tolling for a long time, +and looking over the gate we saw a long, strange black coach that was +covered with black cloth and was drawn by black horses; after that came +another and another and another, and all were black, while the bell kept +tolling, tolling. They were carrying young Gordon to the churchyard to +bury him. He would never ride again. What they did with Rob Roy I never +knew; but 'twas all for one little hare. + + + + +03 My Breaking In + + +I was now beginning to grow handsome; my coat had grown fine and soft, +and was bright black. I had one white foot and a pretty white star on my +forehead. I was thought very handsome; my master would not sell me till +I was four years old; he said lads ought not to work like men, and colts +ought not to work like horses till they were quite grown up. + +When I was four years old Squire Gordon came to look at me. He examined +my eyes, my mouth, and my legs; he felt them all down; and then I had +to walk and trot and gallop before him. He seemed to like me, and said, +"When he has been well broken in he will do very well." My master said +he would break me in himself, as he should not like me to be frightened +or hurt, and he lost no time about it, for the next day he began. + +Every one may not know what breaking in is, therefore I will describe +it. It means to teach a horse to wear a saddle and bridle, and to carry +on his back a man, woman or child; to go just the way they wish, and to +go quietly. Besides this he has to learn to wear a collar, a crupper, +and a breeching, and to stand still while they are put on; then to have +a cart or a chaise fixed behind, so that he cannot walk or trot without +dragging it after him; and he must go fast or slow, just as his driver +wishes. He must never start at what he sees, nor speak to other horses, +nor bite, nor kick, nor have any will of his own; but always do his +master's will, even though he may be very tired or hungry; but the worst +of all is, when his harness is once on, he may neither jump for joy nor +lie down for weariness. So you see this breaking in is a great thing. + +I had of course long been used to a halter and a headstall, and to be +led about in the fields and lanes quietly, but now I was to have a bit +and bridle; my master gave me some oats as usual, and after a good deal +of coaxing he got the bit into my mouth, and the bridle fixed, but it +was a nasty thing! Those who have never had a bit in their mouths cannot +think how bad it feels; a great piece of cold hard steel as thick as +a man's finger to be pushed into one's mouth, between one's teeth, and +over one's tongue, with the ends coming out at the corner of your mouth, +and held fast there by straps over your head, under your throat, round +your nose, and under your chin; so that no way in the world can you get +rid of the nasty hard thing; it is very bad! yes, very bad! at least I +thought so; but I knew my mother always wore one when she went out, and +all horses did when they were grown up; and so, what with the nice oats, +and what with my master's pats, kind words, and gentle ways, I got to +wear my bit and bridle. + +Next came the saddle, but that was not half so bad; my master put it +on my back very gently, while old Daniel held my head; he then made the +girths fast under my body, patting and talking to me all the time; then +I had a few oats, then a little leading about; and this he did every +day till I began to look for the oats and the saddle. At length, one +morning, my master got on my back and rode me round the meadow on the +soft grass. It certainly did feel queer; but I must say I felt rather +proud to carry my master, and as he continued to ride me a little every +day I soon became accustomed to it. + +The next unpleasant business was putting on the iron shoes; that too was +very hard at first. My master went with me to the smith's forge, to see +that I was not hurt or got any fright. The blacksmith took my feet in +his hand, one after the other, and cut away some of the hoof. It did not +pain me, so I stood still on three legs till he had done them all. Then +he took a piece of iron the shape of my foot, and clapped it on, and +drove some nails through the shoe quite into my hoof, so that the shoe +was firmly on. My feet felt very stiff and heavy, but in time I got used +to it. + +And now having got so far, my master went on to break me to harness; +there were more new things to wear. First, a stiff heavy collar just +on my neck, and a bridle with great side-pieces against my eyes called +blinkers, and blinkers indeed they were, for I could not see on either +side, but only straight in front of me; next, there was a small saddle +with a nasty stiff strap that went right under my tail; that was the +crupper. I hated the crupper; to have my long tail doubled up and poked +through that strap was almost as bad as the bit. I never felt more like +kicking, but of course I could not kick such a good master, and so +in time I got used to everything, and could do my work as well as my +mother. + +I must not forget to mention one part of my training, which I have +always considered a very great advantage. My master sent me for a +fortnight to a neighboring farmer's, who had a meadow which was skirted +on one side by the railway. Here were some sheep and cows, and I was +turned in among them. + +I shall never forget the first train that ran by. I was feeding quietly +near the pales which separated the meadow from the railway, when I heard +a strange sound at a distance, and before I knew whence it came--with +a rush and a clatter, and a puffing out of smoke--a long black train of +something flew by, and was gone almost before I could draw my breath. I +turned and galloped to the further side of the meadow as fast as I could +go, and there I stood snorting with astonishment and fear. In the course +of the day many other trains went by, some more slowly; these drew up +at the station close by, and sometimes made an awful shriek and groan +before they stopped. I thought it very dreadful, but the cows went +on eating very quietly, and hardly raised their heads as the black +frightful thing came puffing and grinding past. + +For the first few days I could not feed in peace; but as I found that +this terrible creature never came into the field, or did me any harm, I +began to disregard it, and very soon I cared as little about the passing +of a train as the cows and sheep did. + +Since then I have seen many horses much alarmed and restive at the sight +or sound of a steam engine; but thanks to my good master's care, I am as +fearless at railway stations as in my own stable. + +Now if any one wants to break in a young horse well, that is the way. + +My master often drove me in double harness with my mother, because she +was steady and could teach me how to go better than a strange horse. She +told me the better I behaved the better I should be treated, and that +it was wisest always to do my best to please my master; "but," said she, +"there are a great many kinds of men; there are good thoughtful men like +our master, that any horse may be proud to serve; and there are bad, +cruel men, who never ought to have a horse or dog to call their own. +Besides, there are a great many foolish men, vain, ignorant, and +careless, who never trouble themselves to think; these spoil more horses +than all, just for want of sense; they don't mean it, but they do it for +all that. I hope you will fall into good hands; but a horse never knows +who may buy him, or who may drive him; it is all a chance for us; but +still I say, do your best wherever it is, and keep up your good name." + + + + +04 Birtwick Park + + +At this time I used to stand in the stable and my coat was brushed every +day till it shone like a rook's wing. It was early in May, when there +came a man from Squire Gordon's, who took me away to the hall. My master +said, "Good-by, Darkie; be a good horse, and always do your best." I +could not say "good-by", so I put my nose into his hand; he patted me +kindly, and I left my first home. As I lived some years with Squire +Gordon, I may as well tell something about the place. + +Squire Gordon's park skirted the village of Birtwick. It was entered by +a large iron gate, at which stood the first lodge, and then you trotted +along on a smooth road between clumps of large old trees; then another +lodge and another gate, which brought you to the house and the gardens. +Beyond this lay the home paddock, the old orchard, and the stables. +There was accommodation for many horses and carriages; but I need only +describe the stable into which I was taken; this was very roomy, with +four good stalls; a large swinging window opened into the yard, which +made it pleasant and airy. + +The first stall was a large square one, shut in behind with a wooden +gate; the others were common stalls, good stalls, but not nearly so +large; it had a low rack for hay and a low manger for corn; it was +called a loose box, because the horse that was put into it was not tied +up, but left loose, to do as he liked. It is a great thing to have a +loose box. + +Into this fine box the groom put me; it was clean, sweet, and airy. I +never was in a better box than that, and the sides were not so high but +that I could see all that went on through the iron rails that were at +the top. + +He gave me some very nice oats, he patted me, spoke kindly, and then +went away. + +When I had eaten my corn I looked round. In the stall next to mine stood +a little fat gray pony, with a thick mane and tail, a very pretty head, +and a pert little nose. + +I put my head up to the iron rails at the top of my box, and said, "How +do you do? What is your name?" + +He turned round as far as his halter would allow, held up his head, +and said, "My name is Merrylegs. I am very handsome; I carry the young +ladies on my back, and sometimes I take our mistress out in the low +chair. They think a great deal of me, and so does James. Are you going +to live next door to me in the box?" + +I said, "Yes." + +"Well, then," he said, "I hope you are good-tempered; I do not like any +one next door who bites." + +Just then a horse's head looked over from the stall beyond; the ears +were laid back, and the eye looked rather ill-tempered. This was a tall +chestnut mare, with a long handsome neck. She looked across to me and +said: + +"So it is you who have turned me out of my box; it is a very strange +thing for a colt like you to come and turn a lady out of her own home." + +"I beg your pardon," I said, "I have turned no one out; the man who +brought me put me here, and I had nothing to do with it; and as to my +being a colt, I am turned four years old and am a grown-up horse. I +never had words yet with horse or mare, and it is my wish to live at +peace." + +"Well," she said, "we shall see. Of course, I do not want to have words +with a young thing like you." I said no more. + +In the afternoon, when she went out, Merrylegs told me all about it. + +"The thing is this," said Merrylegs. "Ginger has a bad habit of biting +and snapping; that is why they call her Ginger, and when she was in the +loose box she used to snap very much. One day she bit James in the arm +and made it bleed, and so Miss Flora and Miss Jessie, who are very fond +of me, were afraid to come into the stable. They used to bring me nice +things to eat, an apple or a carrot, or a piece of bread, but after +Ginger stood in that box they dared not come, and I missed them very +much. I hope they will now come again, if you do not bite or snap." + +I told him I never bit anything but grass, hay, and corn, and could not +think what pleasure Ginger found it. + +"Well, I don't think she does find pleasure," says Merrylegs; "it is +just a bad habit; she says no one was ever kind to her, and why should +she not bite? Of course, it is a very bad habit; but I am sure, if all +she says be true, she must have been very ill-used before she came here. +John does all he can to please her, and James does all he can, and our +master never uses a whip if a horse acts right; so I think she might be +good-tempered here. You see," he said, with a wise look, "I am twelve +years old; I know a great deal, and I can tell you there is not a better +place for a horse all round the country than this. John is the best +groom that ever was; he has been here fourteen years; and you never saw +such a kind boy as James is; so that it is all Ginger's own fault that +she did not stay in that box." + + + + +05 A Fair Start + + +The name of the coachman was John Manly; he had a wife and one little +child, and they lived in the coachman's cottage, very near the stables. + +The next morning he took me into the yard and gave me a good grooming, +and just as I was going into my box, with my coat soft and bright, the +squire came in to look at me, and seemed pleased. "John," he said, +"I meant to have tried the new horse this morning, but I have other +business. You may as well take him around after breakfast; go by the +common and the Highwood, and back by the watermill and the river; that +will show his paces." + +"I will, sir," said John. After breakfast he came and fitted me with a +bridle. He was very particular in letting out and taking in the straps, +to fit my head comfortably; then he brought a saddle, but it was not +broad enough for my back; he saw it in a minute and went for another, +which fitted nicely. He rode me first slowly, then a trot, then a +canter, and when we were on the common he gave me a light touch with his +whip, and we had a splendid gallop. + +"Ho, ho! my boy," he said, as he pulled me up, "you would like to follow +the hounds, I think." + +As we came back through the park we met the Squire and Mrs. Gordon +walking; they stopped, and John jumped off. + +"Well, John, how does he go?" + +"First-rate, sir," answered John; "he is as fleet as a deer, and has a +fine spirit too; but the lightest touch of the rein will guide him. Down +at the end of the common we met one of those traveling carts hung all +over with baskets, rugs, and such like; you know, sir, many horses will +not pass those carts quietly; he just took a good look at it, and then +went on as quiet and pleasant as could be. They were shooting rabbits +near the Highwood, and a gun went off close by; he pulled up a little +and looked, but did not stir a step to right or left. I just held the +rein steady and did not hurry him, and it's my opinion he has not been +frightened or ill-used while he was young." + +"That's well," said the squire, "I will try him myself to-morrow." + +The next day I was brought up for my master. I remembered my mother's +counsel and my good old master's, and I tried to do exactly what he +wanted me to do. I found he was a very good rider, and thoughtful for +his horse too. When he came home the lady was at the hall door as he +rode up. + +"Well, my dear," she said, "how do you like him?" + +"He is exactly what John said," he replied; "a pleasanter creature I +never wish to mount. What shall we call him?" + +"Would you like Ebony?" said she; "he is as black as ebony." + +"No, not Ebony." + +"Will you call him Blackbird, like your uncle's old horse?" + +"No, he is far handsomer than old Blackbird ever was." + +"Yes," she said, "he is really quite a beauty, and he has such a sweet, +good-tempered face, and such a fine, intelligent eye--what do you say to +calling him Black Beauty?" + +"Black Beauty--why, yes, I think that is a very good name. If you like +it shall be his name;" and so it was. + +When John went into the stable he told James that master and mistress +had chosen a good, sensible English name for me, that meant something; +not like Marengo, or Pegasus, or Abdallah. They both laughed, and James +said, "If it was not for bringing back the past, I should have named him +Rob Roy, for I never saw two horses more alike." + +"That's no wonder," said John; "didn't you know that Farmer Grey's old +Duchess was the mother of them both?" + +I had never heard that before; and so poor Rob Roy who was killed +at that hunt was my brother! I did not wonder that my mother was so +troubled. It seems that horses have no relations; at least they never +know each other after they are sold. + +John seemed very proud of me; he used to make my mane and tail almost as +smooth as a lady's hair, and he would talk to me a great deal; of course +I did not understand all he said, but I learned more and more to know +what he meant, and what he wanted me to do. I grew very fond of him, he +was so gentle and kind; he seemed to know just how a horse feels, and +when he cleaned me he knew the tender places and the ticklish places; +when he brushed my head he went as carefully over my eyes as if they +were his own, and never stirred up any ill-temper. + +James Howard, the stable boy, was just as gentle and pleasant in his +way, so I thought myself well off. There was another man who helped in +the yard, but he had very little to do with Ginger and me. + +A few days after this I had to go out with Ginger in the carriage. I +wondered how we should get on together; but except laying her ears +back when I was led up to her, she behaved very well. She did her work +honestly, and did her full share, and I never wish to have a better +partner in double harness. When we came to a hill, instead of slackening +her pace, she would throw her weight right into the collar, and pull +away straight up. We had both the same sort of courage at our work, and +John had oftener to hold us in than to urge us forward; he never had to +use the whip with either of us; then our paces were much the same, and +I found it very easy to keep step with her when trotting, which made it +pleasant, and master always liked it when we kept step well, and so did +John. After we had been out two or three times together we grew quite +friendly and sociable, which made me feel very much at home. + +As for Merrylegs, he and I soon became great friends; he was such a +cheerful, plucky, good-tempered little fellow that he was a favorite +with every one, and especially with Miss Jessie and Flora, who used to +ride him about in the orchard, and have fine games with him and their +little dog Frisky. + +Our master had two other horses that stood in another stable. One was +Justice, a roan cob, used for riding or for the luggage cart; the other +was an old brown hunter, named Sir Oliver; he was past work now, but was +a great favorite with the master, who gave him the run of the park; he +sometimes did a little light carting on the estate, or carried one of +the young ladies when they rode out with their father, for he was very +gentle and could be trusted with a child as well as Merrylegs. The cob +was a strong, well-made, good-tempered horse, and we sometimes had a +little chat in the paddock, but of course I could not be so intimate +with him as with Ginger, who stood in the same stable. + + + + +06 Liberty + + +I was quite happy in my new place, and if there was one thing that I +missed it must not be thought I was discontented; all who had to do with +me were good and I had a light airy stable and the best of food. What +more could I want? Why, liberty! For three years and a half of my life +I had had all the liberty I could wish for; but now, week after week, +month after month, and no doubt year after year, I must stand up in a +stable night and day except when I am wanted, and then I must be just +as steady and quiet as any old horse who has worked twenty years. Straps +here and straps there, a bit in my mouth, and blinkers over my eyes. +Now, I am not complaining, for I know it must be so. I only mean to say +that for a young horse full of strength and spirits, who has been used +to some large field or plain where he can fling up his head and toss up +his tail and gallop away at full speed, then round and back again with +a snort to his companions--I say it is hard never to have a bit more +liberty to do as you like. Sometimes, when I have had less exercise than +usual, I have felt so full of life and spring that when John has taken +me out to exercise I really could not keep quiet; do what I would, it +seemed as if I must jump, or dance, or prance, and many a good shake I +know I must have given him, especially at the first; but he was always +good and patient. + +"Steady, steady, my boy," he would say; "wait a bit, and we will have a +good swing, and soon get the tickle out of your feet." Then as soon as +we were out of the village, he would give me a few miles at a spanking +trot, and then bring me back as fresh as before, only clear of the +fidgets, as he called them. Spirited horses, when not enough exercised, +are often called skittish, when it is only play; and some grooms will +punish them, but our John did not; he knew it was only high spirits. +Still, he had his own ways of making me understand by the tone of +his voice or the touch of the rein. If he was very serious and quite +determined, I always knew it by his voice, and that had more power with +me than anything else, for I was very fond of him. + +I ought to say that sometimes we had our liberty for a few hours; this +used to be on fine Sundays in the summer-time. The carriage never went +out on Sundays, because the church was not far off. + +It was a great treat to us to be turned out into the home paddock or +the old orchard; the grass was so cool and soft to our feet, the air so +sweet, and the freedom to do as we liked was so pleasant--to gallop, to +lie down, and roll over on our backs, or to nibble the sweet grass. +Then it was a very good time for talking, as we stood together under the +shade of the large chestnut tree. + + + + +07 Ginger + + +One day when Ginger and I were standing alone in the shade, we had a +great deal of talk; she wanted to know all about my bringing up and +breaking in, and I told her. + +"Well," said she, "if I had had your bringing up I might have had as +good a temper as you, but now I don't believe I ever shall." + +"Why not?" I said. + +"Because it has been all so different with me," she replied. "I never +had any one, horse or man, that was kind to me, or that I cared to +please, for in the first place I was taken from my mother as soon as I +was weaned, and put with a lot of other young colts; none of them cared +for me, and I cared for none of them. There was no kind master like +yours to look after me, and talk to me, and bring me nice things to eat. +The man that had the care of us never gave me a kind word in my life. +I do not mean that he ill-used me, but he did not care for us one +bit further than to see that we had plenty to eat, and shelter in the +winter. A footpath ran through our field, and very often the great boys +passing through would fling stones to make us gallop. I was never hit, +but one fine young colt was badly cut in the face, and I should think +it would be a scar for life. We did not care for them, but of course +it made us more wild, and we settled it in our minds that boys were our +enemies. We had very good fun in the free meadows, galloping up and down +and chasing each other round and round the field; then standing still +under the shade of the trees. But when it came to breaking in, that was +a bad time for me; several men came to catch me, and when at last they +closed me in at one corner of the field, one caught me by the forelock, +another caught me by the nose and held it so tight I could hardly draw +my breath; then another took my under jaw in his hard hand and wrenched +my mouth open, and so by force they got on the halter and the bar into +my mouth; then one dragged me along by the halter, another flogging +behind, and this was the first experience I had of men's kindness; it +was all force. They did not give me a chance to know what they wanted. +I was high bred and had a great deal of spirit, and was very wild, no +doubt, and gave them, I dare say, plenty of trouble, but then it was +dreadful to be shut up in a stall day after day instead of having my +liberty, and I fretted and pined and wanted to get loose. You know +yourself it's bad enough when you have a kind master and plenty of +coaxing, but there was nothing of that sort for me. + +"There was one--the old master, Mr. Ryder--who, I think, could soon have +brought me round, and could have done anything with me; but he had given +up all the hard part of the trade to his son and to another experienced +man, and he only came at times to oversee. His son was a strong, tall, +bold man; they called him Samson, and he used to boast that he had never +found a horse that could throw him. There was no gentleness in him, as +there was in his father, but only hardness, a hard voice, a hard eye, a +hard hand; and I felt from the first that what he wanted was to wear all +the spirit out of me, and just make me into a quiet, humble, obedient +piece of horseflesh. 'Horseflesh'! Yes, that is all that he thought +about," and Ginger stamped her foot as if the very thought of him made +her angry. Then she went on: + +"If I did not do exactly what he wanted he would get put out, and make +me run round with that long rein in the training field till he had +tired me out. I think he drank a good deal, and I am quite sure that the +oftener he drank the worse it was for me. One day he had worked me hard +in every way he could, and when I lay down I was tired, and miserable, +and angry; it all seemed so hard. The next morning he came for me early, +and ran me round again for a long time. I had scarcely had an hour's +rest, when he came again for me with a saddle and bridle and a new kind +of bit. I could never quite tell how it came about; he had only just +mounted me on the training ground, when something I did put him out +of temper, and he chucked me hard with the rein. The new bit was very +painful, and I reared up suddenly, which angered him still more, and he +began to flog me. I felt my whole spirit set against him, and I began +to kick, and plunge, and rear as I had never done before, and we had a +regular fight; for a long time he stuck to the saddle and punished me +cruelly with his whip and spurs, but my blood was thoroughly up, and I +cared for nothing he could do if only I could get him off. At last after +a terrible struggle I threw him off backward. I heard him fall heavily +on the turf, and without looking behind me, I galloped off to the other +end of the field; there I turned round and saw my persecutor slowly +rising from the ground and going into the stable. I stood under an oak +tree and watched, but no one came to catch me. The time went on, and the +sun was very hot; the flies swarmed round me and settled on my bleeding +flanks where the spurs had dug in. I felt hungry, for I had not eaten +since the early morning, but there was not enough grass in that meadow +for a goose to live on. I wanted to lie down and rest, but with the +saddle strapped tightly on there was no comfort, and there was not a +drop of water to drink. The afternoon wore on, and the sun got low. I +saw the other colts led in, and I knew they were having a good feed. + +"At last, just as the sun went down, I saw the old master come out with +a sieve in his hand. He was a very fine old gentleman with quite white +hair, but his voice was what I should know him by among a thousand. It +was not high, nor yet low, but full, and clear, and kind, and when +he gave orders it was so steady and decided that every one knew, both +horses and men, that he expected to be obeyed. He came quietly along, +now and then shaking the oats about that he had in the sieve, and +speaking cheerfully and gently to me: 'Come along, lassie, come along, +lassie; come along, come along.' I stood still and let him come up; he +held the oats to me, and I began to eat without fear; his voice took all +my fear away. He stood by, patting and stroking me while I was eating, +and seeing the clots of blood on my side he seemed very vexed. 'Poor +lassie! it was a bad business, a bad business;' then he quietly took the +rein and led me to the stable; just at the door stood Samson. I laid my +ears back and snapped at him. 'Stand back,' said the master, 'and keep +out of her way; you've done a bad day's work for this filly.' He growled +out something about a vicious brute. 'Hark ye,' said the father, 'a +bad-tempered man will never make a good-tempered horse. You've not +learned your trade yet, Samson.' Then he led me into my box, took off +the saddle and bridle with his own hands, and tied me up; then he called +for a pail of warm water and a sponge, took off his coat, and while the +stable-man held the pail, he sponged my sides a good while, so tenderly +that I was sure he knew how sore and bruised they were. 'Whoa! my pretty +one,' he said, 'stand still, stand still.' His very voice did me good, +and the bathing was very comfortable. The skin was so broken at the +corners of my mouth that I could not eat the hay, the stalks hurt me. He +looked closely at it, shook his head, and told the man to fetch a good +bran mash and put some meal into it. How good that mash was! and so soft +and healing to my mouth. He stood by all the time I was eating, stroking +me and talking to the man. 'If a high-mettled creature like this,' +said he, 'can't be broken by fair means, she will never be good for +anything.' + +"After that he often came to see me, and when my mouth was healed the +other breaker, Job, they called him, went on training me; he was steady +and thoughtful, and I soon learned what he wanted." + + + + +08 Ginger's Story Continued + + +The next time that Ginger and I were together in the paddock she told me +about her first place. + +"After my breaking in," she said, "I was bought by a dealer to match +another chestnut horse. For some weeks he drove us together, and then we +were sold to a fashionable gentleman, and were sent up to London. I had +been driven with a check-rein by the dealer, and I hated it worse +than anything else; but in this place we were reined far tighter, the +coachman and his master thinking we looked more stylish so. We were +often driven about in the park and other fashionable places. You who +never had a check-rein on don't know what it is, but I can tell you it +is dreadful. + +"I like to toss my head about and hold it as high as any horse; but +fancy now yourself, if you tossed your head up high and were obliged to +hold it there, and that for hours together, not able to move it at all, +except with a jerk still higher, your neck aching till you did not know +how to bear it. Besides that, to have two bits instead of one--and mine +was a sharp one, it hurt my tongue and my jaw, and the blood from my +tongue colored the froth that kept flying from my lips as I chafed and +fretted at the bits and rein. It was worst when we had to stand by the +hour waiting for our mistress at some grand party or entertainment, and +if I fretted or stamped with impatience the whip was laid on. It was +enough to drive one mad." + +"Did not your master take any thought for you?" I said. + +"No," said she, "he only cared to have a stylish turnout, as they +call it; I think he knew very little about horses; he left that to his +coachman, who told him I had an irritable temper! that I had not been +well broken to the check-rein, but I should soon get used to it; but he +was not the man to do it, for when I was in the stable, miserable and +angry, instead of being smoothed and quieted by kindness, I got only a +surly word or a blow. If he had been civil I would have tried to +bear it. I was willing to work, and ready to work hard too; but to be +tormented for nothing but their fancies angered me. What right had they +to make me suffer like that? Besides the soreness in my mouth, and +the pain in my neck, it always made my windpipe feel bad, and if I had +stopped there long I know it would have spoiled my breathing; but I grew +more and more restless and irritable, I could not help it; and I began +to snap and kick when any one came to harness me; for this the groom +beat me, and one day, as they had just buckled us into the carriage, +and were straining my head up with that rein, I began to plunge and +kick with all my might. I soon broke a lot of harness, and kicked myself +clear; so that was an end of that place. + +"After this I was sent to Tattersall's to be sold; of course I could not +be warranted free from vice, so nothing was said about that. My handsome +appearance and good paces soon brought a gentleman to bid for me, and I +was bought by another dealer; he tried me in all kinds of ways and with +different bits, and he soon found out what I could not bear. At last +he drove me quite without a check-rein, and then sold me as a perfectly +quiet horse to a gentleman in the country; he was a good master, and I +was getting on very well, but his old groom left him and a new one came. +This man was as hard-tempered and hard-handed as Samson; he always spoke +in a rough, impatient voice, and if I did not move in the stall the +moment he wanted me, he would hit me above the hocks with his stable +broom or the fork, whichever he might have in his hand. Everything he +did was rough, and I began to hate him; he wanted to make me afraid +of him, but I was too high-mettled for that, and one day when he had +aggravated me more than usual I bit him, which of course put him in a +great rage, and he began to hit me about the head with a riding whip. +After that he never dared to come into my stall again; either my heels +or my teeth were ready for him, and he knew it. I was quite quiet with +my master, but of course he listened to what the man said, and so I was +sold again. + +"The same dealer heard of me, and said he thought he knew one place +where I should do well. ''Twas a pity,' he said, 'that such a fine horse +should go to the bad, for want of a real good chance,' and the end of it +was that I came here not long before you did; but I had then made up my +mind that men were my natural enemies and that I must defend myself. Of +course it is very different here, but who knows how long it will last? I +wish I could think about things as you do; but I can't, after all I have +gone through." + +"Well," I said, "I think it would be a real shame if you were to bite or +kick John or James." + +"I don't mean to," she said, "while they are good to me. I did bite +James once pretty sharp, but John said, 'Try her with kindness,' and +instead of punishing me as I expected, James came to me with his arm +bound up, and brought me a bran mash and stroked me; and I have never +snapped at him since, and I won't either." + +I was sorry for Ginger, but of course I knew very little then, and I +thought most likely she made the worst of it; however, I found that as +the weeks went on she grew much more gentle and cheerful, and had lost +the watchful, defiant look that she used to turn on any strange person +who came near her; and one day James said, "I do believe that mare is +getting fond of me, she quite whinnied after me this morning when I had +been rubbing her forehead." + +"Ay, ay, Jim, 'tis 'the Birtwick balls'," said John, "she'll be as good +as Black Beauty by and by; kindness is all the physic she wants, poor +thing!" Master noticed the change, too, and one day when he got out of +the carriage and came to speak to us, as he often did, he stroked her +beautiful neck. "Well, my pretty one, well, how do things go with you +now? You are a good bit happier than when you came to us, I think." + +She put her nose up to him in a friendly, trustful way, while he rubbed +it gently. + +"We shall make a cure of her, John," he said. + +"Yes, sir, she's wonderfully improved; she's not the same creature that +she was; it's 'the Birtwick balls', sir," said John, laughing. + +This was a little joke of John's; he used to say that a regular course +of "the Birtwick horseballs" would cure almost any vicious horse; these +balls, he said, were made up of patience and gentleness, firmness and +petting, one pound of each to be mixed up with half a pint of common +sense, and given to the horse every day. + + + + +09 Merrylegs + + +Mr. Blomefield, the vicar, had a large family of boys and girls; +sometimes they used to come and play with Miss Jessie and Flora. One +of the girls was as old as Miss Jessie; two of the boys were older, and +there were several little ones. When they came there was plenty of work +for Merrylegs, for nothing pleased them so much as getting on him by +turns and riding him all about the orchard and the home paddock, and +this they would do by the hour together. + +One afternoon he had been out with them a long time, and when James +brought him in and put on his halter he said: + +"There, you rogue, mind how you behave yourself, or we shall get into +trouble." + +"What have you been doing, Merrylegs?" I asked. + +"Oh!" said he, tossing his little head, "I have only been giving those +young people a lesson; they did not know when they had had enough, nor +when I had had enough, so I just pitched them off backward; that was the +only thing they could understand." + +"What!" said I, "you threw the children off? I thought you did know +better than that! Did you throw Miss Jessie or Miss Flora?" + +He looked very much offended, and said: + +"Of course not; I would not do such a thing for the best oats that ever +came into the stable; why, I am as careful of our young ladies as the +master could be, and as for the little ones it is I who teach them to +ride. When they seem frightened or a little unsteady on my back I go as +smooth and as quiet as old pussy when she is after a bird; and when they +are all right I go on again faster, you see, just to use them to it; so +don't you trouble yourself preaching to me; I am the best friend and the +best riding-master those children have. It is not them, it is the boys; +boys," said he, shaking his mane, "are quite different; they must be +broken in as we were broken in when we were colts, and just be taught +what's what. The other children had ridden me about for nearly two +hours, and then the boys thought it was their turn, and so it was, and +I was quite agreeable. They rode me by turns, and I galloped them about, +up and down the fields and all about the orchard, for a good hour. They +had each cut a great hazel stick for a riding-whip, and laid it on a +little too hard; but I took it in good part, till at last I thought we +had had enough, so I stopped two or three times by way of a hint. +Boys, you see, think a horse or pony is like a steam-engine or a +thrashing-machine, and can go on as long and as fast as they please; +they never think that a pony can get tired, or have any feelings; so as +the one who was whipping me could not understand I just rose up on +my hind legs and let him slip off behind--that was all. He mounted me +again, and I did the same. Then the other boy got up, and as soon as +he began to use his stick I laid him on the grass, and so on, till they +were able to understand--that was all. They are not bad boys; they don't +wish to be cruel. I like them very well; but you see I had to give them +a lesson. When they brought me to James and told him I think he was very +angry to see such big sticks. He said they were only fit for drovers or +gypsies, and not for young gentlemen." + +"If I had been you," said Ginger, "I would have given those boys a good +kick, and that would have given them a lesson." + +"No doubt you would," said Merrylegs; "but then I am not quite such a +fool (begging your pardon) as to anger our master or make James ashamed +of me. Besides, those children are under my charge when they are riding; +I tell you they are intrusted to me. Why, only the other day I heard our +master say to Mrs. Blomefield, 'My dear madam, you need not be anxious +about the children; my old Merrylegs will take as much care of them as +you or I could; I assure you I would not sell that pony for any money, +he is so perfectly good-tempered and trustworthy;' and do you think I am +such an ungrateful brute as to forget all the kind treatment I have +had here for five years, and all the trust they place in me, and turn +vicious because a couple of ignorant boys used me badly? No, no! you +never had a good place where they were kind to you, and so you don't +know, and I'm sorry for you; but I can tell you good places make good +horses. I wouldn't vex our people for anything; I love them, I do," said +Merrylegs, and he gave a low "ho, ho, ho!" through his nose, as he used +to do in the morning when he heard James' footstep at the door. + +"Besides," he went on, "if I took to kicking where should I be? Why, +sold off in a jiffy, and no character, and I might find myself slaved +about under a butcher's boy, or worked to death at some seaside place +where no one cared for me, except to find out how fast I could go, or be +flogged along in some cart with three or four great men in it going out +for a Sunday spree, as I have often seen in the place I lived in before +I came here; no," said he, shaking his head, "I hope I shall never come +to that." + + + + +10 A Talk in the Orchard + + +Ginger and I were not of the regular tall carriage horse breed, we had +more of the racing blood in us. We stood about fifteen and a half hands +high; we were therefore just as good for riding as we were for driving, +and our master used to say that he disliked either horse or man that +could do but one thing; and as he did not want to show off in London +parks, he preferred a more active and useful kind of horse. As for us, +our greatest pleasure was when we were saddled for a riding party; the +master on Ginger, the mistress on me, and the young ladies on Sir Oliver +and Merrylegs. It was so cheerful to be trotting and cantering all +together that it always put us in high spirits. I had the best of it, +for I always carried the mistress; her weight was little, her voice was +sweet, and her hand was so light on the rein that I was guided almost +without feeling it. + +Oh! if people knew what a comfort to horses a light hand is, and how it +keeps a good mouth and a good temper, they surely would not chuck, and +drag, and pull at the rein as they often do. Our mouths are so tender +that where they have not been spoiled or hardened with bad or ignorant +treatment, they feel the slightest movement of the driver's hand, and +we know in an instant what is required of us. My mouth has never been +spoiled, and I believe that was why the mistress preferred me to Ginger, +although her paces were certainly quite as good. She used often to envy +me, and said it was all the fault of breaking in, and the gag bit in +London, that her mouth was not so perfect as mine; and then old Sir +Oliver would say, "There, there! don't vex yourself; you have the +greatest honor; a mare that can carry a tall man of our master's weight, +with all your spring and sprightly action, does not need to hold her +head down because she does not carry the lady; we horses must take +things as they come, and always be contented and willing so long as we +are kindly used." + +I had often wondered how it was that Sir Oliver had such a very short +tail; it really was only six or seven inches long, with a tassel of hair +hanging from it; and on one of our holidays in the orchard I ventured to +ask him by what accident it was that he had lost his tail. "Accident!" +he snorted with a fierce look, "it was no accident! it was a cruel, +shameful, cold-blooded act! When I was young I was taken to a place +where these cruel things were done; I was tied up, and made fast so that +I could not stir, and then they came and cut off my long and beautiful +tail, through the flesh and through the bone, and took it away. + +"How dreadful!" I exclaimed. + +"Dreadful, ah! it was dreadful; but it was not only the pain, though +that was terrible and lasted a long time; it was not only the indignity +of having my best ornament taken from me, though that was bad; but it +was this, how could I ever brush the flies off my sides and my hind legs +any more? You who have tails just whisk the flies off without thinking +about it, and you can't tell what a torment it is to have them settle +upon you and sting and sting, and have nothing in the world to lash them +off with. I tell you it is a lifelong wrong, and a lifelong loss; but +thank heaven, they don't do it now." + +"What did they do it for then?" said Ginger. + +"For fashion!" said the old horse with a stamp of his foot; "for +fashion! if you know what that means; there was not a well-bred young +horse in my time that had not his tail docked in that shameful way, just +as if the good God that made us did not know what we wanted and what +looked best." + +"I suppose it is fashion that makes them strap our heads up with those +horrid bits that I was tortured with in London," said Ginger. + +"Of course it is," said he; "to my mind, fashion is one of the wickedest +things in the world. Now look, for instance, at the way they serve dogs, +cutting off their tails to make them look plucky, and shearing up their +pretty little ears to a point to make them both look sharp, forsooth. I +had a dear friend once, a brown terrier; 'Skye' they called her. She was +so fond of me that she never would sleep out of my stall; she made +her bed under the manger, and there she had a litter of five as pretty +little puppies as need be; none were drowned, for they were a valuable +kind, and how pleased she was with them! and when they got their eyes +open and crawled about, it was a real pretty sight; but one day the man +came and took them all away; I thought he might be afraid I should tread +upon them. But it was not so; in the evening poor Skye brought them back +again, one by one in her mouth; not the happy little things that they +were, but bleeding and crying pitifully; they had all had a piece of +their tails cut off, and the soft flap of their pretty little ears was +cut quite off. How their mother licked them, and how troubled she was, +poor thing! I never forgot it. They healed in time, and they forgot the +pain, but the nice soft flap, that of course was intended to protect the +delicate part of their ears from dust and injury, was gone forever. Why +don't they cut their own children's ears into points to make them look +sharp? Why don't they cut the end off their noses to make them look +plucky? One would be just as sensible as the other. What right have they +to torment and disfigure God's creatures?" + +Sir Oliver, though he was so gentle, was a fiery old fellow, and what +he said was all so new to me, and so dreadful, that I found a bitter +feeling toward men rise up in my mind that I never had before. Of course +Ginger was very much excited; she flung up her head with flashing +eyes and distended nostrils, declaring that men were both brutes and +blockheads. + +"Who talks about blockheads?" said Merrylegs, who just came up from +the old apple-tree, where he had been rubbing himself against the low +branch. "Who talks about blockheads? I believe that is a bad word." + +"Bad words were made for bad things," said Ginger, and she told him what +Sir Oliver had said. + +"It is all true," said Merrylegs sadly, "and I've seen that about the +dogs over and over again where I lived first; but we won't talk about +it here. You know that master, and John and James are always good to +us, and talking against men in such a place as this doesn't seem fair +or grateful, and you know there are good masters and good grooms beside +ours, though of course ours are the best." + +This wise speech of good little Merrylegs, which we knew was quite true, +cooled us all down, especially Sir Oliver, who was dearly fond of his +master; and to turn the subject I said, "Can any one tell me the use of +blinkers?" + +"No!" said Sir Oliver shortly, "because they are no use." + +"They are supposed," said Justice, the roan cob, in his calm way, "to +prevent horses from shying and starting, and getting so frightened as to +cause accidents." + +"Then what is the reason they do not put them on riding horses; +especially on ladies' horses?" said I. + +"There is no reason at all," said he quietly, "except the fashion; they +say that a horse would be so frightened to see the wheels of his own +cart or carriage coming behind him that he would be sure to run away, +although of course when he is ridden he sees them all about him if the +streets are crowded. I admit they do sometimes come too close to be +pleasant, but we don't run away; we are used to it, and understand it, +and if we never had blinkers put on we should never want them; we should +see what was there, and know what was what, and be much less frightened +than by only seeing bits of things that we can't understand. Of course +there may be some nervous horses who have been hurt or frightened when +they were young, who may be the better for them; but as I never was +nervous, I can't judge." + +"I consider," said Sir Oliver, "that blinkers are dangerous things in +the night; we horses can see much better in the dark than men can, and +many an accident would never have happened if horses might have had the +full use of their eyes. Some years ago, I remember, there was a hearse +with two horses returning one dark night, and just by Farmer Sparrow's +house, where the pond is close to the road, the wheels went too near the +edge, and the hearse was overturned into the water; both the horses were +drowned, and the driver hardly escaped. Of course after this accident +a stout white rail was put up that might be easily seen, but if those +horses had not been partly blinded, they would of themselves have kept +further from the edge, and no accident would have happened. When our +master's carriage was overturned, before you came here, it was said that +if the lamp on the left side had not gone out, John would have seen the +great hole that the road-makers had left; and so he might, but if old +Colin had not had blinkers on he would have seen it, lamp or no lamp, +for he was far too knowing an old horse to run into danger. As it was, +he was very much hurt, the carriage was broken, and how John escaped +nobody knew." + +"I should say," said Ginger, curling her nostril, "that these men, who +are so wise, had better give orders that in the future all foals should +be born with their eyes set just in the middle of their foreheads, +instead of on the side; they always think they can improve upon nature +and mend what God has made." + +Things were getting rather sore again, when Merrylegs held up his +knowing little face and said, "I'll tell you a secret: I believe John +does not approve of blinkers; I heard him talking with master about it +one day. The master said that 'if horses had been used to them, it might +be dangerous in some cases to leave them off'; and John said he thought +it would be a good thing if all colts were broken in without blinkers, +as was the case in some foreign countries. So let us cheer up, and have +a run to the other end of the orchard; I believe the wind has blown down +some apples, and we might just as well eat them as the slugs." + +Merrylegs could not be resisted, so we broke off our long conversation, +and got up our spirits by munching some very sweet apples which lay +scattered on the grass. + + + + +11 Plain Speaking + + +The longer I lived at Birtwick the more proud and happy I felt at having +such a place. Our master and mistress were respected and beloved by all +who knew them; they were good and kind to everybody and everything; not +only men and women, but horses and donkeys, dogs and cats, cattle and +birds; there was no oppressed or ill-used creature that had not a friend +in them, and their servants took the same tone. If any of the village +children were known to treat any creature cruelly they soon heard about +it from the Hall. + +The squire and Farmer Grey had worked together, as they said, for more +than twenty years to get check-reins on the cart-horses done away with, +and in our parts you seldom saw them; and sometimes, if mistress met +a heavily laden horse with his head strained up she would stop the +carriage and get out, and reason with the driver in her sweet serious +voice, and try to show him how foolish and cruel it was. + +I don't think any man could withstand our mistress. I wish all ladies +were like her. Our master, too, used to come down very heavy sometimes. +I remember he was riding me toward home one morning when we saw a +powerful man driving toward us in a light pony chaise, with a beautiful +little bay pony, with slender legs and a high-bred sensitive head and +face. Just as he came to the park gates the little thing turned toward +them; the man, without word or warning, wrenched the creature's head +round with such a force and suddenness that he nearly threw it on its +haunches. Recovering itself it was going on, when he began to lash it +furiously. The pony plunged forward, but the strong, heavy hand held the +pretty creature back with force almost enough to break its jaw, while +the whip still cut into him. It was a dreadful sight to me, for I knew +what fearful pain it gave that delicate little mouth; but master gave me +the word, and we were up with him in a second. + +"Sawyer," he cried in a stern voice, "is that pony made of flesh and +blood?" + +"Flesh and blood and temper," he said; "he's too fond of his own will, +and that won't suit me." He spoke as if he was in a strong passion. He +was a builder who had often been to the park on business. + +"And do you think," said master sternly, "that treatment like this will +make him fond of your will?" + +"He had no business to make that turn; his road was straight on!" said +the man roughly. + +"You have often driven that pony up to my place," said master; "it only +shows the creature's memory and intelligence; how did he know that you +were not going there again? But that has little to do with it. I must +say, Mr. Sawyer, that a more unmanly, brutal treatment of a little +pony it was never my painful lot to witness, and by giving way to such +passion you injure your own character as much, nay more, than you injure +your horse; and remember, we shall all have to be judged according to +our works, whether they be toward man or toward beast." + +Master rode me home slowly, and I could tell by his voice how the thing +had grieved him. He was just as free to speak to gentlemen of his own +rank as to those below him; for another day, when we were out, we met +a Captain Langley, a friend of our master's; he was driving a splendid +pair of grays in a kind of break. After a little conversation the +captain said: + +"What do you think of my new team, Mr. Douglas? You know, you are the +judge of horses in these parts, and I should like your opinion." + +The master backed me a little, so as to get a good view of them. "They +are an uncommonly handsome pair," he said, "and if they are as good as +they look I am sure you need not wish for anything better; but I see +you still hold that pet scheme of yours for worrying your horses and +lessening their power." + +"What do you mean," said the other, "the check-reins? Oh, ah! I know +that's a hobby of yours; well, the fact is, I like to see my horses hold +their heads up." + +"So do I," said master, "as well as any man, but I don't like to +see them held up; that takes all the shine out of it. Now, you are a +military man, Langley, and no doubt like to see your regiment look well +on parade, 'heads up', and all that; but you would not take much credit +for your drill if all your men had their heads tied to a backboard! It +might not be much harm on parade, except to worry and fatigue them; but +how would it be in a bayonet charge against the enemy, when they want +the free use of every muscle, and all their strength thrown forward? I +would not give much for their chance of victory. And it is just the same +with horses: you fret and worry their tempers, and decrease their power; +you will not let them throw their weight against their work, and so +they have to do too much with their joints and muscles, and of course +it wears them up faster. You may depend upon it, horses were intended +to have their heads free, as free as men's are; and if we could act a +little more according to common sense, and a good deal less according +to fashion, we should find many things work easier; besides, you know as +well as I that if a horse makes a false step, he has much less chance +of recovering himself if his head and neck are fastened back. And now," +said the master, laughing, "I have given my hobby a good trot out, can't +you make up your mind to mount him, too, captain? Your example would go +a long way." + +"I believe you are right in theory," said the other, "and that's rather +a hard hit about the soldiers; but--well--I'll think about it," and so +they parted. + + + + +12 A Stormy Day + + +One day late in the autumn my master had a long journey to go on +business. I was put into the dog-cart, and John went with his master. I +always liked to go in the dog-cart, it was so light and the high wheels +ran along so pleasantly. There had been a great deal of rain, and now +the wind was very high and blew the dry leaves across the road in a +shower. We went along merrily till we came to the toll-bar and the low +wooden bridge. The river banks were rather high, and the bridge, instead +of rising, went across just level, so that in the middle, if the river +was full, the water would be nearly up to the woodwork and planks; but +as there were good substantial rails on each side, people did not mind +it. + +The man at the gate said the river was rising fast, and he feared it +would be a bad night. Many of the meadows were under water, and in one +low part of the road the water was halfway up to my knees; the bottom +was good, and master drove gently, so it was no matter. + +When we got to the town of course I had a good bait, but as the master's +business engaged him a long time we did not start for home till rather +late in the afternoon. The wind was then much higher, and I heard the +master say to John that he had never been out in such a storm; and so I +thought, as we went along the skirts of a wood, where the great branches +were swaying about like twigs, and the rushing sound was terrible. + +"I wish we were well out of this wood," said my master. + +"Yes, sir," said John, "it would be rather awkward if one of these +branches came down upon us." + +The words were scarcely out of his mouth when there was a groan, and a +crack, and a splitting sound, and tearing, crashing down among the other +trees came an oak, torn up by the roots, and it fell right across the +road just before us. I will never say I was not frightened, for I was. I +stopped still, and I believe I trembled; of course I did not turn round +or run away; I was not brought up to that. John jumped out and was in a +moment at my head. + +"That was a very near touch," said my master. "What's to be done now?" + +"Well, sir, we can't drive over that tree, nor yet get round it; there +will be nothing for it, but to go back to the four crossways, and that +will be a good six miles before we get round to the wooden bridge again; +it will make us late, but the horse is fresh." + +So back we went and round by the crossroads, but by the time we got to +the bridge it was very nearly dark; we could just see that the water was +over the middle of it; but as that happened sometimes when the floods +were out, master did not stop. We were going along at a good pace, but +the moment my feet touched the first part of the bridge I felt sure +there was something wrong. I dare not go forward, and I made a dead +stop. "Go on, Beauty," said my master, and he gave me a touch with the +whip, but I dare not stir; he gave me a sharp cut; I jumped, but I dare +not go forward. + +"There's something wrong, sir," said John, and he sprang out of the +dog-cart and came to my head and looked all about. He tried to lead me +forward. "Come on, Beauty, what's the matter?" Of course I could not +tell him, but I knew very well that the bridge was not safe. + +Just then the man at the toll-gate on the other side ran out of the +house, tossing a torch about like one mad. + +"Hoy, hoy, hoy! halloo! stop!" he cried. + +"What's the matter?" shouted my master. + +"The bridge is broken in the middle, and part of it is carried away; if +you come on you'll be into the river." + +"Thank God!" said my master. "You Beauty!" said John, and took the +bridle and gently turned me round to the right-hand road by the river +side. The sun had set some time; the wind seemed to have lulled off +after that furious blast which tore up the tree. It grew darker and +darker, stiller and stiller. I trotted quietly along, the wheels hardly +making a sound on the soft road. For a good while neither master nor +John spoke, and then master began in a serious voice. I could not +understand much of what they said, but I found they thought, if I had +gone on as the master wanted me, most likely the bridge would have given +way under us, and horse, chaise, master, and man would have fallen into +the river; and as the current was flowing very strongly, and there was +no light and no help at hand, it was more than likely we should all have +been drowned. Master said, God had given men reason, by which they could +find out things for themselves; but he had given animals knowledge which +did not depend on reason, and which was much more prompt and perfect in +its way, and by which they had often saved the lives of men. John had +many stories to tell of dogs and horses, and the wonderful things they +had done; he thought people did not value their animals half enough nor +make friends of them as they ought to do. I am sure he makes friends of +them if ever a man did. + +At last we came to the park gates and found the gardener looking out for +us. He said that mistress had been in a dreadful way ever since dark, +fearing some accident had happened, and that she had sent James off on +Justice, the roan cob, toward the wooden bridge to make inquiry after +us. + +We saw a light at the hall-door and at the upper windows, and as we came +up mistress ran out, saying, "Are you really safe, my dear? Oh! I +have been so anxious, fancying all sorts of things. Have you had no +accident?" + +"No, my dear; but if your Black Beauty had not been wiser than we were +we should all have been carried down the river at the wooden bridge." +I heard no more, as they went into the house, and John took me to the +stable. Oh, what a good supper he gave me that night, a good bran mash +and some crushed beans with my oats, and such a thick bed of straw! and +I was glad of it, for I was tired. + + + + +13 The Devil's Trade Mark + + +One day when John and I had been out on some business of our master's, +and were returning gently on a long, straight road, at some distance we +saw a boy trying to leap a pony over a gate; the pony would not take the +leap, and the boy cut him with the whip, but he only turned off on one +side. He whipped him again, but the pony turned off on the other side. +Then the boy got off and gave him a hard thrashing, and knocked him +about the head; then he got up again and tried to make him leap the +gate, kicking him all the time shamefully, but still the pony refused. +When we were nearly at the spot the pony put down his head and threw up +his heels, and sent the boy neatly over into a broad quickset hedge, and +with the rein dangling from his head he set off home at a full gallop. +John laughed out quite loud. "Served him right," he said. + +"Oh, oh, oh!" cried the boy as he struggled about among the thorns; "I +say, come and help me out." + +"Thank ye," said John, "I think you are quite in the right place, and +maybe a little scratching will teach you not to leap a pony over a gate +that is too high for him," and so with that John rode off. "It may be," +said he to himself, "that young fellow is a liar as well as a cruel one; +we'll just go home by Farmer Bushby's, Beauty, and then if anybody wants +to know you and I can tell 'em, ye see." So we turned off to the right, +and soon came up to the stack-yard, and within sight of the house. The +farmer was hurrying out into the road, and his wife was standing at the +gate, looking very frightened. + +"Have you seen my boy?" said Mr. Bushby as we came up; "he went out an +hour ago on my black pony, and the creature is just come back without a +rider." + +"I should think, sir," said John, "he had better be without a rider, +unless he can be ridden properly." + +"What do you mean?" said the farmer. + +"Well, sir, I saw your son whipping, and kicking, and knocking that good +little pony about shamefully because he would not leap a gate that was +too high for him. The pony behaved well, sir, and showed no vice; but at +last he just threw up his heels and tipped the young gentleman into the +thorn hedge. He wanted me to help him out, but I hope you will excuse +me, sir, I did not feel inclined to do so. There's no bones broken, sir; +he'll only get a few scratches. I love horses, and it riles me to see +them badly used; it is a bad plan to aggravate an animal till he uses +his heels; the first time is not always the last." + +During this time the mother began to cry, "Oh, my poor Bill, I must go +and meet him; he must be hurt." + +"You had better go into the house, wife," said the farmer; "Bill wants a +lesson about this, and I must see that he gets it; this is not the first +time, nor the second, that he has ill-used that pony, and I shall stop +it. I am much obliged to you, Manly. Good-evening." + +So we went on, John chuckling all the way home; then he told James about +it, who laughed and said, "Serve him right. I knew that boy at school; +he took great airs on himself because he was a farmer's son; he used to +swagger about and bully the little boys. Of course, we elder ones would +not have any of that nonsense, and let him know that in the school and +the playground farmers' sons and laborers' sons were all alike. I well +remember one day, just before afternoon school, I found him at the large +window catching flies and pulling off their wings. He did not see me and +I gave him a box on the ears that laid him sprawling on the floor. Well, +angry as I was, I was almost frightened, he roared and bellowed in such +a style. The boys rushed in from the playground, and the master ran in +from the road to see who was being murdered. Of course I said fair and +square at once what I had done, and why; then I showed the master the +flies, some crushed and some crawling about helpless, and I showed him +the wings on the window sill. I never saw him so angry before; but as +Bill was still howling and whining, like the coward that he was, he did +not give him any more punishment of that kind, but set him up on a stool +for the rest of the afternoon, and said that he should not go out to +play for that week. Then he talked to all the boys very seriously about +cruelty, and said how hard-hearted and cowardly it was to hurt the +weak and the helpless; but what stuck in my mind was this, he said that +cruelty was the devil's own trade-mark, and if we saw any one who took +pleasure in cruelty we might know who he belonged to, for the devil was +a murderer from the beginning, and a tormentor to the end. On the other +hand, where we saw people who loved their neighbors, and were kind to +man and beast, we might know that was God's mark." + +"Your master never taught you a truer thing," said John; "there is no +religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about +their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man +and beast it is all a sham--all a sham, James, and it won't stand when +things come to be turned inside out." + + + + +14 James Howard + + +Early one morning in December John had just led me into my box after my +daily exercise, and was strapping my cloth on and James was coming in +from the corn chamber with some oats, when the master came into the +stable. He looked rather serious, and held an open letter in his hand. +John fastened the door of my box, touched his cap, and waited for +orders. + +"Good-morning, John," said the master. "I want to know if you have any +complaint to make of James." + +"Complaint, sir? No, sir." + +"Is he industrious at his work and respectful to you?" + +"Yes, sir, always." + +"You never find he slights his work when your back is turned?" + +"Never, sir." + +"That's well; but I must put another question. Have you no reason to +suspect, when he goes out with the horses to exercise them or to take a +message, that he stops about talking to his acquaintances, or goes into +houses where he has no business, leaving the horses outside?" + +"No, sir, certainly not; and if anybody has been saying that about +James, I don't believe it, and I don't mean to believe it unless I have +it fairly proved before witnesses; it's not for me to say who has been +trying to take away James' character, but I will say this, sir, that a +steadier, pleasanter, honester, smarter young fellow I never had in this +stable. I can trust his word and I can trust his work; he is gentle and +clever with the horses, and I would rather have them in charge with him +than with half the young fellows I know of in laced hats and liveries; +and whoever wants a character of James Howard," said John, with a +decided jerk of his head, "let them come to John Manly." + +The master stood all this time grave and attentive, but as John finished +his speech a broad smile spread over his face, and looking kindly +across at James, who all this time had stood still at the door, he said, +"James, my lad, set down the oats and come here; I am very glad to find +that John's opinion of your character agrees so exactly with my own. +John is a cautious man," he said, with a droll smile, "and it is not +always easy to get his opinion about people, so I thought if I beat the +bush on this side the birds would fly out, and I should learn what I +wanted to know quickly; so now we will come to business. I have a letter +from my brother-in-law, Sir Clifford Williams, of Clifford Hall. +He wants me to find him a trustworthy young groom, about twenty or +twenty-one, who knows his business. His old coachman, who has lived with +him thirty years, is getting feeble, and he wants a man to work with him +and get into his ways, who would be able, when the old man was pensioned +off, to step into his place. He would have eighteen shillings a week at +first, a stable suit, a driving suit, a bedroom over the coachhouse, and +a boy under him. Sir Clifford is a good master, and if you could get the +place it would be a good start for you. I don't want to part with you, +and if you left us I know John would lose his right hand." + +"That I should, sir," said John, "but I would not stand in his light for +the world." + +"How old are you, James?" said master. + +"Nineteen next May, sir." + +"That's young; what do you think, John?" + +"Well, sir, it is young; but he is as steady as a man, and is strong, +and well grown, and though he has not had much experience in driving, he +has a light firm hand and a quick eye, and he is very careful, and I am +quite sure no horse of his will be ruined for want of having his feet +and shoes looked after." + +"Your word will go the furthest, John," said the master, "for Sir +Clifford adds in a postscript, 'If I could find a man trained by your +John I should like him better than any other;' so, James, lad, think it +over, talk to your mother at dinner-time, and then let me know what you +wish." + +In a few days after this conversation it was fully settled that James +should go to Clifford Hall, in a month or six weeks, as it suited his +master, and in the meantime he was to get all the practice in driving +that could be given to him. I never knew the carriage to go out so often +before; when the mistress did not go out the master drove himself in the +two-wheeled chaise; but now, whether it was master or the young ladies, +or only an errand, Ginger and I were put in the carriage and James drove +us. At the first John rode with him on the box, telling him this and +that, and after that James drove alone. + +Then it was wonderful what a number of places the master would go to in +the city on Saturday, and what queer streets we were driven through. He +was sure to go to the railway station just as the train was coming in, +and cabs and carriages, carts and omnibuses were all trying to get over +the bridge together; that bridge wanted good horses and good drivers +when the railway bell was ringing, for it was narrow, and there was a +very sharp turn up to the station, where it would not have been at all +difficult for people to run into each other, if they did not look sharp +and keep their wits about them. + + + + +15 The Old Hostler + + +After this it was decided by my master and mistress to pay a visit to +some friends who lived about forty-six miles from our home, and James +was to drive them. The first day we traveled thirty-two miles. +There were some long, heavy hills, but James drove so carefully and +thoughtfully that we were not at all harassed. He never forgot to put on +the brake as we went downhill, nor to take it off at the right place. He +kept our feet on the smoothest part of the road, and if the uphill was +very long, he set the carriage wheels a little across the road, so as +not to run back, and gave us a breathing. All these little things help a +horse very much, particularly if he gets kind words into the bargain. + +We stopped once or twice on the road, and just as the sun was going down +we reached the town where we were to spend the night. We stopped at the +principal hotel, which was in the market-place; it was a very large one; +we drove under an archway into a long yard, at the further end of which +were the stables and coachhouses. Two hostlers came to take us out. The +head hostler was a pleasant, active little man, with a crooked leg, +and a yellow striped waistcoat. I never saw a man unbuckle harness so +quickly as he did, and with a pat and a good word he led me to a long +stable, with six or eight stalls in it, and two or three horses. The +other man brought Ginger; James stood by while we were rubbed down and +cleaned. + +I never was cleaned so lightly and quickly as by that little old man. +When he had done James stepped up and felt me over, as if he thought I +could not be thoroughly done, but he found my coat as clean and smooth +as silk. + +"Well," he said, "I thought I was pretty quick, and our John quicker +still, but you do beat all I ever saw for being quick and thorough at +the same time." + +"Practice makes perfect," said the crooked little hostler, "and 'twould +be a pity if it didn't; forty years' practice, and not perfect! ha, ha! +that would be a pity; and as to being quick, why, bless you! that is +only a matter of habit; if you get into the habit of being quick it is +just as easy as being slow; easier, I should say; in fact it don't agree +with my health to be hulking about over a job twice as long as it need +take. Bless you! I couldn't whistle if I crawled over my work as some +folks do! You see, I have been about horses ever since I was twelve +years old, in hunting stables, and racing stables; and being small, ye +see, I was jockey for several years; but at the Goodwood, ye see, the +turf was very slippery and my poor Larkspur got a fall, and I broke my +knee, and so of course I was of no more use there. But I could not live +without horses, of course I couldn't, so I took to the hotels. And I +can tell ye it is a downright pleasure to handle an animal like this, +well-bred, well-mannered, well-cared-for; bless ye! I can tell how a +horse is treated. Give me the handling of a horse for twenty minutes, +and I'll tell you what sort of a groom he has had. Look at this one, +pleasant, quiet, turns about just as you want him, holds up his feet to +be cleaned out, or anything else you please to wish; then you'll find +another fidgety, fretty, won't move the right way, or starts across the +stall, tosses up his head as soon as you come near him, lays his ears, +and seems afraid of you; or else squares about at you with his heels. +Poor things! I know what sort of treatment they have had. If they are +timid it makes them start or shy; if they are high-mettled it makes them +vicious or dangerous; their tempers are mostly made when they are young. +Bless you! they are like children, train 'em up in the way they should +go, as the good book says, and when they are old they will not depart +from it, if they have a chance." + +"I like to hear you talk," said James, "that's the way we lay it down at +home, at our master's." + +"Who is your master, young man? if it be a proper question. I should +judge he is a good one, from what I see." + +"He is Squire Gordon, of Birtwick Park, the other side the Beacon +Hills," said James. + +"Ah! so, so, I have heard tell of him; fine judge of horses, ain't he? +the best rider in the county." + +"I believe he is," said James, "but he rides very little now, since the +poor young master was killed." + +"Ah! poor gentleman; I read all about it in the paper at the time. A +fine horse killed, too, wasn't there?" + +"Yes," said James; "he was a splendid creature, brother to this one, and +just like him." + +"Pity! pity!" said the old man; "'twas a bad place to leap, if I +remember; a thin fence at top, a steep bank down to the stream, wasn't +it? No chance for a horse to see where he is going. Now, I am for bold +riding as much as any man, but still there are some leaps that only +a very knowing old huntsman has any right to take. A man's life and a +horse's life are worth more than a fox's tail; at least, I should say +they ought to be." + +During this time the other man had finished Ginger and had brought our +corn, and James and the old man left the stable together. + + + + +16 The Fire + + +Later on in the evening a traveler's horse was brought in by the second +hostler, and while he was cleaning him a young man with a pipe in his +mouth lounged into the stable to gossip. + +"I say, Towler," said the hostler, "just run up the ladder into the loft +and put some hay down into this horse's rack, will you? only lay down +your pipe." + +"All right," said the other, and went up through the trapdoor; and I +heard him step across the floor overhead and put down the hay. James +came in to look at us the last thing, and then the door was locked. + +I cannot say how long I had slept, nor what time in the night it was, +but I woke up very uncomfortable, though I hardly knew why. I got up; +the air seemed all thick and choking. I heard Ginger coughing and one +of the other horses seemed very restless; it was quite dark, and I could +see nothing, but the stable seemed full of smoke, and I hardly knew how +to breathe. + +The trapdoor had been left open, and I thought that was the place it +came through. I listened, and heard a soft rushing sort of noise and a +low crackling and snapping. I did not know what it was, but there was +something in the sound so strange that it made me tremble all over. The +other horses were all awake; some were pulling at their halters, others +stamping. + +At last I heard steps outside, and the hostler who had put up the +traveler's horse burst into the stable with a lantern, and began to +untie the horses, and try to lead them out; but he seemed in such a +hurry and so frightened himself that he frightened me still more. The +first horse would not go with him; he tried the second and third, and +they too would not stir. He came to me next and tried to drag me out of +the stall by force; of course that was no use. He tried us all by turns +and then left the stable. + +No doubt we were very foolish, but danger seemed to be all round, and +there was nobody we knew to trust in, and all was strange and uncertain. +The fresh air that had come in through the open door made it easier to +breathe, but the rushing sound overhead grew louder, and as I looked +upward through the bars of my empty rack I saw a red light flickering +on the wall. Then I heard a cry of "Fire!" outside, and the old hostler +quietly and quickly came in; he got one horse out, and went to another, +but the flames were playing round the trapdoor, and the roaring overhead +was dreadful. + +The next thing I heard was James' voice, quiet and cheery, as it always +was. + +"Come, my beauties, it is time for us to be off, so wake up and come +along." I stood nearest the door, so he came to me first, patting me as +he came in. + +"Come, Beauty, on with your bridle, my boy, we'll soon be out of this +smother." It was on in no time; then he took the scarf off his neck, and +tied it lightly over my eyes, and patting and coaxing he led me out +of the stable. Safe in the yard, he slipped the scarf off my eyes, and +shouted, "Here somebody! take this horse while I go back for the other." + +A tall, broad man stepped forward and took me, and James darted back +into the stable. I set up a shrill whinny as I saw him go. Ginger told +me afterward that whinny was the best thing I could have done for her, +for had she not heard me outside she would never have had courage to +come out. + +There was much confusion in the yard; the horses being got out of other +stables, and the carriages and gigs being pulled out of houses and +sheds, lest the flames should spread further. On the other side the yard +windows were thrown up, and people were shouting all sorts of things; +but I kept my eye fixed on the stable door, where the smoke poured out +thicker than ever, and I could see flashes of red light; presently I +heard above all the stir and din a loud, clear voice, which I knew was +master's: + +"James Howard! James Howard! Are you there?" There was no answer, but I +heard a crash of something falling in the stable, and the next moment +I gave a loud, joyful neigh, for I saw James coming through the smoke +leading Ginger with him; she was coughing violently, and he was not able +to speak. + +"My brave lad!" said master, laying his hand on his shoulder, "are you +hurt?" + +James shook his head, for he could not yet speak. + +"Ay," said the big man who held me; "he is a brave lad, and no mistake." + +"And now," said master, "when you have got your breath, James, we'll get +out of this place as quickly as we can," and we were moving toward the +entry, when from the market-place there came a sound of galloping feet +and loud rumbling wheels. + +"'Tis the fire-engine! the fire-engine!" shouted two or three voices, +"stand back, make way!" and clattering and thundering over the stones +two horses dashed into the yard with a heavy engine behind them. The +firemen leaped to the ground; there was no need to ask where the fire +was--it was rolling up in a great blaze from the roof. + +We got out as fast as we could into the broad quiet market-place; the +stars were shining, and except the noise behind us, all was still. +Master led the way to a large hotel on the other side, and as soon as +the hostler came, he said, "James, I must now hasten to your mistress; +I trust the horses entirely to you, order whatever you think is needed," +and with that he was gone. The master did not run, but I never saw +mortal man walk so fast as he did that night. + +There was a dreadful sound before we got into our stalls--the shrieks of +those poor horses that were left burning to death in the stable--it was +very terrible! and made both Ginger and me feel very bad. We, however, +were taken in and well done by. + +The next morning the master came to see how we were and to speak to +James. I did not hear much, for the hostler was rubbing me down, but +I could see that James looked very happy, and I thought the master was +proud of him. Our mistress had been so much alarmed in the night that +the journey was put off till the afternoon, so James had the morning +on hand, and went first to the inn to see about our harness and the +carriage, and then to hear more about the fire. When he came back we +heard him tell the hostler about it. At first no one could guess how the +fire had been caused, but at last a man said he saw Dick Towler go into +the stable with a pipe in his mouth, and when he came out he had not +one, and went to the tap for another. Then the under hostler said he had +asked Dick to go up the ladder to put down some hay, but told him to lay +down his pipe first. Dick denied taking the pipe with him, but no one +believed him. I remember our John Manly's rule, never to allow a pipe in +the stable, and thought it ought to be the rule everywhere. + +James said the roof and floor had all fallen in, and that only the black +walls were standing; the two poor horses that could not be got out were +buried under the burnt rafters and tiles. + + + + +17 John Manly's Talk + + +The rest of our journey was very easy, and a little after sunset we +reached the house of my master's friend. We were taken into a clean, +snug stable; there was a kind coachman, who made us very comfortable, +and who seemed to think a good deal of James when he heard about the +fire. + +"There is one thing quite clear, young man," he said, "your horses know +who they can trust; it is one of the hardest things in the world to get +horses out of a stable when there is either fire or flood. I don't know +why they won't come out, but they won't--not one in twenty." + +We stopped two or three days at this place and then returned home. All +went well on the journey; we were glad to be in our own stable again, +and John was equally glad to see us. + +Before he and James left us for the night James said, "I wonder who is +coming in my place." + +"Little Joe Green at the lodge," said John. + +"Little Joe Green! why, he's a child!" + +"He is fourteen and a half," said John. + +"But he is such a little chap!" + +"Yes, he is small, but he is quick and willing, and kind-hearted, too, +and then he wishes very much to come, and his father would like it; +and I know the master would like to give him the chance. He said if I +thought he would not do he would look out for a bigger boy; but I said I +was quite agreeable to try him for six weeks." + +"Six weeks!" said James; "why, it will be six months before he can be of +much use! It will make you a deal of work, John." + +"Well," said John with a laugh, "work and I are very good friends; I +never was afraid of work yet." + +"You are a very good man," said James. "I wish I may ever be like you." + +"I don't often speak of myself," said John, "but as you are going away +from us out into the world to shift for yourself I'll just tell you how +I look on these things. I was just as old as Joseph when my father and +mother died of the fever within ten days of each other, and left me and +my cripple sister Nelly alone in the world, without a relation that we +could look to for help. I was a farmer's boy, not earning enough to keep +myself, much less both of us, and she must have gone to the workhouse +but for our mistress (Nelly calls her her angel, and she has good right +to do so). She went and hired a room for her with old Widow Mallet, and +she gave her knitting and needlework when she was able to do it; and +when she was ill she sent her dinners and many nice, comfortable things, +and was like a mother to her. Then the master he took me into the stable +under old Norman, the coachman that was then. I had my food at the house +and my bed in the loft, and a suit of clothes, and three shillings a +week, so that I could help Nelly. Then there was Norman; he might have +turned round and said at his age he could not be troubled with a raw boy +from the plow-tail, but he was like a father to me, and took no end of +pains with me. When the old man died some years after I stepped into his +place, and now of course I have top wages, and can lay by for a rainy +day or a sunny day, as it may happen, and Nelly is as happy as a bird. +So you see, James, I am not the man that should turn up his nose at a +little boy and vex a good, kind master. No, no! I shall miss you very +much, James, but we shall pull through, and there's nothing like doing a +kindness when 'tis put in your way, and I am glad I can do it." + +"Then," said James, "you don't hold with that saying, 'Everybody look +after himself, and take care of number one'?" + +"No, indeed," said John, "where should I and Nelly have been if master +and mistress and old Norman had only taken care of number one? Why, +she in the workhouse and I hoeing turnips! Where would Black Beauty and +Ginger have been if you had only thought of number one? why, roasted to +death! No, Jim, no! that is a selfish, heathenish saying, whoever uses +it; and any man who thinks he has nothing to do but take care of number +one, why, it's a pity but what he had been drowned like a puppy or a +kitten, before he got his eyes open; that's what I think," said John, +with a very decided jerk of his head. + +James laughed at this; but there was a thickness in his voice when he +said, "You have been my best friend except my mother; I hope you won't +forget me." + +"No, lad, no!" said John, "and if ever I can do you a good turn I hope +you won't forget me." + +The next day Joe came to the stables to learn all he could before James +left. He learned to sweep the stable, to bring in the straw and hay; he +began to clean the harness, and helped to wash the carriage. As he was +quite too short to do anything in the way of grooming Ginger and me, +James taught him upon Merrylegs, for he was to have full charge of +him, under John. He was a nice little bright fellow, and always came +whistling to his work. + +Merrylegs was a good deal put out at being "mauled about," as he said, +"by a boy who knew nothing;" but toward the end of the second week he +told me confidentially that he thought the boy would turn out well. + +At last the day came when James had to leave us; cheerful as he always +was, he looked quite down-hearted that morning. + +"You see," he said to John, "I am leaving a great deal behind; my mother +and Betsy, and you, and a good master and mistress, and then the horses, +and my old Merrylegs. At the new place there will not be a soul that I +shall know. If it were not that I shall get a higher place, and be able +to help my mother better, I don't think I should have made up my mind to +it; it is a real pinch, John." + +"Ay, James, lad, so it is; but I should not think much of you if you +could leave your home for the first time and not feel it. Cheer up, +you'll make friends there; and if you get on well, as I am sure you +will, it will be a fine thing for your mother, and she will be proud +enough that you have got into such a good place as that." + +So John cheered him up, but every one was sorry to lose James; as for +Merrylegs, he pined after him for several days, and went quite off his +appetite. So John took him out several mornings with a leading rein, +when he exercised me, and, trotting and galloping by my side, got up the +little fellow's spirits again, and he was soon all right. + +Joe's father would often come in and give a little help, as he +understood the work; and Joe took a great deal of pains to learn, and +John was quite encouraged about him. + + + + +18 Going for the Doctor + + +One night, a few days after James had left, I had eaten my hay and was +lying down in my straw fast asleep, when I was suddenly roused by the +stable bell ringing very loud. I heard the door of John's house open, +and his feet running up to the hall. He was back again in no time; he +unlocked the stable door, and came in, calling out, "Wake up, Beauty! +You must go well now, if ever you did;" and almost before I could think +he had got the saddle on my back and the bridle on my head. He just +ran round for his coat, and then took me at a quick trot up to the hall +door. The squire stood there, with a lamp in his hand. + +"Now, John," he said, "ride for your life--that is, for your mistress' +life; there is not a moment to lose. Give this note to Dr. White; give +your horse a rest at the inn, and be back as soon as you can." + +John said, "Yes, sir," and was on my back in a minute. The gardener who +lived at the lodge had heard the bell ring, and was ready with the gate +open, and away we went through the park, and through the village, and +down the hill till we came to the toll-gate. John called very loud and +thumped upon the door; the man was soon out and flung open the gate. + +"Now," said John, "do you keep the gate open for the doctor; here's the +money," and off he went again. + +There was before us a long piece of level road by the river side; John +said to me, "Now, Beauty, do your best," and so I did; I wanted no whip +nor spur, and for two miles I galloped as fast as I could lay my feet to +the ground; I don't believe that my old grandfather, who won the race +at Newmarket, could have gone faster. When we came to the bridge John +pulled me up a little and patted my neck. "Well done, Beauty! good old +fellow," he said. He would have let me go slower, but my spirit was up, +and I was off again as fast as before. The air was frosty, the moon was +bright; it was very pleasant. We came through a village, then through +a dark wood, then uphill, then downhill, till after eight miles' run we +came to the town, through the streets and into the market-place. It was +all quite still except the clatter of my feet on the stones--everybody +was asleep. The church clock struck three as we drew up at Dr. White's +door. John rang the bell twice, and then knocked at the door like +thunder. A window was thrown up, and Dr. White, in his nightcap, put his +head out and said, "What do you want?" + +"Mrs. Gordon is very ill, sir; master wants you to go at once; he thinks +she will die if you cannot get there. Here is a note." + +"Wait," he said, "I will come." + +He shut the window, and was soon at the door. + +"The worst of it is," he said, "that my horse has been out all day and +is quite done up; my son has just been sent for, and he has taken the +other. What is to be done? Can I have your horse?" + +"He has come at a gallop nearly all the way, sir, and I was to give him +a rest here; but I think my master would not be against it, if you think +fit, sir." + +"All right," he said; "I will soon be ready." + +John stood by me and stroked my neck; I was very hot. The doctor came +out with his riding-whip. + +"You need not take that, sir," said John; "Black Beauty will go till he +drops. Take care of him, sir, if you can; I should not like any harm to +come to him." + +"No, no, John," said the doctor, "I hope not," and in a minute we had +left John far behind. + +I will not tell about our way back. The doctor was a heavier man than +John, and not so good a rider; however, I did my very best. The man at +the toll-gate had it open. When we came to the hill the doctor drew me +up. "Now, my good fellow," he said, "take some breath." I was glad he +did, for I was nearly spent, but that breathing helped me on, and soon +we were in the park. Joe was at the lodge gate; my master was at the +hall door, for he had heard us coming. He spoke not a word; the doctor +went into the house with him, and Joe led me to the stable. I was glad +to get home; my legs shook under me, and I could only stand and pant. I +had not a dry hair on my body, the water ran down my legs, and I steamed +all over, Joe used to say, like a pot on the fire. Poor Joe! he was +young and small, and as yet he knew very little, and his father, who +would have helped him, had been sent to the next village; but I am sure +he did the very best he knew. He rubbed my legs and my chest, but he did +not put my warm cloth on me; he thought I was so hot I should not like +it. Then he gave me a pailful of water to drink; it was cold and very +good, and I drank it all; then he gave me some hay and some corn, and +thinking he had done right, he went away. Soon I began to shake and +tremble, and turned deadly cold; my legs ached, my loins ached, and my +chest ached, and I felt sore all over. Oh! how I wished for my warm, +thick cloth, as I stood and trembled. I wished for John, but he had +eight miles to walk, so I lay down in my straw and tried to go to sleep. +After a long while I heard John at the door; I gave a low moan, for I +was in great pain. He was at my side in a moment, stooping down by me. I +could not tell him how I felt, but he seemed to know it all; he covered +me up with two or three warm cloths, and then ran to the house for some +hot water; he made me some warm gruel, which I drank, and then I think I +went to sleep. + +John seemed to be very much put out. I heard him say to himself over and +over again, "Stupid boy! stupid boy! no cloth put on, and I dare say the +water was cold, too; boys are no good;" but Joe was a good boy, after +all. + +I was now very ill; a strong inflammation had attacked my lungs, and I +could not draw my breath without pain. John nursed me night and day; he +would get up two or three times in the night to come to me. My master, +too, often came to see me. "My poor Beauty," he said one day, "my good +horse, you saved your mistress' life, Beauty; yes, you saved her life." +I was very glad to hear that, for it seems the doctor had said if we had +been a little longer it would have been too late. John told my master he +never saw a horse go so fast in his life. It seemed as if the horse knew +what was the matter. Of course I did, though John thought not; at least +I knew as much as this--that John and I must go at the top of our speed, +and that it was for the sake of the mistress. + + + + +19 Only Ignorance + + +I do not know how long I was ill. Mr. Bond, the horse-doctor, came every +day. One day he bled me; John held a pail for the blood. I felt very +faint after it and thought I should die, and I believe they all thought +so too. + +Ginger and Merrylegs had been moved into the other stable, so that I +might be quiet, for the fever made me very quick of hearing; any little +noise seemed quite loud, and I could tell every one's footstep going to +and from the house. I knew all that was going on. One night John had to +give me a draught; Thomas Green came in to help him. After I had taken +it and John had made me as comfortable as he could, he said he should +stay half an hour to see how the medicine settled. Thomas said he +would stay with him, so they went and sat down on a bench that had been +brought into Merrylegs' stall, and put down the lantern at their feet, +that I might not be disturbed with the light. + +For awhile both men sat silent, and then Tom Green said in a low voice: + +"I wish, John, you'd say a bit of a kind word to Joe. The boy is quite +broken-hearted; he can't eat his meals, and he can't smile. He says he +knows it was all his fault, though he is sure he did the best he knew, +and he says if Beauty dies no one will ever speak to him again. It goes +to my heart to hear him. I think you might give him just a word; he is +not a bad boy." + +After a short pause John said slowly, "You must not be too hard upon me, +Tom. I know he meant no harm, I never said he did; I know he is not a +bad boy. But you see, I am sore myself; that horse is the pride of my +heart, to say nothing of his being such a favorite with the master and +mistress; and to think that his life may be flung away in this manner is +more than I can bear. But if you think I am hard on the boy I will try +to give him a good word to-morrow--that is, I mean if Beauty is better." + +"Well, John, thank you. I knew you did not wish to be too hard, and I am +glad you see it was only ignorance." + +John's voice almost startled me as he answered: + +"Only ignorance! only ignorance! how can you talk about only ignorance? +Don't you know that it is the worst thing in the world, next to +wickedness?--and which does the most mischief heaven only knows. If +people can say, 'Oh! I did not know, I did not mean any harm,' they +think it is all right. I suppose Martha Mulwash did not mean to kill +that baby when she dosed it with Dalby and soothing syrups; but she did +kill it, and was tried for manslaughter." + +"And serve her right, too," said Tom. "A woman should not undertake to +nurse a tender little child without knowing what is good and what is bad +for it." + +"Bill Starkey," continued John, "did not mean to frighten his brother +into fits when he dressed up like a ghost and ran after him in the +moonlight; but he did; and that bright, handsome little fellow, that +might have been the pride of any mother's heart is just no better than +an idiot, and never will be, if he lives to be eighty years old. You +were a good deal cut up yourself, Tom, two weeks ago, when those young +ladies left your hothouse door open, with a frosty east wind blowing +right in; you said it killed a good many of your plants." + +"A good many!" said Tom; "there was not one of the tender cuttings that +was not nipped off. I shall have to strike all over again, and the worst +of it is that I don't know where to go to get fresh ones. I was nearly +mad when I came in and saw what was done." + +"And yet," said John, "I am sure the young ladies did not mean it; it +was only ignorance." + +I heard no more of this conversation, for the medicine did well and sent +me to sleep, and in the morning I felt much better; but I often thought +of John's words when I came to know more of the world. + + + + +20 Joe Green + + +Joe Green went on very well; he learned quickly, and was so attentive +and careful that John began to trust him in many things; but as I have +said, he was small of his age, and it was seldom that he was allowed to +exercise either Ginger or me; but it so happened one morning that John +was out with Justice in the luggage cart, and the master wanted a +note to be taken immediately to a gentleman's house, about three miles +distant, and sent his orders for Joe to saddle me and take it, adding +the caution that he was to ride steadily. + +The note was delivered, and we were quietly returning when we came +to the brick-field. Here we saw a cart heavily laden with bricks; the +wheels had stuck fast in the stiff mud of some deep ruts, and the carter +was shouting and flogging the two horses unmercifully. Joe pulled up. It +was a sad sight. There were the two horses straining and struggling with +all their might to drag the cart out, but they could not move it; the +sweat streamed from their legs and flanks, their sides heaved, and every +muscle was strained, while the man, fiercely pulling at the head of the +fore horse, swore and lashed most brutally. + +"Hold hard," said Joe; "don't go on flogging the horses like that; the +wheels are so stuck that they cannot move the cart." + +The man took no heed, but went on lashing. + +"Stop! pray stop!" said Joe. "I'll help you to lighten the cart; they +can't move it now." + +"Mind your own business, you impudent young rascal, and I'll mind mine!" +The man was in a towering passion and the worse for drink, and laid on +the whip again. Joe turned my head, and the next moment we were going at +a round gallop toward the house of the master brick-maker. I cannot say +if John would have approved of our pace, but Joe and I were both of one +mind, and so angry that we could not have gone slower. + +The house stood close by the roadside. Joe knocked at the door, and +shouted, "Halloo! Is Mr. Clay at home?" The door was opened, and Mr. +Clay himself came out. + +"Halloo, young man! You seem in a hurry; any orders from the squire this +morning?" + +"No, Mr. Clay, but there's a fellow in your brick-yard flogging two +horses to death. I told him to stop, and he wouldn't; I said I'd help +him to lighten the cart, and he wouldn't; so I have come to tell you. +Pray, sir, go." Joe's voice shook with excitement. + +"Thank ye, my lad," said the man, running in for his hat; then pausing +for a moment, "Will you give evidence of what you saw if I should bring +the fellow up before a magistrate?" + +"That I will," said Joe, "and glad too." The man was gone, and we were +on our way home at a smart trot. + +"Why, what's the matter with you, Joe? You look angry all over," said +John, as the boy flung himself from the saddle. + +"I am angry all over, I can tell you," said the boy, and then in +hurried, excited words he told all that had happened. Joe was usually +such a quiet, gentle little fellow that it was wonderful to see him so +roused. + +"Right, Joe! you did right, my boy, whether the fellow gets a summons or +not. Many folks would have ridden by and said it was not their +business to interfere. Now I say that with cruelty and oppression it is +everybody's business to interfere when they see it; you did right, my +boy." + +Joe was quite calm by this time, and proud that John approved of him, +and cleaned out my feet and rubbed me down with a firmer hand than +usual. + +They were just going home to dinner when the footman came down to the +stable to say that Joe was wanted directly in master's private room; +there was a man brought up for ill-using horses, and Joe's evidence was +wanted. The boy flushed up to his forehead, and his eyes sparkled. "They +shall have it," said he. + +"Put yourself a bit straight," said John. Joe gave a pull at his necktie +and a twitch at his jacket, and was off in a moment. Our master being +one of the county magistrates, cases were often brought to him to +settle, or say what should be done. In the stable we heard no more for +some time, as it was the men's dinner hour, but when Joe came next into +the stable I saw he was in high spirits; he gave me a good-natured slap, +and said, "We won't see such things done, will we, old fellow?" We heard +afterward that he had given his evidence so clearly, and the horses were +in such an exhausted state, bearing marks of such brutal usage, that the +carter was committed to take his trial, and might possibly be sentenced +to two or three months in prison. + +It was wonderful what a change had come over Joe. John laughed, and said +he had grown an inch taller in that week, and I believe he had. He +was just as kind and gentle as before, but there was more purpose and +determination in all that he did--as if he had jumped at once from a boy +into a man. + + + + +21 The Parting + + +Now I had lived in this happy place three years, but sad changes were +about to come over us. We heard from time to time that our mistress was +ill. The doctor was often at the house, and the master looked grave and +anxious. Then we heard that she must leave her home at once, and go to +a warm country for two or three years. The news fell upon the household +like the tolling of a deathbell. Everybody was sorry; but the master +began directly to make arrangements for breaking up his establishment +and leaving England. We used to hear it talked about in our stable; +indeed, nothing else was talked about. + +John went about his work silent and sad, and Joe scarcely whistled. +There was a great deal of coming and going; Ginger and I had full work. + +The first of the party who went were Miss Jessie and Flora, with their +governess. They came to bid us good-by. They hugged poor Merrylegs +like an old friend, and so indeed he was. Then we heard what had been +arranged for us. Master had sold Ginger and me to his old friend, +the Earl of W----, for he thought we should have a good place there. +Merrylegs he had given to the vicar, who was wanting a pony for Mrs. +Blomefield, but it was on the condition that he should never be sold, +and that when he was past work he should be shot and buried. + +Joe was engaged to take care of him and to help in the house, so I +thought that Merrylegs was well off. John had the offer of several good +places, but he said he should wait a little and look round. + +The evening before they left the master came into the stable to give +some directions, and to give his horses the last pat. He seemed very +low-spirited; I knew that by his voice. I believe we horses can tell +more by the voice than many men can. + +"Have you decided what to do, John?" he said. "I find you have not +accepted either of those offers." + +"No, sir; I have made up my mind that if I could get a situation with +some first-rate colt-breaker and horse-trainer, it would be the right +thing for me. Many young animals are frightened and spoiled by wrong +treatment, which need not be if the right man took them in hand. I +always get on well with horses, and if I could help some of them to a +fair start I should feel as if I was doing some good. What do you think +of it, sir?" + +"I don't know a man anywhere," said master, "that I should think so +suitable for it as yourself. You understand horses, and somehow they +understand you, and in time you might set up for yourself; I think you +could not do better. If in any way I can help you, write to me. I shall +speak to my agent in London, and leave your character with him." + +Master gave John the name and address, and then he thanked him for his +long and faithful service; but that was too much for John. "Pray, don't, +sir, I can't bear it; you and my dear mistress have done so much for +me that I could never repay it. But we shall never forget you, sir, and +please God, we may some day see mistress back again like herself; we +must keep up hope, sir." Master gave John his hand, but he did not +speak, and they both left the stable. + +The last sad day had come; the footman and the heavy luggage had gone +off the day before, and there were only master and mistress and her +maid. Ginger and I brought the carriage up to the hall door for the last +time. The servants brought out cushions and rugs and many other things; +and when all were arranged master came down the steps carrying the +mistress in his arms (I was on the side next to the house, and could see +all that went on); he placed her carefully in the carriage, while the +house servants stood round crying. + +"Good-by, again," he said; "we shall not forget any of you," and he got +in. "Drive on, John." + +Joe jumped up, and we trotted slowly through the park and through the +village, where the people were standing at their doors to have a last +look and to say, "God bless them." + +When we reached the railway station I think mistress walked from the +carriage to the waiting-room. I heard her say in her own sweet voice, +"Good-by, John. God bless you." I felt the rein twitch, but John made no +answer; perhaps he could not speak. As soon as Joe had taken the things +out of the carriage John called him to stand by the horses, while he +went on the platform. Poor Joe! he stood close up to our heads to hide +his tears. Very soon the train came puffing up into the station; then +two or three minutes, and the doors were slammed to, the guard whistled, +and the train glided away, leaving behind it only clouds of white smoke +and some very heavy hearts. + +When it was quite out of sight John came back. + +"We shall never see her again," he said--"never." He took the reins, +mounted the box, and with Joe drove slowly home; but it was not our home +now. + + + + +Part II + + + + +22 Earlshall + + +The next morning after breakfast Joe put Merrylegs into the mistress' +low chaise to take him to the vicarage; he came first and said good-by +to us, and Merrylegs neighed to us from the yard. Then John put the +saddle on Ginger and the leading rein on me, and rode us across the +country about fifteen miles to Earlshall Park, where the Earl of W---- +lived. There was a very fine house and a great deal of stabling. We went +into the yard through a stone gateway, and John asked for Mr. York. It +was some time before he came. He was a fine-looking, middle-aged man, +and his voice said at once that he expected to be obeyed. He was very +friendly and polite to John, and after giving us a slight look he +called a groom to take us to our boxes, and invited John to take some +refreshment. + +We were taken to a light, airy stable, and placed in boxes adjoining +each other, where we were rubbed down and fed. In about half an hour +John and Mr. York, who was to be our new coachman, came in to see us. + +"Now, Mr. Manly," he said, after carefully looking at us both, "I can +see no fault in these horses; but we all know that horses have their +peculiarities as well as men, and that sometimes they need different +treatment. I should like to know if there is anything particular in +either of these that you would like to mention." + +"Well," said John, "I don't believe there is a better pair of horses in +the country, and right grieved I am to part with them, but they are not +alike. The black one is the most perfect temper I ever knew; I suppose +he has never known a hard word or a blow since he was foaled, and all +his pleasure seems to be to do what you wish; but the chestnut, I fancy, +must have had bad treatment; we heard as much from the dealer. She came +to us snappish and suspicious, but when she found what sort of place +ours was, it all went off by degrees; for three years I have never seen +the smallest sign of temper, and if she is well treated there is not +a better, more willing animal than she is. But she is naturally a more +irritable constitution than the black horse; flies tease her more; +anything wrong in the harness frets her more; and if she were ill-used +or unfairly treated she would not be unlikely to give tit for tat. You +know that many high-mettled horses will do so." + +"Of course," said York, "I quite understand; but you know it is not easy +in stables like these to have all the grooms just what they should be. I +do my best, and there I must leave it. I'll remember what you have said +about the mare." + +They were going out of the stable, when John stopped and said, "I had +better mention that we have never used the check-rein with either of +them; the black horse never had one on, and the dealer said it was the +gag-bit that spoiled the other's temper." + +"Well," said York, "if they come here they must wear the check-rein. I +prefer a loose rein myself, and his lordship is always very reasonable +about horses; but my lady--that's another thing; she will have style, +and if her carriage horses are not reined up tight she wouldn't look at +them. I always stand out against the gag-bit, and shall do so, but it +must be tight up when my lady rides!" + +"I am sorry for it, very sorry," said John; "but I must go now, or I +shall lose the train." + +He came round to each of us to pat and speak to us for the last time; +his voice sounded very sad. + +I held my face close to him; that was all I could do to say good-by; and +then he was gone, and I have never seen him since. + +The next day Lord W---- came to look at us; he seemed pleased with our +appearance. + +"I have great confidence in these horses," he said, "from the character +my friend Mr. Gordon has given me of them. Of course they are not a +match in color, but my idea is that they will do very well for the +carriage while we are in the country. Before we go to London I must try +to match Baron; the black horse, I believe, is perfect for riding." + +York then told him what John had said about us. + +"Well," said he, "you must keep an eye to the mare, and put the +check-rein easy; I dare say they will do very well with a little +humoring at first. I'll mention it to your lady." + +In the afternoon we were harnessed and put in the carriage, and as the +stable clock struck three we were led round to the front of the house. +It was all very grand, and three or four times as large as the old house +at Birtwick, but not half so pleasant, if a horse may have an opinion. +Two footmen were standing ready, dressed in drab livery, with scarlet +breeches and white stockings. Presently we heard the rustling sound of +silk as my lady came down the flight of stone steps. She stepped round +to look at us; she was a tall, proud-looking woman, and did not +seem pleased about something, but she said nothing, and got into the +carriage. This was the first time of wearing a check-rein, and I must +say, though it certainly was a nuisance not to be able to get my head +down now and then, it did not pull my head higher than I was accustomed +to carry it. I felt anxious about Ginger, but she seemed to be quiet and +content. + +The next day at three o'clock we were again at the door, and the footmen +as before; we heard the silk dress rustle and the lady came down the +steps, and in an imperious voice she said, "York, you must put those +horses' heads higher; they are not fit to be seen." + +York got down, and said very respectfully, "I beg your pardon, my lady, +but these horses have not been reined up for three years, and my lord +said it would be safer to bring them to it by degrees; but if your +ladyship pleases I can take them up a little more." + +"Do so," she said. + +York came round to our heads and shortened the rein himself--one hole, +I think; every little makes a difference, be it for better or worse, and +that day we had a steep hill to go up. Then I began to understand what +I had heard of. Of course, I wanted to put my head forward and take the +carriage up with a will, as we had been used to do; but no, I had to +pull with my head up now, and that took all the spirit out of me, and +the strain came on my back and legs. When we came in Ginger said, "Now +you see what it is like; but this is not bad, and if it does not get +much worse than this I shall say nothing about it, for we are very well +treated here; but if they strain me up tight, why, let 'em look out! I +can't bear it, and I won't." + +Day by day, hole by hole, our bearing reins were shortened, and instead +of looking forward with pleasure to having my harness put on, as I used +to do, I began to dread it. Ginger, too, seemed restless, though she +said very little. At last I thought the worst was over; for several days +there was no more shortening, and I determined to make the best of +it and do my duty, though it was now a constant harass instead of a +pleasure; but the worst was not come. + + + + +23 A Strike for Liberty + + +One day my lady came down later than usual, and the silk rustled more +than ever. + +"Drive to the Duchess of B----'s," she said, and then after a pause, +"Are you never going to get those horses' heads up, York? Raise them at +once and let us have no more of this humoring and nonsense." + +York came to me first, while the groom stood at Ginger's head. He drew +my head back and fixed the rein so tight that it was almost intolerable; +then he went to Ginger, who was impatiently jerking her head up and down +against the bit, as was her way now. She had a good idea of what was +coming, and the moment York took the rein off the terret in order to +shorten it she took her opportunity and reared up so suddenly that York +had his nose roughly hit and his hat knocked off; the groom was nearly +thrown off his legs. At once they both flew to her head; but she was +a match for them, and went on plunging, rearing, and kicking in a most +desperate manner. At last she kicked right over the carriage pole and +fell down, after giving me a severe blow on my near quarter. There is no +knowing what further mischief she might have done had not York promptly +sat himself down flat on her head to prevent her struggling, at the +same time calling out, "Unbuckle the black horse! Run for the winch and +unscrew the carriage pole! Cut the trace here, somebody, if you can't +unhitch it!" One of the footmen ran for the winch, and another brought +a knife from the house. The groom soon set me free from Ginger and the +carriage, and led me to my box. He just turned me in as I was and ran +back to York. I was much excited by what had happened, and if I had ever +been used to kick or rear I am sure I should have done it then; but +I never had, and there I stood, angry, sore in my leg, my head still +strained up to the terret on the saddle, and no power to get it down. I +was very miserable and felt much inclined to kick the first person who +came near me. + +Before long, however, Ginger was led in by two grooms, a good deal +knocked about and bruised. York came with her and gave his orders, and +then came to look at me. In a moment he let down my head. + +"Confound these check-reins!" he said to himself; "I thought we should +have some mischief soon. Master will be sorely vexed. But there, if a +woman's husband can't rule her of course a servant can't; so I wash my +hands of it, and if she can't get to the duchess' garden party I can't +help it." + +York did not say this before the men; he always spoke respectfully when +they were by. Now he felt me all over, and soon found the place above my +hock where I had been kicked. It was swelled and painful; he ordered it +to be sponged with hot water, and then some lotion was put on. + +Lord W---- was much put out when he learned what had happened; he blamed +York for giving way to his mistress, to which he replied that in future +he would much prefer to receive his orders only from his lordship; but +I think nothing came of it, for things went on the same as before. I +thought York might have stood up better for his horses, but perhaps I am +no judge. + +Ginger was never put into the carriage again, but when she was well of +her bruises one of the Lord W----'s younger sons said he should like +to have her; he was sure she would make a good hunter. As for me, I was +obliged still to go in the carriage, and had a fresh partner called Max; +he had always been used to the tight rein. I asked him how it was he +bore it. + +"Well," he said, "I bear it because I must; but it is shortening my +life, and it will shorten yours too if you have to stick to it." + +"Do you think," I said, "that our masters know how bad it is for us?" + +"I can't say," he replied, "but the dealers and the horse-doctors know +it very well. I was at a dealer's once, who was training me and another +horse to go as a pair; he was getting our heads up, as he said, a little +higher and a little higher every day. A gentleman who was there asked +him why he did so. 'Because,' said he, 'people won't buy them unless we +do. The London people always want their horses to carry their heads high +and to step high. Of course it is very bad for the horses, but then it +is good for trade. The horses soon wear up, or get diseased, and they +come for another pair.' That," said Max, "is what he said in my hearing, +and you can judge for yourself." + +What I suffered with that rein for four long months in my lady's +carriage it would be hard to describe; but I am quite sure that, had it +lasted much longer, either my health or my temper would have given way. +Before that, I never knew what it was to foam at the mouth, but now +the action of the sharp bit on my tongue and jaw, and the constrained +position of my head and throat, always caused me to froth at the mouth +more or less. Some people think it very fine to see this, and say, "What +fine spirited creatures!" But it is just as unnatural for horses as +for men to foam at the mouth; it is a sure sign of some discomfort, +and should be attended to. Besides this, there was a pressure on my +windpipe, which often made my breathing very uncomfortable; when I +returned from my work my neck and chest were strained and painful, my +mouth and tongue tender, and I felt worn and depressed. + +In my old home I always knew that John and my master were my friends; +but here, although in many ways I was well treated, I had no friend. +York might have known, and very likely did know, how that rein harassed +me; but I suppose he took it as a matter of course that it could not be +helped; at any rate, nothing was done to relieve me. + + + + +24 The Lady Anne, or a Runaway Horse + + +Early in the spring, Lord W---- and part of his family went up to +London, and took York with them. I and Ginger and some other horses were +left at home for use, and the head groom was left in charge. + +The Lady Harriet, who remained at the hall, was a great invalid, and +never went out in the carriage, and the Lady Anne preferred riding on +horseback with her brother or cousins. She was a perfect horsewoman, and +as gay and gentle as she was beautiful. She chose me for her horse, and +named me "Black Auster". I enjoyed these rides very much in the clear +cold air, sometimes with Ginger, sometimes with Lizzie. This Lizzie was +a bright bay mare, almost thoroughbred, and a great favorite with the +gentlemen, on account of her fine action and lively spirit; but Ginger, +who knew more of her than I did, told me she was rather nervous. + +There was a gentleman of the name of Blantyre staying at the hall; +he always rode Lizzie, and praised her so much that one day Lady Anne +ordered the side-saddle to be put on her, and the other saddle on me. +When we came to the door the gentleman seemed very uneasy. + +"How is this?" he said. "Are you tired of your good Black Auster?" + +"Oh, no, not at all," she replied, "but I am amiable enough to let you +ride him for once, and I will try your charming Lizzie. You must confess +that in size and appearance she is far more like a lady's horse than my +own favorite." + +"Do let me advise you not to mount her," he said; "she is a charming +creature, but she is too nervous for a lady. I assure you, she is not +perfectly safe; let me beg you to have the saddles changed." + +"My dear cousin," said Lady Anne, laughing, "pray do not trouble your +good careful head about me. I have been a horsewoman ever since I was a +baby, and I have followed the hounds a great many times, though I know +you do not approve of ladies hunting; but still that is the fact, and +I intend to try this Lizzie that you gentlemen are all so fond of; so +please help me to mount, like a good friend as you are." + +There was no more to be said; he placed her carefully on the saddle, +looked to the bit and curb, gave the reins gently into her hand, and +then mounted me. Just as we were moving off a footman came out with a +slip of paper and message from the Lady Harriet. "Would they ask this +question for her at Dr. Ashley's, and bring the answer?" + +The village was about a mile off, and the doctor's house was the last +in it. We went along gayly enough till we came to his gate. There was a +short drive up to the house between tall evergreens. + +Blantyre alighted at the gate, and was going to open it for Lady Anne, +but she said, "I will wait for you here, and you can hang Auster's rein +on the gate." + +He looked at her doubtfully. "I will not be five minutes," he said. + +"Oh, do not hurry yourself; Lizzie and I shall not run away from you." + +He hung my rein on one of the iron spikes, and was soon hidden among the +trees. Lizzie was standing quietly by the side of the road a few paces +off, with her back to me. My young mistress was sitting easily with a +loose rein, humming a little song. I listened to my rider's footsteps +until they reached the house, and heard him knock at the door. There was +a meadow on the opposite side of the road, the gate of which stood open; +just then some cart horses and several young colts came trotting out in +a very disorderly manner, while a boy behind was cracking a great whip. +The colts were wild and frolicsome, and one of them bolted across the +road and blundered up against Lizzie's hind legs, and whether it was +the stupid colt, or the loud cracking of the whip, or both together, I +cannot say, but she gave a violent kick, and dashed off into a headlong +gallop. It was so sudden that Lady Anne was nearly unseated, but she +soon recovered herself. I gave a loud, shrill neigh for help; again and +again I neighed, pawing the ground impatiently, and tossing my head to +get the rein loose. I had not long to wait. Blantyre came running to +the gate; he looked anxiously about, and just caught sight of the flying +figure, now far away on the road. In an instant he sprang to the saddle. +I needed no whip, no spur, for I was as eager as my rider; he saw it, +and giving me a free rein, and leaning a little forward, we dashed after +them. + +For about a mile and a half the road ran straight, and then bent to the +right, after which it divided into two roads. Long before we came to +the bend she was out of sight. Which way had she turned? A woman was +standing at her garden gate, shading her eyes with her hand, and looking +eagerly up the road. Scarcely drawing the rein, Blantyre shouted, "Which +way?" "To the right!" cried the woman, pointing with her hand, and away +we went up the right-hand road; then for a moment we caught sight of +her; another bend and she was hidden again. Several times we caught +glimpses, and then lost them. We scarcely seemed to gain ground upon +them at all. An old road-mender was standing near a heap of stones, his +shovel dropped and his hands raised. As we came near he made a sign to +speak. Blantyre drew the rein a little. "To the common, to the common, +sir; she has turned off there." I knew this common very well; it was for +the most part very uneven ground, covered with heather and dark-green +furze bushes, with here and there a scrubby old thorn-tree; there were +also open spaces of fine short grass, with ant-hills and mole-turns +everywhere; the worst place I ever knew for a headlong gallop. + +We had hardly turned on the common, when we caught sight again of the +green habit flying on before us. My lady's hat was gone, and her long +brown hair was streaming behind her. Her head and body were thrown back, +as if she were pulling with all her remaining strength, and as if that +strength were nearly exhausted. It was clear that the roughness of the +ground had very much lessened Lizzie's speed, and there seemed a chance +that we might overtake her. + +While we were on the highroad, Blantyre had given me my head; but now, +with a light hand and a practiced eye, he guided me over the ground in +such a masterly manner that my pace was scarcely slackened, and we were +decidedly gaining on them. + +About halfway across the heath there had been a wide dike recently cut, +and the earth from the cutting was cast up roughly on the other side. +Surely this would stop them! But no; with scarcely a pause Lizzie took +the leap, stumbled among the rough clods and fell. Blantyre groaned, +"Now, Auster, do your best!" He gave me a steady rein. I gathered myself +well together and with one determined leap cleared both dike and bank. + +Motionless among the heather, with her face to the earth, lay my poor +young mistress. Blantyre kneeled down and called her name: there was no +sound. Gently he turned her face upward: it was ghastly white and +the eyes were closed. "Annie, dear Annie, do speak!" But there was no +answer. He unbuttoned her habit, loosened her collar, felt her hands and +wrist, then started up and looked wildly round him for help. + +At no great distance there were two men cutting turf, who, seeing Lizzie +running wild without a rider, had left their work to catch her. + +Blantyre's halloo soon brought them to the spot. The foremost man seemed +much troubled at the sight, and asked what he could do. + +"Can you ride?" + +"Well, sir, I bean't much of a horseman, but I'd risk my neck for the +Lady Anne; she was uncommon good to my wife in the winter." + +"Then mount this horse, my friend--your neck will be quite safe--and +ride to the doctor's and ask him to come instantly; then on to the hall; +tell them all that you know, and bid them send me the carriage, with +Lady Anne's maid and help. I shall stay here." + +"All right, sir, I'll do my best, and I pray God the dear young lady may +open her eyes soon." Then, seeing the other man, he called out, "Here, +Joe, run for some water, and tell my missis to come as quick as she can +to the Lady Anne." + +He then somehow scrambled into the saddle, and with a "Gee up" and a +clap on my sides with both his legs, he started on his journey, making +a little circuit to avoid the dike. He had no whip, which seemed to +trouble him; but my pace soon cured that difficulty, and he found the +best thing he could do was to stick to the saddle and hold me in, which +he did manfully. I shook him as little as I could help, but once or +twice on the rough ground he called out, "Steady! Woah! Steady!" On the +highroad we were all right; and at the doctor's and the hall he did his +errand like a good man and true. They asked him in to take a drop of +something. "No, no," he said; "I'll be back to 'em again by a short cut +through the fields, and be there afore the carriage." + +There was a great deal of hurry and excitement after the news became +known. I was just turned into my box; the saddle and bridle were taken +off, and a cloth thrown over me. + +Ginger was saddled and sent off in great haste for Lord George, and I +soon heard the carriage roll out of the yard. + +It seemed a long time before Ginger came back, and before we were left +alone; and then she told me all that she had seen. + +"I can't tell much," she said. "We went a gallop nearly all the way, and +got there just as the doctor rode up. There was a woman sitting on the +ground with the lady's head in her lap. The doctor poured something into +her mouth, but all that I heard was, 'She is not dead.' Then I was led +off by a man to a little distance. After awhile she was taken to +the carriage, and we came home together. I heard my master say to +a gentleman who stopped him to inquire, that he hoped no bones were +broken, but that she had not spoken yet." + +When Lord George took Ginger for hunting, York shook his head; he said +it ought to be a steady hand to train a horse for the first season, and +not a random rider like Lord George. + +Ginger used to like it very much, but sometimes when she came back I +could see that she had been very much strained, and now and then she +gave a short cough. She had too much spirit to complain, but I could not +help feeling anxious about her. + +Two days after the accident Blantyre paid me a visit; he patted me and +praised me very much; he told Lord George that he was sure the horse +knew of Annie's danger as well as he did. "I could not have held him in +if I would," said he, "she ought never to ride any other horse." I found +by their conversation that my young mistress was now out of danger, and +would soon be able to ride again. This was good news to me and I looked +forward to a happy life. + + + + +25 Reuben Smith + + +Now I must say a little about Reuben Smith, who was left in charge of +the stables when York went to London. No one more thoroughly understood +his business than he did, and when he was all right there could not be +a more faithful or valuable man. He was gentle and very clever in his +management of horses, and could doctor them almost as well as a +farrier, for he had lived two years with a veterinary surgeon. He was a +first-rate driver; he could take a four-in-hand or a tandem as easily +as a pair. He was a handsome man, a good scholar, and had very pleasant +manners. I believe everybody liked him; certainly the horses did. The +only wonder was that he should be in an under situation and not in the +place of a head coachman like York; but he had one great fault and that +was the love of drink. He was not like some men, always at it; he used +to keep steady for weeks or months together, and then he would break +out and have a "bout" of it, as York called it, and be a disgrace to +himself, a terror to his wife, and a nuisance to all that had to do with +him. He was, however, so useful that two or three times York had hushed +the matter up and kept it from the earl's knowledge; but one night, when +Reuben had to drive a party home from a ball he was so drunk that he +could not hold the reins, and a gentleman of the party had to mount the +box and drive the ladies home. Of course, this could not be hidden, and +Reuben was at once dismissed; his poor wife and little children had to +turn out of the pretty cottage by the park gate and go where they could. +Old Max told me all this, for it happened a good while ago; but shortly +before Ginger and I came Smith had been taken back again. York had +interceded for him with the earl, who is very kind-hearted, and the man +had promised faithfully that he would never taste another drop as long +as he lived there. He had kept his promise so well that York thought he +might be safely trusted to fill his place while he was away, and he was +so clever and honest that no one else seemed so well fitted for it. + +It was now early in April, and the family was expected home some time in +May. The light brougham was to be fresh done up, and as Colonel Blantyre +was obliged to return to his regiment it was arranged that Smith should +drive him to the town in it, and ride back; for this purpose he took the +saddle with him, and I was chosen for the journey. At the station the +colonel put some money into Smith's hand and bid him good-by, saying, +"Take care of your young mistress, Reuben, and don't let Black Auster be +hacked about by any random young prig that wants to ride him--keep him +for the lady." + +We left the carriage at the maker's, and Smith rode me to the White +Lion, and ordered the hostler to feed me well, and have me ready for him +at four o'clock. A nail in one of my front shoes had started as I came +along, but the hostler did not notice it till just about four o'clock. +Smith did not come into the yard till five, and then he said he should +not leave till six, as he had met with some old friends. The man then +told him of the nail, and asked if he should have the shoe looked to. + +"No," said Smith, "that will be all right till we get home." + +He spoke in a very loud, offhand way, and I thought it very unlike him +not to see about the shoe, as he was generally wonderfully particular +about loose nails in our shoes. He did not come at six nor seven, nor +eight, and it was nearly nine o'clock before he called for me, and then +it was with a loud, rough voice. He seemed in a very bad temper, and +abused the hostler, though I could not tell what for. + +The landlord stood at the door and said, "Have a care, Mr. Smith!" but +he answered angrily with an oath; and almost before he was out of the +town he began to gallop, frequently giving me a sharp cut with his whip, +though I was going at full speed. The moon had not yet risen, and it was +very dark. The roads were stony, having been recently mended; going over +them at this pace, my shoe became looser, and as we neared the turnpike +gate it came off. + +If Smith had been in his right senses he would have been sensible of +something wrong in my pace, but he was too drunk to notice. + +Beyond the turnpike was a long piece of road, upon which fresh stones +had just been laid--large sharp stones, over which no horse could be +driven quickly without risk of danger. Over this road, with one shoe +gone, I was forced to gallop at my utmost speed, my rider meanwhile +cutting into me with his whip, and with wild curses urging me to go +still faster. Of course my shoeless foot suffered dreadfully; the hoof +was broken and split down to the very quick, and the inside was terribly +cut by the sharpness of the stones. + +This could not go on; no horse could keep his footing under such +circumstances; the pain was too great. I stumbled, and fell with +violence on both my knees. Smith was flung off by my fall, and, owing to +the speed I was going at, he must have fallen with great force. I soon +recovered my feet and limped to the side of the road, where it was free +from stones. The moon had just risen above the hedge, and by its light +I could see Smith lying a few yards beyond me. He did not rise; he made +one slight effort to do so, and then there was a heavy groan. I could +have groaned, too, for I was suffering intense pain both from my foot +and knees; but horses are used to bear their pain in silence. I uttered +no sound, but I stood there and listened. One more heavy groan from +Smith; but though he now lay in the full moonlight I could see no +motion. I could do nothing for him nor myself, but, oh! how I listened +for the sound of horse, or wheels, or footsteps! The road was not much +frequented, and at this time of the night we might stay for hours before +help came to us. I stood watching and listening. It was a calm, sweet +April night; there were no sounds but a few low notes of a nightingale, +and nothing moved but the white clouds near the moon and a brown owl +that flitted over the hedge. It made me think of the summer nights long +ago, when I used to lie beside my mother in the green pleasant meadow at +Farmer Grey's. + + + + +26 How it Ended + + +It must have been nearly midnight when I heard at a great distance the +sound of a horse's feet. Sometimes the sound died away, then it grew +clearer again and nearer. The road to Earlshall led through woods that +belonged to the earl; the sound came in that direction, and I hoped it +might be some one coming in search of us. As the sound came nearer and +nearer I was almost sure I could distinguish Ginger's step; a little +nearer still, and I could tell she was in the dog-cart. I neighed +loudly, and was overjoyed to hear an answering neigh from Ginger, and +men's voices. They came slowly over the stones, and stopped at the dark +figure that lay upon the ground. + +One of the men jumped out, and stooped down over it. "It is Reuben," he +said, "and he does not stir!" + +The other man followed, and bent over him. "He's dead," he said; "feel +how cold his hands are." + +They raised him up, but there was no life, and his hair was soaked with +blood. They laid him down again, and came and looked at me. They soon +saw my cut knees. + +"Why, the horse has been down and thrown him! Who would have thought the +black horse would have done that? Nobody thought he could fall. Reuben +must have been lying here for hours! Odd, too, that the horse has not +moved from the place." + +Robert then attempted to lead me forward. I made a step, but almost fell +again. + +"Halloo! he's bad in his foot as well as his knees. Look here--his hoof +is cut all to pieces; he might well come down, poor fellow! I tell you +what, Ned, I'm afraid it hasn't been all right with Reuben. Just think +of his riding a horse over these stones without a shoe! Why, if he had +been in his right senses he would just as soon have tried to ride him +over the moon. I'm afraid it has been the old thing over again. Poor +Susan! she looked awfully pale when she came to my house to ask if +he had not come home. She made believe she was not a bit anxious, and +talked of a lot of things that might have kept him. But for all that she +begged me to go and meet him. But what must we do? There's the horse to +get home as well as the body, and that will be no easy matter." + +Then followed a conversation between them, till it was agreed that +Robert, as the groom, should lead me, and that Ned must take the body. +It was a hard job to get it into the dog-cart, for there was no one to +hold Ginger; but she knew as well as I did what was going on, and stood +as still as a stone. I noticed that, because, if she had a fault, it was +that she was impatient in standing. + +Ned started off very slowly with his sad load, and Robert came and +looked at my foot again; then he took his handkerchief and bound it +closely round, and so he led me home. I shall never forget that night +walk; it was more than three miles. Robert led me on very slowly, and I +limped and hobbled on as well as I could with great pain. I am sure he +was sorry for me, for he often patted and encouraged me, talking to me +in a pleasant voice. + +At last I reached my own box, and had some corn; and after Robert +had wrapped up my knees in wet cloths, he tied up my foot in a bran +poultice, to draw out the heat and cleanse it before the horse-doctor +saw it in the morning, and I managed to get myself down on the straw, +and slept in spite of the pain. + +The next day after the farrier had examined my wounds, he said he hoped +the joint was not injured; and if so, I should not be spoiled for work, +but I should never lose the blemish. I believe they did the best to make +a good cure, but it was a long and painful one. Proud flesh, as they +called it, came up in my knees, and was burned out with caustic; and +when at last it was healed, they put a blistering fluid over the front +of both knees to bring all the hair off; they had some reason for this, +and I suppose it was all right. + +As Smith's death had been so sudden, and no one was there to see it, +there was an inquest held. The landlord and hostler at the White Lion, +with several other people, gave evidence that he was intoxicated when he +started from the inn. The keeper of the toll-gate said he rode at a hard +gallop through the gate; and my shoe was picked up among the stones, so +that the case was quite plain to them, and I was cleared of all blame. + +Everybody pitied Susan. She was nearly out of her mind; she kept saying +over and over again, "Oh! he was so good--so good! It was all that +cursed drink; why will they sell that cursed drink? Oh Reuben, Reuben!" +So she went on till after he was buried; and then, as she had no home or +relations, she, with her six little children, was obliged once more to +leave the pleasant home by the tall oak-trees, and go into that great +gloomy Union House. + + + + +27 Ruined and Going Downhill + + +As soon as my knees were sufficiently healed I was turned into a small +meadow for a month or two; no other creature was there; and though I +enjoyed the liberty and the sweet grass, yet I had been so long used to +society that I felt very lonely. Ginger and I had become fast friends, +and now I missed her company extremely. I often neighed when I heard +horses' feet passing in the road, but I seldom got an answer; till one +morning the gate was opened, and who should come in but dear old Ginger. +The man slipped off her halter, and left her there. With a joyful whinny +I trotted up to her; we were both glad to meet, but I soon found that it +was not for our pleasure that she was brought to be with me. Her story +would be too long to tell, but the end of it was that she had been +ruined by hard riding, and was now turned off to see what rest would do. + +Lord George was young and would take no warning; he was a hard rider, +and would hunt whenever he could get the chance, quite careless of his +horse. Soon after I left the stable there was a steeplechase, and he +determined to ride. Though the groom told him she was a little strained, +and was not fit for the race, he did not believe it, and on the day of +the race urged Ginger to keep up with the foremost riders. With her high +spirit, she strained herself to the utmost; she came in with the first +three horses, but her wind was touched, besides which he was too heavy +for her, and her back was strained. "And so," she said, "here we are, +ruined in the prime of our youth and strength, you by a drunkard, and I +by a fool; it is very hard." We both felt in ourselves that we were not +what we had been. However, that did not spoil the pleasure we had in +each other's company; we did not gallop about as we once did, but we +used to feed, and lie down together, and stand for hours under one +of the shady lime-trees with our heads close to each other; and so we +passed our time till the family returned from town. + +One day we saw the earl come into the meadow, and York was with him. +Seeing who it was, we stood still under our lime-tree, and let them come +up to us. They examined us carefully. The earl seemed much annoyed. + +"There is three hundred pounds flung away for no earthly use," said he; +"but what I care most for is that these horses of my old friend, who +thought they would find a good home with me, are ruined. The mare shall +have a twelve-month's run, and we shall see what that will do for her; +but the black one, he must be sold; 'tis a great pity, but I could not +have knees like these in my stables." + +"No, my lord, of course not," said York; "but he might get a place where +appearance is not of much consequence, and still be well treated. I know +a man in Bath, the master of some livery stables, who often wants a +good horse at a low figure; I know he looks well after his horses. +The inquest cleared the horse's character, and your lordship's +recommendation, or mine, would be sufficient warrant for him." + +"You had better write to him, York. I should be more particular about +the place than the money he would fetch." + +After this they left us. + +"They'll soon take you away," said Ginger, "and I shall lose the only +friend I have, and most likely we shall never see each other again. 'Tis +a hard world!" + +About a week after this Robert came into the field with a halter, which +he slipped over my head, and led me away. There was no leave-taking +of Ginger; we neighed to each other as I was led off, and she trotted +anxiously along by the hedge, calling to me as long as she could hear +the sound of my feet. + +Through the recommendation of York, I was bought by the master of the +livery stables. I had to go by train, which was new to me, and required +a good deal of courage the first time; but as I found the puffing, +rushing, whistling, and, more than all, the trembling of the horse-box +in which I stood did me no real harm, I soon took it quietly. + +When I reached the end of my journey I found myself in a tolerably +comfortable stable, and well attended to. These stables were not so +airy and pleasant as those I had been used to. The stalls were laid on +a slope instead of being level, and as my head was kept tied to the +manger, I was obliged always to stand on the slope, which was very +fatiguing. Men do not seem to know yet that horses can do more work if +they can stand comfortably and can turn about; however, I was well fed +and well cleaned, and, on the whole, I think our master took as much +care of us as he could. He kept a good many horses and carriages of +different kinds for hire. Sometimes his own men drove them; at +others, the horse and chaise were let to gentlemen or ladies who drove +themselves. + + + + +28 A Job Horse and His Drivers + + +Hitherto I had always been driven by people who at least knew how to +drive; but in this place I was to get my experience of all the different +kinds of bad and ignorant driving to which we horses are subjected; for +I was a "job horse", and was let out to all sorts of people who wished +to hire me; and as I was good-tempered and gentle, I think I was oftener +let out to the ignorant drivers than some of the other horses, because +I could be depended upon. It would take a long time to tell of all the +different styles in which I was driven, but I will mention a few of +them. + +First, there were the tight-rein drivers--men who seemed to think that +all depended on holding the reins as hard as they could, never relaxing +the pull on the horse's mouth, or giving him the least liberty of +movement. They are always talking about "keeping the horse well in +hand", and "holding a horse up", just as if a horse was not made to hold +himself up. + +Some poor, broken-down horses, whose mouths have been made hard and +insensible by just such drivers as these, may, perhaps, find some +support in it; but for a horse who can depend upon his own legs, and who +has a tender mouth and is easily guided, it is not only tormenting, but +it is stupid. + +Then there are the loose-rein drivers, who let the reins lie easily on +our backs, and their own hand rest lazily on their knees. Of course, +such gentlemen have no control over a horse, if anything happens +suddenly. If a horse shies, or starts, or stumbles, they are nowhere, +and cannot help the horse or themselves till the mischief is done. Of +course, for myself I had no objection to it, as I was not in the habit +either of starting or stumbling, and had only been used to depend on my +driver for guidance and encouragement. Still, one likes to feel the rein +a little in going downhill, and likes to know that one's driver is not +gone to sleep. + +Besides, a slovenly way of driving gets a horse into bad and often lazy +habits, and when he changes hands he has to be whipped out of them with +more or less pain and trouble. Squire Gordon always kept us to our best +paces and our best manners. He said that spoiling a horse and letting +him get into bad habits was just as cruel as spoiling a child, and both +had to suffer for it afterward. + +Besides, these drivers are often careless altogether, and will attend to +anything else more than their horses. I went out in the phaeton one day +with one of them; he had a lady and two children behind. He flopped the +reins about as we started, and of course gave me several unmeaning cuts +with the whip, though I was fairly off. There had been a good deal of +road-mending going on, and even where the stones were not freshly laid +down there were a great many loose ones about. My driver was laughing +and joking with the lady and the children, and talking about the country +to the right and the left; but he never thought it worth while to keep +an eye on his horse or to drive on the smoothest parts of the road; and +so it easily happened that I got a stone in one of my fore feet. + +Now, if Mr. Gordon or John, or in fact any good driver, had been there, +he would have seen that something was wrong before I had gone three +paces. Or even if it had been dark a practiced hand would have felt by +the rein that there was something wrong in the step, and they would have +got down and picked out the stone. But this man went on laughing and +talking, while at every step the stone became more firmly wedged between +my shoe and the frog of my foot. The stone was sharp on the inside and +round on the outside, which, as every one knows, is the most dangerous +kind that a horse can pick up, at the same time cutting his foot and +making him most liable to stumble and fall. + +Whether the man was partly blind or only very careless I can't say, but +he drove me with that stone in my foot for a good half-mile before he +saw anything. By that time I was going so lame with the pain that at +last he saw it, and called out, "Well, here's a go! Why, they have sent +us out with a lame horse! What a shame!" + +He then chucked the reins and flipped about with the whip, saying, "Now, +then, it's no use playing the old soldier with me; there's the journey +to go, and it's no use turning lame and lazy." + +Just at this time a farmer came riding up on a brown cob. He lifted his +hat and pulled up. + +"I beg your pardon, sir," he said, "but I think there is something the +matter with your horse; he goes very much as if he had a stone in +his shoe. If you will allow me I will look at his feet; these loose +scattered stones are confounded dangerous things for the horses." + +"He's a hired horse," said my driver. "I don't know what's the matter +with him, but it is a great shame to send out a lame beast like this." + +The farmer dismounted, and slipping his rein over his arm at once took +up my near foot. + +"Bless me, there's a stone! Lame! I should think so!" + +At first he tried to dislodge it with his hand, but as it was now +very tightly wedged he drew a stone-pick out of his pocket, and very +carefully and with some trouble got it out. Then holding it up he said, +"There, that's the stone your horse had picked up. It is a wonder he did +not fall down and break his knees into the bargain!" + +"Well, to be sure!" said my driver; "that is a queer thing! I never knew +that horses picked up stones before." + +"Didn't you?" said the farmer rather contemptuously; "but they do, +though, and the best of them will do it, and can't help it sometimes on +such roads as these. And if you don't want to lame your horse you must +look sharp and get them out quickly. This foot is very much bruised," +he said, setting it gently down and patting me. "If I might advise, +sir, you had better drive him gently for awhile; the foot is a good deal +hurt, and the lameness will not go off directly." + +Then mounting his cob and raising his hat to the lady he trotted off. + +When he was gone my driver began to flop the reins about and whip the +harness, by which I understood that I was to go on, which of course I +did, glad that the stone was gone, but still in a good deal of pain. + +This was the sort of experience we job horses often came in for. + + + + +29 Cockneys + + +Then there is the steam-engine style of driving; these drivers were +mostly people from towns, who never had a horse of their own and +generally traveled by rail. + +They always seemed to think that a horse was something like a +steam-engine, only smaller. At any rate, they think that if only they +pay for it a horse is bound to go just as far and just as fast and with +just as heavy a load as they please. And be the roads heavy and muddy, +or dry and good; be they stony or smooth, uphill or downhill, it is all +the same--on, on, on, one must go, at the same pace, with no relief and +no consideration. + +These people never think of getting out to walk up a steep hill. Oh, no, +they have paid to ride, and ride they will! The horse? Oh, he's used +to it! What were horses made for, if not to drag people uphill? Walk! A +good joke indeed! And so the whip is plied and the rein is chucked and +often a rough, scolding voice cries out, "Go along, you lazy beast!" And +then another slash of the whip, when all the time we are doing our +very best to get along, uncomplaining and obedient, though often sorely +harassed and down-hearted. + +This steam-engine style of driving wears us up faster than any other +kind. I would far rather go twenty miles with a good considerate driver +than I would go ten with some of these; it would take less out of me. + +Another thing, they scarcely ever put on the brake, however steep the +downhill may be, and thus bad accidents sometimes happen; or if they do +put it on, they often forget to take it off at the bottom of the hill, +and more than once I have had to pull halfway up the next hill, with one +of the wheels held by the brake, before my driver chose to think about +it; and that is a terrible strain on a horse. + +Then these cockneys, instead of starting at an easy pace, as a gentleman +would do, generally set off at full speed from the very stable-yard; and +when they want to stop, they first whip us, and then pull up so suddenly +that we are nearly thrown on our haunches, and our mouths jagged with +the bit--they call that pulling up with a dash; and when they turn a +corner they do it as sharply as if there were no right side or wrong +side of the road. + +I well remember one spring evening I and Rory had been out for the day. +(Rory was the horse that mostly went with me when a pair was ordered, +and a good honest fellow he was.) We had our own driver, and as he was +always considerate and gentle with us, we had a very pleasant day. We +were coming home at a good smart pace, about twilight. Our road turned +sharp to the left; but as we were close to the hedge on our own side, +and there was plenty of room to pass, our driver did not pull us in. As +we neared the corner I heard a horse and two wheels coming rapidly down +the hill toward us. The hedge was high, and I could see nothing, but the +next moment we were upon each other. Happily for me, I was on the side +next the hedge. Rory was on the left side of the pole, and had not even +a shaft to protect him. The man who was driving was making straight for +the corner, and when he came in sight of us he had no time to pull over +to his own side. The whole shock came upon Rory. The gig shaft ran right +into the chest, making him stagger back with a cry that I shall never +forget. The other horse was thrown upon his haunches and one shaft +broken. It turned out that it was a horse from our own stables, with the +high-wheeled gig that the young men were so fond of. + +The driver was one of those random, ignorant fellows, who don't even +know which is their own side of the road, or, if they know, don't care. +And there was poor Rory with his flesh torn open and bleeding, and the +blood streaming down. They said if it had been a little more to one side +it would have killed him; and a good thing for him, poor fellow, if it +had. + +As it was, it was a long time before the wound healed, and then he was +sold for coal-carting; and what that is, up and down those steep hills, +only horses know. Some of the sights I saw there, where a horse had to +come downhill with a heavily loaded two-wheel cart behind him, on which +no brake could be placed, make me sad even now to think of. + +After Rory was disabled I often went in the carriage with a mare named +Peggy, who stood in the next stall to mine. She was a strong, well-made +animal, of a bright dun color, beautifully dappled, and with a +dark-brown mane and tail. There was no high breeding about her, but she +was very pretty and remarkably sweet-tempered and willing. Still, there +was an anxious look about her eye, by which I knew that she had some +trouble. The first time we went out together I thought she had a very +odd pace; she seemed to go partly a trot, partly a canter, three or four +paces, and then a little jump forward. + +It was very unpleasant for any horse who pulled with her, and made me +quite fidgety. When we got home I asked her what made her go in that +odd, awkward way. + +"Ah," she said in a troubled manner, "I know my paces are very bad, but +what can I do? It really is not my fault; it is just because my legs are +so short. I stand nearly as high as you, but your legs are a good three +inches longer above your knee than mine, and of course you can take a +much longer step and go much faster. You see I did not make myself. +I wish I could have done so; I would have had long legs then. All my +troubles come from my short legs," said Peggy, in a desponding tone. + +"But how is it," I said, "when you are so strong and good-tempered and +willing?" + +"Why, you see," said she, "men will go so fast, and if one can't keep up +to other horses it is nothing but whip, whip, whip, all the time. And so +I have had to keep up as I could, and have got into this ugly shuffling +pace. It was not always so; when I lived with my first master I always +went a good regular trot, but then he was not in such a hurry. He was a +young clergyman in the country, and a good, kind master he was. He had +two churches a good way apart, and a great deal of work, but he never +scolded or whipped me for not going faster. He was very fond of me. +I only wish I was with him now; but he had to leave and go to a large +town, and then I was sold to a farmer. + +"Some farmers, you know, are capital masters; but I think this one was a +low sort of man. He cared nothing about good horses or good driving; he +only cared for going fast. I went as fast as I could, but that would +not do, and he was always whipping; so I got into this way of making a +spring forward to keep up. On market nights he used to stay very late at +the inn, and then drive home at a gallop. + +"One dark night he was galloping home as usual, when all of a sudden the +wheel came against some great heavy thing in the road, and turned the +gig over in a minute. He was thrown out and his arm broken, and some of +his ribs, I think. At any rate, it was the end of my living with him, +and I was not sorry. But you see it will be the same everywhere for me, +if men must go so fast. I wish my legs were longer!" + +Poor Peggy! I was very sorry for her, and I could not comfort her, for +I knew how hard it was upon slow-paced horses to be put with fast ones; +all the whipping comes to their share, and they can't help it. + +She was often used in the phaeton, and was very much liked by some of +the ladies, because she was so gentle; and some time after this she was +sold to two ladies who drove themselves, and wanted a safe, good horse. + +I met her several times out in the country, going a good steady pace, +and looking as gay and contented as a horse could be. I was very glad to +see her, for she deserved a good place. + +After she left us another horse came in her stead. He was young, and had +a bad name for shying and starting, by which he had lost a good place. I +asked him what made him shy. + +"Well, I hardly know," he said. "I was timid when I was young, and was a +good deal frightened several times, and if I saw anything strange I +used to turn and look at it--you see, with our blinkers one can't see +or understand what a thing is unless one looks round--and then my master +always gave me a whipping, which of course made me start on, and did not +make me less afraid. I think if he would have let me just look at things +quietly, and see that there was nothing to hurt me, it would have been +all right, and I should have got used to them. One day an old gentleman +was riding with him, and a large piece of white paper or rag blew across +just on one side of me. I shied and started forward. My master as usual +whipped me smartly, but the old man cried out, 'You're wrong! you're +wrong! You should never whip a horse for shying; he shies because he is +frightened, and you only frighten him more and make the habit worse.' +So I suppose all men don't do so. I am sure I don't want to shy for the +sake of it; but how should one know what is dangerous and what is not, +if one is never allowed to get used to anything? I am never afraid of +what I know. Now I was brought up in a park where there were deer; of +course I knew them as well as I did a sheep or a cow, but they are not +common, and I know many sensible horses who are frightened at them, and +who kick up quite a shindy before they will pass a paddock where there +are deer." + +I knew what my companion said was true, and I wished that every young +horse had as good masters as Farmer Grey and Squire Gordon. + +Of course we sometimes came in for good driving here. I remember one +morning I was put into the light gig, and taken to a house in Pulteney +Street. Two gentlemen came out; the taller of them came round to my +head; he looked at the bit and bridle, and just shifted the collar with +his hand, to see if it fitted comfortably. + +"Do you consider this horse wants a curb?" he said to the hostler. + +"Well," said the man, "I should say he would go just as well without; +he has an uncommon good mouth, and though he has a fine spirit he has no +vice; but we generally find people like the curb." + +"I don't like it," said the gentleman; "be so good as to take it off, +and put the rein in at the cheek. An easy mouth is a great thing on a +long journey, is it not, old fellow?" he said, patting my neck. + +Then he took the reins, and they both got up. I can remember now how +quietly he turned me round, and then with a light feel of the rein, and +drawing the whip gently across my back, we were off. + +I arched my neck and set off at my best pace. I found I had some one +behind me who knew how a good horse ought to be driven. It seemed like +old times again, and made me feel quite gay. + +This gentleman took a great liking to me, and after trying me several +times with the saddle he prevailed upon my master to sell me to a friend +of his, who wanted a safe, pleasant horse for riding. And so it came to +pass that in the summer I was sold to Mr. Barry. + + + + +30 A Thief + + +My new master was an unmarried man. He lived at Bath, and was much +engaged in business. His doctor advised him to take horse exercise, and +for this purpose he bought me. He hired a stable a short distance from +his lodgings, and engaged a man named Filcher as groom. My master knew +very little about horses, but he treated me well, and I should have had +a good and easy place but for circumstances of which he was ignorant. He +ordered the best hay with plenty of oats, crushed beans, and bran, +with vetches, or rye grass, as the man might think needful. I heard the +master give the order, so I knew there was plenty of good food, and I +thought I was well off. + +For a few days all went on well. I found that my groom understood +his business. He kept the stable clean and airy, and he groomed me +thoroughly; and was never otherwise than gentle. He had been an hostler +in one of the great hotels in Bath. He had given that up, and now +cultivated fruit and vegetables for the market, and his wife bred and +fattened poultry and rabbits for sale. After awhile it seemed to me that +my oats came very short; I had the beans, but bran was mixed with them +instead of oats, of which there were very few; certainly not more than a +quarter of what there should have been. In two or three weeks this began +to tell upon my strength and spirits. The grass food, though very good, +was not the thing to keep up my condition without corn. However, I +could not complain, nor make known my wants. So it went on for about two +months; and I wondered that my master did not see that something was +the matter. However, one afternoon he rode out into the country to see a +friend of his, a gentleman farmer, who lived on the road to Wells. + +This gentleman had a very quick eye for horses; and after he had +welcomed his friend he said, casting his eye over me: + +"It seems to me, Barry, that your horse does not look so well as he did +when you first had him; has he been well?" + +"Yes, I believe so," said my master; "but he is not nearly so lively as +he was; my groom tells me that horses are always dull and weak in the +autumn, and that I must expect it." + +"Autumn, fiddlesticks!" said the farmer. "Why, this is only August; and +with your light work and good food he ought not to go down like this, +even if it was autumn. How do you feed him?" + +My master told him. The other shook his head slowly, and began to feel +me over. + +"I can't say who eats your corn, my dear fellow, but I am much mistaken +if your horse gets it. Have you ridden very fast?" + +"No, very gently." + +"Then just put your hand here," said he, passing his hand over my neck +and shoulder; "he is as warm and damp as a horse just come up from +grass. I advise you to look into your stable a little more. I hate to be +suspicious, and, thank heaven, I have no cause to be, for I can trust my +men, present or absent; but there are mean scoundrels, wicked enough to +rob a dumb beast of his food. You must look into it." And turning to +his man, who had come to take me, "Give this horse a right good feed of +bruised oats, and don't stint him." + +"Dumb beasts!" Yes, we are; but if I could have spoken I could have told +my master where his oats went to. My groom used to come every morning +about six o'clock, and with him a little boy, who always had a covered +basket with him. He used to go with his father into the harness-room, +where the corn was kept, and I could see them, when the door stood ajar, +fill a little bag with oats out of the bin, and then he used to be off. + +Five or six mornings after this, just as the boy had left the stable, +the door was pushed open, and a policeman walked in, holding the child +tight by the arm; another policeman followed, and locked the door on the +inside, saying, "Show me the place where your father keeps his rabbits' +food." + +The boy looked very frightened and began to cry; but there was no +escape, and he led the way to the corn-bin. Here the policeman found +another empty bag like that which was found full of oats in the boy's +basket. + +Filcher was cleaning my feet at the time, but they soon saw him, and +though he blustered a good deal they walked him off to the "lock-up", +and his boy with him. I heard afterward that the boy was not held to be +guilty, but the man was sentenced to prison for two months. + + + + +31 A Humbug + + +My master was not immediately suited, but in a few days my new groom +came. He was a tall, good-looking fellow enough; but if ever there was +a humbug in the shape of a groom Alfred Smirk was the man. He was very +civil to me, and never used me ill; in fact, he did a great deal of +stroking and patting when his master was there to see it. He always +brushed my mane and tail with water and my hoofs with oil before he +brought me to the door, to make me look smart; but as to cleaning my +feet or looking to my shoes, or grooming me thoroughly, he thought no +more of that than if I had been a cow. He left my bit rusty, my saddle +damp, and my crupper stiff. + +Alfred Smirk considered himself very handsome; he spent a great deal of +time about his hair, whiskers and necktie, before a little looking-glass +in the harness-room. When his master was speaking to him it was always, +"Yes, sir; yes, sir"--touching his hat at every word; and every one +thought he was a very nice young man and that Mr. Barry was very +fortunate to meet with him. I should say he was the laziest, most +conceited fellow I ever came near. Of course, it was a great thing not +to be ill-used, but then a horse wants more than that. I had a loose +box, and might have been very comfortable if he had not been too +indolent to clean it out. He never took all the straw away, and the +smell from what lay underneath was very bad; while the strong vapors +that rose made my eyes smart and inflame, and I did not feel the same +appetite for my food. + +One day his master came in and said, "Alfred, the stable smells rather +strong; should not you give that stall a good scrub and throw down +plenty of water?" + +"Well, sir," he said, touching his cap, "I'll do so if you please, sir; +but it is rather dangerous, sir, throwing down water in a horse's box; +they are very apt to take cold, sir. I should not like to do him an +injury, but I'll do it if you please, sir." + +"Well," said his master, "I should not like him to take cold; but I +don't like the smell of this stable. Do you think the drains are all +right?" + +"Well, sir, now you mention it, I think the drain does sometimes send +back a smell; there may be something wrong, sir." + +"Then send for the bricklayer and have it seen to," said his master. + +"Yes, sir, I will." + +The bricklayer came and pulled up a great many bricks, but found nothing +amiss; so he put down some lime and charged the master five shillings, +and the smell in my box was as bad as ever. But that was not all: +standing as I did on a quantity of moist straw my feet grew unhealthy +and tender, and the master used to say: + +"I don't know what is the matter with this horse; he goes very +fumble-footed. I am sometimes afraid he will stumble." + +"Yes, sir," said Alfred, "I have noticed the same myself, when I have +exercised him." + +Now the fact was that he hardly ever did exercise me, and when the +master was busy I often stood for days together without stretching my +legs at all, and yet being fed just as high as if I were at hard work. +This often disordered my health, and made me sometimes heavy and dull, +but more often restless and feverish. He never even gave me a meal +of green food or a bran mash, which would have cooled me, for he +was altogether as ignorant as he was conceited; and then, instead of +exercise or change of food, I had to take horse balls and draughts; +which, beside the nuisance of having them poured down my throat, used to +make me feel ill and uncomfortable. + +One day my feet were so tender that, trotting over some fresh stones +with my master on my back, I made two such serious stumbles that, as he +came down Lansdown into the city, he stopped at the farrier's, and asked +him to see what was the matter with me. The man took up my feet one +by one and examined them; then standing up and dusting his hands one +against the other, he said: + +"Your horse has got the 'thrush', and badly, too; his feet are very +tender; it is fortunate that he has not been down. I wonder your groom +has not seen to it before. This is the sort of thing we find in foul +stables, where the litter is never properly cleaned out. If you will +send him here to-morrow I will attend to the hoof, and I will direct +your man how to apply the liniment which I will give him." + +The next day I had my feet thoroughly cleansed and stuffed with tow +soaked in some strong lotion; and an unpleasant business it was. + +The farrier ordered all the litter to be taken out of my box day by day, +and the floor kept very clean. Then I was to have bran mashes, a little +green food, and not so much corn, till my feet were well again. With +this treatment I soon regained my spirits; but Mr. Barry was so much +disgusted at being twice deceived by his grooms that he determined to +give up keeping a horse, and to hire when he wanted one. I was therefore +kept till my feet were quite sound, and was then sold again. + + + + +Part III + + + + +32 A Horse Fair + + +No doubt a horse fair is a very amusing place to those who have nothing +to lose; at any rate, there is plenty to see. + +Long strings of young horses out of the country, fresh from the marshes; +and droves of shaggy little Welsh ponies, no higher than Merrylegs; and +hundreds of cart horses of all sorts, some of them with their long tails +braided up and tied with scarlet cord; and a good many like myself, +handsome and high-bred, but fallen into the middle class, through some +accident or blemish, unsoundness of wind, or some other complaint. There +were some splendid animals quite in their prime, and fit for anything; +they were throwing out their legs and showing off their paces in high +style, as they were trotted out with a leading rein, the groom running +by the side. But round in the background there were a number of poor +things, sadly broken down with hard work, with their knees knuckling +over and their hind legs swinging out at every step, and there were some +very dejected-looking old horses, with the under lip hanging down and +the ears lying back heavily, as if there were no more pleasure in life, +and no more hope; there were some so thin you might see all their ribs, +and some with old sores on their backs and hips. These were sad sights +for a horse to look upon, who knows not but he may come to the same +state. + +There was a great deal of bargaining, of running up and beating down; +and if a horse may speak his mind so far as he understands, I should say +there were more lies told and more trickery at that horse fair than a +clever man could give an account of. I was put with two or three other +strong, useful-looking horses, and a good many people came to look at +us. The gentlemen always turned from me when they saw my broken knees; +though the man who had me swore it was only a slip in the stall. + +The first thing was to pull my mouth open, then to look at my eyes, then +feel all the way down my legs, and give me a hard feel of the skin and +flesh, and then try my paces. It was wonderful what a difference there +was in the way these things were done. Some did it in a rough, offhand +way, as if one was only a piece of wood; while others would take their +hands gently over one's body, with a pat now and then, as much as to +say, "By your leave." Of course I judged a good deal of the buyers by +their manners to myself. + +There was one man, I thought, if he would buy me, I should be happy. +He was not a gentleman, nor yet one of the loud, flashy sort that call +themselves so. He was rather a small man, but well made, and quick in +all his motions. I knew in a moment by the way he handled me, that he +was used to horses; he spoke gently, and his gray eye had a kindly, +cheery look in it. It may seem strange to say--but it is true all the +same--that the clean, fresh smell there was about him made me take to +him; no smell of old beer and tobacco, which I hated, but a fresh smell +as if he had come out of a hayloft. He offered twenty-three pounds for +me, but that was refused, and he walked away. I looked after him, but +he was gone, and a very hard-looking, loud-voiced man came. I was +dreadfully afraid he would have me; but he walked off. One or two more +came who did not mean business. Then the hard-faced man came back again +and offered twenty-three pounds. A very close bargain was being driven, +for my salesman began to think he should not get all he asked, and must +come down; but just then the gray-eyed man came back again. I could not +help reaching out my head toward him. He stroked my face kindly. + +"Well, old chap," he said, "I think we should suit each other. I'll give +twenty-four for him." + +"Say twenty-five and you shall have him." + +"Twenty-four ten," said my friend, in a very decided tone, "and not +another sixpence--yes or no?" + +"Done," said the salesman; "and you may depend upon it there's a +monstrous deal of quality in that horse, and if you want him for cab +work he's a bargain." + +The money was paid on the spot, and my new master took my halter, and +led me out of the fair to an inn, where he had a saddle and bridle +ready. He gave me a good feed of oats and stood by while I ate it, +talking to himself and talking to me. Half an hour after we were on our +way to London, through pleasant lanes and country roads, until we came +into the great London thoroughfare, on which we traveled steadily, till +in the twilight we reached the great city. The gas lamps were already +lighted; there were streets to the right, and streets to the left, and +streets crossing each other, for mile upon mile. I thought we should +never come to the end of them. At last, in passing through one, we +came to a long cab stand, when my rider called out in a cheery voice, +"Good-night, governor!" + +"Halloo!" cried a voice. "Have you got a good one?" + +"I think so," replied my owner. + +"I wish you luck with him." + +"Thank you, governor," and he rode on. We soon turned up one of the side +streets, and about halfway up that we turned into a very narrow street, +with rather poor-looking houses on one side, and what seemed to be +coach-houses and stables on the other. + +My owner pulled up at one of the houses and whistled. The door flew +open, and a young woman, followed by a little girl and boy, ran out. +There was a very lively greeting as my rider dismounted. + +"Now, then, Harry, my boy, open the gates, and mother will bring us the +lantern." + +The next minute they were all standing round me in a small stable-yard. + +"Is he gentle, father?" + +"Yes, Dolly, as gentle as your own kitten; come and pat him." + +At once the little hand was patting about all over my shoulder without +fear. How good it felt! + +"Let me get him a bran mash while you rub him down," said the mother. + +"Do, Polly, it's just what he wants; and I know you've got a beautiful +mash ready for me." + +"Sausage dumpling and apple turnover!" shouted the boy, which set them +all laughing. I was led into a comfortable, clean-smelling stall, with +plenty of dry straw, and after a capital supper I lay down, thinking I +was going to be happy. + + + + +33 A London Cab Horse + + +Jeremiah Barker was my new master's name, but as every one called him +Jerry, I shall do the same. Polly, his wife, was just as good a match as +a man could have. She was a plump, trim, tidy little woman, with smooth, +dark hair, dark eyes, and a merry little mouth. The boy was twelve years +old, a tall, frank, good-tempered lad; and little Dorothy (Dolly they +called her) was her mother over again, at eight years old. They were all +wonderfully fond of each other; I never knew such a happy, merry family +before or since. Jerry had a cab of his own, and two horses, which he +drove and attended to himself. His other horse was a tall, white, rather +large-boned animal called "Captain". He was old now, but when he was +young he must have been splendid; he had still a proud way of +holding his head and arching his neck; in fact, he was a high-bred, +fine-mannered, noble old horse, every inch of him. He told me that in +his early youth he went to the Crimean War; he belonged to an officer +in the cavalry, and used to lead the regiment. I will tell more of that +hereafter. + +The next morning, when I was well-groomed, Polly and Dolly came into the +yard to see me and make friends. Harry had been helping his father since +the early morning, and had stated his opinion that I should turn out a +"regular brick". Polly brought me a slice of apple, and Dolly a piece +of bread, and made as much of me as if I had been the "Black Beauty" of +olden time. It was a great treat to be petted again and talked to in a +gentle voice, and I let them see as well as I could that I wished to be +friendly. Polly thought I was very handsome, and a great deal too good +for a cab, if it was not for the broken knees. + +"Of course there's no one to tell us whose fault that was," said Jerry, +"and as long as I don't know I shall give him the benefit of the doubt; +for a firmer, neater stepper I never rode. We'll call him 'Jack', after +the old one--shall we, Polly?" + +"Do," she said, "for I like to keep a good name going." + +Captain went out in the cab all the morning. Harry came in after school +to feed me and give me water. In the afternoon I was put into the +cab. Jerry took as much pains to see if the collar and bridle fitted +comfortably as if he had been John Manly over again. When the crupper +was let out a hole or two it all fitted well. There was no check-rein, +no curb, nothing but a plain ring snaffle. What a blessing that was! + +After driving through the side street we came to the large cab stand +where Jerry had said "Good-night". On one side of this wide street were +high houses with wonderful shop fronts, and on the other was an old +church and churchyard, surrounded by iron palisades. Alongside these +iron rails a number of cabs were drawn up, waiting for passengers; bits +of hay were lying about on the ground; some of the men were standing +together talking; some were sitting on their boxes reading the +newspaper; and one or two were feeding their horses with bits of hay, +and giving them a drink of water. We pulled up in the rank at the back +of the last cab. Two or three men came round and began to look at me and +pass their remarks. + +"Very good for a funeral," said one. + +"Too smart-looking," said another, shaking his head in a very wise way; +"you'll find out something wrong one of these fine mornings, or my name +isn't Jones." + +"Well," said Jerry pleasantly, "I suppose I need not find it out till it +finds me out, eh? And if so, I'll keep up my spirits a little longer." + +Then there came up a broad-faced man, dressed in a great gray coat +with great gray cape and great white buttons, a gray hat, and a blue +comforter loosely tied round his neck; his hair was gray, too; but +he was a jolly-looking fellow, and the other men made way for him. +He looked me all over, as if he had been going to buy me; and then +straightening himself up with a grunt, he said, "He's the right sort for +you, Jerry; I don't care what you gave for him, he'll be worth it." Thus +my character was established on the stand. + +This man's name was Grant, but he was called "Gray Grant", or "Governor +Grant". He had been the longest on that stand of any of the men, and +he took it upon himself to settle matters and stop disputes. He was +generally a good-humored, sensible man; but if his temper was a little +out, as it was sometimes when he had drunk too much, nobody liked to +come too near his fist, for he could deal a very heavy blow. + +The first week of my life as a cab horse was very trying. I had never +been used to London, and the noise, the hurry, the crowds of horses, +carts, and carriages that I had to make my way through made me feel +anxious and harassed; but I soon found that I could perfectly trust my +driver, and then I made myself easy and got used to it. + +Jerry was as good a driver as I had ever known, and what was better, he +took as much thought for his horses as he did for himself. He soon found +out that I was willing to work and do my best, and he never laid the +whip on me unless it was gently drawing the end of it over my back when +I was to go on; but generally I knew this quite well by the way in which +he took up the reins, and I believe his whip was more frequently stuck +up by his side than in his hand. + +In a short time I and my master understood each other as well as horse +and man can do. In the stable, too, he did all that he could for our +comfort. The stalls were the old-fashioned style, too much on the slope; +but he had two movable bars fixed across the back of our stalls, so that +at night, and when we were resting, he just took off our halters and +put up the bars, and thus we could turn about and stand whichever way we +pleased, which is a great comfort. + +Jerry kept us very clean, and gave us as much change of food as he +could, and always plenty of it; and not only that, but he always gave us +plenty of clean fresh water, which he allowed to stand by us both night +and day, except of course when we came in warm. Some people say that a +horse ought not to drink all he likes; but I know if we are allowed to +drink when we want it we drink only a little at a time, and it does us +a great deal more good than swallowing down half a bucketful at a time, +because we have been left without till we are thirsty and miserable. +Some grooms will go home to their beer and leave us for hours with our +dry hay and oats and nothing to moisten them; then of course we gulp +down too much at once, which helps to spoil our breathing and sometimes +chills our stomachs. But the best thing we had here was our Sundays for +rest; we worked so hard in the week that I do not think we could have +kept up to it but for that day; besides, we had then time to enjoy each +other's company. It was on these days that I learned my companion's +history. + + + + +34 An Old War Horse + + +Captain had been broken in and trained for an army horse; his first +owner was an officer of cavalry going out to the Crimean war. He said he +quite enjoyed the training with all the other horses, trotting together, +turning together, to the right hand or the left, halting at the word of +command, or dashing forward at full speed at the sound of the trumpet +or signal of the officer. He was, when young, a dark, dappled iron-gray, +and considered very handsome. His master, a young, high-spirited +gentleman, was very fond of him, and treated him from the first with the +greatest care and kindness. He told me he thought the life of an army +horse was very pleasant; but when it came to being sent abroad over the +sea in a great ship, he almost changed his mind. + +"That part of it," said he, "was dreadful! Of course we could not walk +off the land into the ship; so they were obliged to put strong straps +under our bodies, and then we were lifted off our legs in spite of our +struggles, and were swung through the air over the water, to the deck of +the great vessel. There we were placed in small close stalls, and never +for a long time saw the sky, or were able to stretch our legs. The ship +sometimes rolled about in high winds, and we were knocked about, and +felt bad enough. + +"However, at last it came to an end, and we were hauled up, and swung +over again to the land; we were very glad, and snorted and neighed for +joy, when we once more felt firm ground under our feet. + +"We soon found that the country we had come to was very different from +our own and that we had many hardships to endure besides the fighting; +but many of the men were so fond of their horses that they did +everything they could to make them comfortable in spite of snow, wet, +and all things out of order." + +"But what about the fighting?" said I, "was not that worse than anything +else?" + +"Well," said he, "I hardly know; we always liked to hear the trumpet +sound, and to be called out, and were impatient to start off, though +sometimes we had to stand for hours, waiting for the word of command; +and when the word was given we used to spring forward as gayly and +eagerly as if there were no cannon balls, bayonets, or bullets. I +believe so long as we felt our rider firm in the saddle, and his hand +steady on the bridle, not one of us gave way to fear, not even when the +terrible bomb-shells whirled through the air and burst into a thousand +pieces. + +"I, with my noble master, went into many actions together without a +wound; and though I saw horses shot down with bullets, pierced through +with lances, and gashed with fearful saber-cuts; though we left them +dead on the field, or dying in the agony of their wounds, I don't think +I feared for myself. My master's cheery voice, as he encouraged his +men, made me feel as if he and I could not be killed. I had such perfect +trust in him that while he was guiding me I was ready to charge up +to the very cannon's mouth. I saw many brave men cut down, many fall +mortally wounded from their saddles. I had heard the cries and groans +of the dying, I had cantered over ground slippery with blood, and +frequently had to turn aside to avoid trampling on wounded man or horse, +but, until one dreadful day, I had never felt terror; that day I shall +never forget." + +Here old Captain paused for awhile and drew a long breath; I waited, and +he went on. + +"It was one autumn morning, and as usual, an hour before daybreak our +cavalry had turned out, ready caparisoned for the day's work, whether +it might be fighting or waiting. The men stood by their horses waiting, +ready for orders. As the light increased there seemed to be some +excitement among the officers; and before the day was well begun we +heard the firing of the enemy's guns. + +"Then one of the officers rode up and gave the word for the men to +mount, and in a second every man was in his saddle, and every horse +stood expecting the touch of the rein, or the pressure of his rider's +heels, all animated, all eager; but still we had been trained so well +that, except by the champing of our bits, and the restive tossing of our +heads from time to time, it could not be said that we stirred. + +"My dear master and I were at the head of the line, and as all sat +motionless and watchful, he took a little stray lock of my mane which +had turned over on the wrong side, laid it over on the right, and +smoothed it down with his hand; then patting my neck, he said, 'We shall +have a day of it to-day, Bayard, my beauty; but we'll do our duty as we +have done.' He stroked my neck that morning more, I think, than he had +ever done before; quietly on and on, as if he were thinking of something +else. I loved to feel his hand on my neck, and arched my crest proudly +and happily; but I stood very still, for I knew all his moods, and when +he liked me to be quiet, and when gay. + +"I cannot tell all that happened on that day, but I will tell of the +last charge that we made together; it was across a valley right in front +of the enemy's cannon. By this time we were well used to the roar of +heavy guns, the rattle of musket fire, and the flying of shot near us; +but never had I been under such a fire as we rode through on that day. +From the right, from the left, and from the front, shot and shell poured +in upon us. Many a brave man went down, many a horse fell, flinging his +rider to the earth; many a horse without a rider ran wildly out of the +ranks; then terrified at being alone, with no hand to guide him, came +pressing in among his old companions, to gallop with them to the charge. + +"Fearful as it was, no one stopped, no one turned back. Every moment the +ranks were thinned, but as our comrades fell, we closed in to keep +them together; and instead of being shaken or staggered in our pace our +gallop became faster and faster as we neared the cannon. + +"My master, my dear master was cheering on his comrades with his right +arm raised on high, when one of the balls whizzing close to my head +struck him. I felt him stagger with the shock, though he uttered no cry; +I tried to check my speed, but the sword dropped from his right hand, +the rein fell loose from the left, and sinking backward from the saddle +he fell to the earth; the other riders swept past us, and by the force +of their charge I was driven from the spot. + +"I wanted to keep my place by his side and not leave him under that +rush of horses' feet, but it was in vain; and now without a master or a +friend I was alone on that great slaughter ground; then fear took hold +on me, and I trembled as I had never trembled before; and I too, as I +had seen other horses do, tried to join in the ranks and gallop with +them; but I was beaten off by the swords of the soldiers. Just then a +soldier whose horse had been killed under him caught at my bridle and +mounted me, and with this new master I was again going forward; but our +gallant company was cruelly overpowered, and those who remained alive +after the fierce fight for the guns came galloping back over the same +ground. Some of the horses had been so badly wounded that they could +scarcely move from the loss of blood; other noble creatures were trying +on three legs to drag themselves along, and others were struggling to +rise on their fore feet, when their hind legs had been shattered by +shot. After the battle the wounded men were brought in and the dead were +buried." + +"And what about the wounded horses?" I said; "were they left to die?" + +"No, the army farriers went over the field with their pistols and shot +all that were ruined; some that had only slight wounds were brought back +and attended to, but the greater part of the noble, willing creatures +that went out that morning never came back! In our stables there was +only about one in four that returned. + +"I never saw my dear master again. I believe he fell dead from the +saddle. I never loved any other master so well. I went into many other +engagements, but was only once wounded, and then not seriously; and when +the war was over I came back again to England, as sound and strong as +when I went out." + +I said, "I have heard people talk about war as if it was a very fine +thing." + +"Ah!" said he, "I should think they never saw it. No doubt it is very +fine when there is no enemy, when it is just exercise and parade and +sham fight. Yes, it is very fine then; but when thousands of good brave +men and horses are killed or crippled for life, it has a very different +look." + +"Do you know what they fought about?" said I. + +"No," he said, "that is more than a horse can understand, but the enemy +must have been awfully wicked people, if it was right to go all that way +over the sea on purpose to kill them." + + + + +35 Jerry Barker + + +I never knew a better man than my new master. He was kind and good, and +as strong for the right as John Manly; and so good-tempered and merry +that very few people could pick a quarrel with him. He was very fond of +making little songs, and singing them to himself. One he was very fond +of was this: + + "Come, father and mother, + And sister and brother, + Come, all of you, turn to + And help one another." + +And so they did; Harry was as clever at stable-work as a much older boy, +and always wanted to do what he could. Then Polly and Dolly used to come +in the morning to help with the cab--to brush and beat the cushions, +and rub the glass, while Jerry was giving us a cleaning in the yard, and +Harry was rubbing the harness. There used to be a great deal of laughing +and fun between them, and it put Captain and me in much better spirits +than if we had heard scolding and hard words. They were always early in +the morning, for Jerry would say: + + "If you in the morning + Throw minutes away, + You can't pick them up + In the course of a day. + You may hurry and scurry, + And flurry and worry, + You've lost them forever, + Forever and aye." + +He could not bear any careless loitering and waste of time; and nothing +was so near making him angry as to find people, who were always late, +wanting a cab horse to be driven hard, to make up for their idleness. + +One day two wild-looking young men came out of a tavern close by the +stand, and called Jerry. + +"Here, cabby! look sharp, we are rather late; put on the steam, will +you, and take us to the Victoria in time for the one o'clock train? You +shall have a shilling extra." + +"I will take you at the regular pace, gentlemen; shillings don't pay for +putting on the steam like that." + +Larry's cab was standing next to ours; he flung open the door, and said, +"I'm your man, gentlemen! take my cab, my horse will get you there all +right;" and as he shut them in, with a wink toward Jerry, said, "It's +against his conscience to go beyond a jog-trot." Then slashing his jaded +horse, he set off as hard as he could. Jerry patted me on the neck: "No, +Jack, a shilling would not pay for that sort of thing, would it, old +boy?" + +Although Jerry was determinedly set against hard driving, to please +careless people, he always went a good fair pace, and was not against +putting on the steam, as he said, if only he knew why. + +I well remember one morning, as we were on the stand waiting for a +fare, that a young man, carrying a heavy portmanteau, trod on a piece of +orange peel which lay on the pavement, and fell down with great force. + +Jerry was the first to run and lift him up. He seemed much stunned, and +as they led him into a shop he walked as if he were in great pain. Jerry +of course came back to the stand, but in about ten minutes one of the +shopmen called him, so we drew up to the pavement. + +"Can you take me to the South-Eastern Railway?" said the young man; +"this unlucky fall has made me late, I fear; but it is of great +importance that I should not lose the twelve o'clock train. I should be +most thankful if you could get me there in time, and will gladly pay you +an extra fare." + +"I'll do my very best," said Jerry heartily, "if you think you are well +enough, sir," for he looked dreadfully white and ill. + +"I must go," he said earnestly, "please to open the door, and let us +lose no time." + +The next minute Jerry was on the box; with a cheery chirrup to me, and a +twitch of the rein that I well understood. + +"Now then, Jack, my boy," said he, "spin along, we'll show them how we +can get over the ground, if we only know why." + +It is always difficult to drive fast in the city in the middle of the +day, when the streets are full of traffic, but we did what could be +done; and when a good driver and a good horse, who understand each +other, are of one mind, it is wonderful what they can do. I had a very +good mouth--that is I could be guided by the slightest touch of the +rein; and that is a great thing in London, among carriages, omnibuses, +carts, vans, trucks, cabs, and great wagons creeping along at a walking +pace; some going one way, some another, some going slowly, others +wanting to pass them; omnibuses stopping short every few minutes to take +up a passenger, obliging the horse that is coming behind to pull up too, +or to pass, and get before them; perhaps you try to pass, but just then +something else comes dashing in through the narrow opening, and you +have to keep in behind the omnibus again; presently you think you see a +chance, and manage to get to the front, going so near the wheels on each +side that half an inch nearer and they would scrape. Well, you get along +for a bit, but soon find yourself in a long train of carts and carriages +all obliged to go at a walk; perhaps you come to a regular block-up, and +have to stand still for minutes together, till something clears out into +a side street, or the policeman interferes; you have to be ready for +any chance--to dash forward if there be an opening, and be quick as a +rat-dog to see if there be room and if there be time, lest you get your +own wheels locked or smashed, or the shaft of some other vehicle run +into your chest or shoulder. All this is what you have to be ready for. +If you want to get through London fast in the middle of the day it wants +a deal of practice. + +Jerry and I were used to it, and no one could beat us at getting through +when we were set upon it. I was quick and bold and could always trust +my driver; Jerry was quick and patient at the same time, and could trust +his horse, which was a great thing too. He very seldom used the whip; I +knew by his voice, and his click, click, when he wanted to get on fast, +and by the rein where I was to go; so there was no need for whipping; +but I must go back to my story. + +The streets were very full that day, but we got on pretty well as far +as the bottom of Cheapside, where there was a block for three or four +minutes. The young man put his head out and said anxiously, "I think I +had better get out and walk; I shall never get there if this goes on." + +"I'll do all that can be done, sir," said Jerry; "I think we shall be +in time. This block-up cannot last much longer, and your luggage is very +heavy for you to carry, sir." + +Just then the cart in front of us began to move on, and then we had a +good turn. In and out, in and out we went, as fast as horseflesh could +do it, and for a wonder had a good clear time on London Bridge, for +there was a whole train of cabs and carriages all going our way at a +quick trot, perhaps wanting to catch that very train. At any rate, we +whirled into the station with many more, just as the great clock pointed +to eight minutes to twelve o'clock. + +"Thank God! we are in time," said the young man, "and thank you, too, my +friend, and your good horse. You have saved me more than money can ever +pay for. Take this extra half-crown." + +"No, sir, no, thank you all the same; so glad we hit the time, sir; +but don't stay now, sir, the bell is ringing. Here, porter! take this +gentleman's luggage--Dover line twelve o'clock train--that's it," and +without waiting for another word Jerry wheeled me round to make room for +other cabs that were dashing up at the last minute, and drew up on one +side till the crush was past. + +"'So glad!' he said, 'so glad!' Poor young fellow! I wonder what it was +that made him so anxious!" + +Jerry often talked to himself quite loud enough for me to hear when we +were not moving. + +On Jerry's return to the rank there was a good deal of laughing and +chaffing at him for driving hard to the train for an extra fare, as they +said, all against his principles, and they wanted to know how much he +had pocketed. + +"A good deal more than I generally get," said he, nodding slyly; "what +he gave me will keep me in little comforts for several days." + +"Gammon!" said one. + +"He's a humbug," said another; "preaching to us and then doing the same +himself." + +"Look here, mates," said Jerry; "the gentleman offered me half a crown +extra, but I didn't take it; 'twas quite pay enough for me to see how +glad he was to catch that train; and if Jack and I choose to have a +quick run now and then to please ourselves, that's our business and not +yours." + +"Well," said Larry, "you'll never be a rich man." + +"Most likely not," said Jerry; "but I don't know that I shall be the +less happy for that. I have heard the commandments read a great many +times and I never noticed that any of them said, 'Thou shalt be rich'; +and there are a good many curious things said in the New Testament about +rich men that I think would make me feel rather queer if I was one of +them." + +"If you ever do get rich," said Governor Gray, looking over his shoulder +across the top of his cab, "you'll deserve it, Jerry, and you won't find +a curse come with your wealth. As for you, Larry, you'll die poor; you +spend too much in whipcord." + +"Well," said Larry, "what is a fellow to do if his horse won't go +without it?" + +"You never take the trouble to see if he will go without it; your whip +is always going as if you had the St. Vitus' dance in your arm, and +if it does not wear you out it wears your horse out; you know you are +always changing your horses; and why? Because you never give them any +peace or encouragement." + +"Well, I have not had good luck," said Larry, "that's where it is." + +"And you never will," said the governor. "Good Luck is rather particular +who she rides with, and mostly prefers those who have got common sense +and a good heart; at least that is my experience." + +Governor Gray turned round again to his newspaper, and the other men +went to their cabs. + + + + +36 The Sunday Cab + + +One morning, as Jerry had just put me into the shafts and was fastening +the traces, a gentleman walked into the yard. "Your servant, sir," said +Jerry. + +"Good-morning, Mr. Barker," said the gentleman. "I should be glad to +make some arrangements with you for taking Mrs. Briggs regularly to +church on Sunday mornings. We go to the New Church now, and that is +rather further than she can walk." + +"Thank you, sir," said Jerry, "but I have only taken out a six-days' +license,* and therefore I could not take a fare on a Sunday; it would +not be legal." + + +* A few years since the annual charge for a cab license was very much +reduced, and the difference between the six and seven days' cabs was +abolished. + + +"Oh!" said the other, "I did not know yours was a six-days' cab; but of +course it would be very easy to alter your license. I would see that you +did not lose by it; the fact is, Mrs. Briggs very much prefers you to +drive her." + +"I should be glad to oblige the lady, sir, but I had a seven-days' +license once, and the work was too hard for me, and too hard for my +horses. Year in and year out, not a day's rest, and never a Sunday with +my wife and children; and never able to go to a place of worship, which +I had always been used to do before I took to the driving box. So for +the last five years I have only taken a six-days' license, and I find it +better all the way round." + +"Well, of course," replied Mr. Briggs, "it is very proper that every +person should have rest, and be able to go to church on Sundays, but I +should have thought you would not have minded such a short distance for +the horse, and only once a day; you would have all the afternoon and +evening for yourself, and we are very good customers, you know." + +"Yes, sir, that is true, and I am grateful for all favors, I am sure; +and anything that I could do to oblige you, or the lady, I should be +proud and happy to do; but I can't give up my Sundays, sir, indeed I +can't. I read that God made man, and he made horses and all the other +beasts, and as soon as He had made them He made a day of rest, and bade +that all should rest one day in seven; and I think, sir, He must have +known what was good for them, and I am sure it is good for me; I am +stronger and healthier altogether, now that I have a day of rest; the +horses are fresh too, and do not wear up nearly so fast. The six-day +drivers all tell me the same, and I have laid by more money in the +savings bank than ever I did before; and as for the wife and children, +sir, why, heart alive! they would not go back to the seven days for all +they could see." + +"Oh, very well," said the gentleman. "Don't trouble yourself, Mr. +Barker, any further. I will inquire somewhere else," and he walked away. + +"Well," says Jerry to me, "we can't help it, Jack, old boy; we must have +our Sundays." + +"Polly!" he shouted, "Polly! come here." + +She was there in a minute. + +"What is it all about, Jerry?" + +"Why, my dear, Mr. Briggs wants me to take Mrs. Briggs to church every +Sunday morning. I say I have only a six-days' license. He says, 'Get a +seven-days' license, and I'll make it worth your while;' and you know, +Polly, they are very good customers to us. Mrs. Briggs often goes out +shopping for hours, or making calls, and then she pays down fair and +honorable like a lady; there's no beating down or making three hours +into two hours and a half, as some folks do; and it is easy work for +the horses; not like tearing along to catch trains for people that are +always a quarter of an hour too late; and if I don't oblige her in this +matter it is very likely we shall lose them altogether. What do you say, +little woman?" + +"I say, Jerry," says she, speaking very slowly, "I say, if Mrs. Briggs +would give you a sovereign every Sunday morning, I would not have you a +seven-days' cabman again. We have known what it was to have no Sundays, +and now we know what it is to call them our own. Thank God, you earn +enough to keep us, though it is sometimes close work to pay for all the +oats and hay, the license, and the rent besides; but Harry will soon be +earning something, and I would rather struggle on harder than we do than +go back to those horrid times when you hardly had a minute to look at +your own children, and we never could go to a place of worship together, +or have a happy, quiet day. God forbid that we should ever turn back to +those times; that's what I say, Jerry." + +"And that is just what I told Mr. Briggs, my dear," said Jerry, "and +what I mean to stick to. So don't go and fret yourself, Polly" (for she +had begun to cry); "I would not go back to the old times if I earned +twice as much, so that is settled, little woman. Now, cheer up, and I'll +be off to the stand." + +Three weeks had passed away after this conversation, and no order had +come from Mrs. Briggs; so there was nothing but taking jobs from the +stand. Jerry took it to heart a good deal, for of course the work was +harder for horse and man. But Polly would always cheer him up, and say, +"Never mind, father, never, mind. + + "'Do your best, + And leave the rest, + 'Twill all come right + Some day or night.'" + +It soon became known that Jerry had lost his best customer, and for what +reason. Most of the men said he was a fool, but two or three took his +part. + +"If workingmen don't stick to their Sunday," said Truman, "they'll soon +have none left; it is every man's right and every beast's right. By +God's law we have a day of rest, and by the law of England we have a day +of rest; and I say we ought to hold to the rights these laws give us and +keep them for our children." + +"All very well for you religious chaps to talk so," said Larry; "but +I'll turn a shilling when I can. I don't believe in religion, for I +don't see that your religious people are any better than the rest." + +"If they are not better," put in Jerry, "it is because they are not +religious. You might as well say that our country's laws are not good +because some people break them. If a man gives way to his temper, and +speaks evil of his neighbor, and does not pay his debts, he is not +religious, I don't care how much he goes to church. If some men are +shams and humbugs, that does not make religion untrue. Real religion is +the best and truest thing in the world, and the only thing that can make +a man really happy or make the world we live in any better." + +"If religion was good for anything," said Jones, "it would prevent your +religious people from making us work on Sundays, as you know many of +them do, and that's why I say religion is nothing but a sham; why, if it +was not for the church and chapel-goers it would be hardly worth while +our coming out on a Sunday. But they have their privileges, as they call +them, and I go without. I shall expect them to answer for my soul, if I +can't get a chance of saving it." + +Several of the men applauded this, till Jerry said: + +"That may sound well enough, but it won't do; every man must look +after his own soul; you can't lay it down at another man's door like a +foundling and expect him to take care of it; and don't you see, if you +are always sitting on your box waiting for a fare, they will say, 'If we +don't take him some one else will, and he does not look for any Sunday.' +Of course, they don't go to the bottom of it, or they would see if they +never came for a cab it would be no use your standing there; but +people don't always like to go to the bottom of things; it may not be +convenient to do it; but if you Sunday drivers would all strike for a +day of rest the thing would be done." + +"And what would all the good people do if they could not get to their +favorite preachers?" said Larry. + +"'Tis not for me to lay down plans for other people," said Jerry, "but +if they can't walk so far they can go to what is nearer; and if it +should rain they can put on their mackintoshes as they do on a week-day. +If a thing is right it can be done, and if it is wrong it can be done +without; and a good man will find a way. And that is as true for us +cabmen as it is for the church-goers." + + + + +37 The Golden Rule + + +Two or three weeks after this, as we came into the yard rather late in +the evening, Polly came running across the road with the lantern (she +always brought it to him if it was not very wet). + +"It has all come right, Jerry; Mrs. Briggs sent her servant this +afternoon to ask you to take her out to-morrow at eleven o'clock. I +said, 'Yes, I thought so, but we supposed she employed some one else +now.'" + +"'Well,' said he, 'the real fact is, master was put out because Mr. +Barker refused to come on Sundays, and he has been trying other cabs, +but there's something wrong with them all; some drive too fast, and some +too slow, and the mistress says there is not one of them so nice and +clean as yours, and nothing will suit her but Mr. Barker's cab again.'" + +Polly was almost out of breath, and Jerry broke out into a merry laugh. + +"''Twill all come right some day or night': you were right, my dear; you +generally are. Run in and get the supper, and I'll have Jack's harness +off and make him snug and happy in no time." + +After this Mrs. Briggs wanted Jerry's cab quite as often as before, +never, however, on a Sunday; but there came a day when we had Sunday +work, and this was how it happened. We had all come home on the Saturday +night very tired, and very glad to think that the next day would be all +rest, but so it was not to be. + +On Sunday morning Jerry was cleaning me in the yard, when Polly stepped +up to him, looking very full of something. + +"What is it?" said Jerry. + +"Well, my dear," she said, "poor Dinah Brown has just had a letter +brought to say that her mother is dangerously ill, and that she must +go directly if she wishes to see her alive. The place is more than ten +miles away from here, out in the country, and she says if she takes the +train she should still have four miles to walk; and so weak as she is, +and the baby only four weeks old, of course that would be impossible; +and she wants to know if you would take her in your cab, and she +promises to pay you faithfully, as she can get the money." + +"Tut, tut! we'll see about that. It was not the money I was thinking +about, but of losing our Sunday; the horses are tired, and I am tired, +too--that's where it pinches." + +"It pinches all round, for that matter," said Polly, "for it's only +half Sunday without you, but you know we should do to other people as +we should like they should do to us; and I know very well what I should +like if my mother was dying; and Jerry, dear, I am sure it won't break +the Sabbath; for if pulling a poor beast or donkey out of a pit would +not spoil it, I am quite sure taking poor Dinah would not do it." + +"Why, Polly, you are as good as the minister, and so, as I've had my +Sunday-morning sermon early to-day, you may go and tell Dinah that I'll +be ready for her as the clock strikes ten; but stop--just step round to +butcher Braydon's with my compliments, and ask him if he would lend me +his light trap; I know he never uses it on the Sunday, and it would make +a wonderful difference to the horse." + +Away she went, and soon returned, saying that he could have the trap and +welcome. + +"All right," said he; "now put me up a bit of bread and cheese, and I'll +be back in the afternoon as soon as I can." + +"And I'll have the meat pie ready for an early tea instead of for +dinner," said Polly; and away she went, while he made his preparations +to the tune of "Polly's the woman and no mistake", of which tune he was +very fond. + +I was selected for the journey, and at ten o'clock we started, in a +light, high-wheeled gig, which ran so easily that after the four-wheeled +cab it seemed like nothing. + +It was a fine May day, and as soon as we were out of the town, the sweet +air, the smell of the fresh grass, and the soft country roads were as +pleasant as they used to be in the old times, and I soon began to feel +quite fresh. + +Dinah's family lived in a small farmhouse, up a green lane, close by a +meadow with some fine shady trees; there were two cows feeding in it. +A young man asked Jerry to bring his trap into the meadow, and he would +tie me up in the cowshed; he wished he had a better stable to offer. + +"If your cows would not be offended," said Jerry, "there is nothing my +horse would like so well as to have an hour or two in your beautiful +meadow; he's quiet, and it would be a rare treat for him." + +"Do, and welcome," said the young man; "the best we have is at your +service for your kindness to my sister; we shall be having some dinner +in an hour, and I hope you'll come in, though with mother so ill we are +all out of sorts in the house." + +Jerry thanked him kindly, but said as he had some dinner with him there +was nothing he should like so well as walking about in the meadow. + +When my harness was taken off I did not know what I should do +first--whether to eat the grass, or roll over on my back, or lie down +and rest, or have a gallop across the meadow out of sheer spirits at +being free; and I did all by turns. Jerry seemed to be quite as happy +as I was; he sat down by a bank under a shady tree, and listened to the +birds, then he sang himself, and read out of the little brown book he is +so fond of, then wandered round the meadow, and down by a little brook, +where he picked the flowers and the hawthorn, and tied them up with +long sprays of ivy; then he gave me a good feed of the oats which he had +brought with him; but the time seemed all too short--I had not been in a +field since I left poor Ginger at Earlshall. + +We came home gently, and Jerry's first words were, as we came into the +yard, "Well, Polly, I have not lost my Sunday after all, for the birds +were singing hymns in every bush, and I joined in the service; and as +for Jack, he was like a young colt." + +When he handed Dolly the flowers she jumped about for joy. + + + + +38 Dolly and a Real Gentleman + + +Winter came in early, with a great deal of cold and wet. There was snow, +or sleet, or rain almost every day for weeks, changing only for keen +driving winds or sharp frosts. The horses all felt it very much. When +it is a dry cold a couple of good thick rugs will keep the warmth in us; +but when it is soaking rain they soon get wet through and are no good. +Some of the drivers had a waterproof cover to throw over, which was a +fine thing; but some of the men were so poor that they could not protect +either themselves or their horses, and many of them suffered very much +that winter. When we horses had worked half the day we went to our dry +stables, and could rest, while they had to sit on their boxes, sometimes +staying out as late as one or two o'clock in the morning if they had a +party to wait for. + +When the streets were slippery with frost or snow that was the worst of +all for us horses. One mile of such traveling, with a weight to draw +and no firm footing, would take more out of us than four on a good +road; every nerve and muscle of our bodies is on the strain to keep our +balance; and, added to this, the fear of falling is more exhausting than +anything else. If the roads are very bad indeed our shoes are roughed, +but that makes us feel nervous at first. + +When the weather was very bad many of the men would go and sit in the +tavern close by, and get some one to watch for them; but they often +lost a fare in that way, and could not, as Jerry said, be there without +spending money. He never went to the Rising Sun; there was a coffee-shop +near, where he now and then went, or he bought of an old man, who came +to our rank with tins of hot coffee and pies. It was his opinion that +spirits and beer made a man colder afterward, and that dry clothes, good +food, cheerfulness, and a comfortable wife at home, were the best things +to keep a cabman warm. Polly always supplied him with something to eat +when he could not get home, and sometimes he would see little Dolly +peeping from the corner of the street, to make sure if "father" was on +the stand. If she saw him she would run off at full speed and soon come +back with something in a tin or basket, some hot soup or pudding Polly +had ready. It was wonderful how such a little thing could get safely +across the street, often thronged with horses and carriages; but she was +a brave little maid, and felt it quite an honor to bring "father's first +course", as he used to call it. She was a general favorite on the stand, +and there was not a man who would not have seen her safely across the +street, if Jerry had not been able to do it. + +One cold windy day Dolly had brought Jerry a basin of something hot, +and was standing by him while he ate it. He had scarcely begun when +a gentleman, walking toward us very fast, held up his umbrella. Jerry +touched his hat in return, gave the basin to Dolly, and was taking off +my cloth, when the gentleman, hastening up, cried out, "No, no, finish +your soup, my friend; I have not much time to spare, but I can wait +till you have done, and set your little girl safe on the pavement." So +saying, he seated himself in the cab. Jerry thanked him kindly, and came +back to Dolly. + +"There, Dolly, that's a gentleman; that's a real gentleman, Dolly; he +has got time and thought for the comfort of a poor cabman and a little +girl." + +Jerry finished his soup, set the child across, and then took his orders +to drive to Clapham Rise. Several times after that the same gentleman +took our cab. I think he was very fond of dogs and horses, for whenever +we took him to his own door two or three dogs would come bounding out +to meet him. Sometimes he came round and patted me, saying in his quiet, +pleasant way, "This horse has got a good master, and he deserves it." +It was a very rare thing for any one to notice the horse that had been +working for him. I have known ladies to do it now and then, and this +gentleman, and one or two others have given me a pat and a kind word; +but ninety-nine persons out of a hundred would as soon think of patting +the steam engine that drew the train. + +The gentleman was not young, and there was a forward stoop in his +shoulders as if he was always going at something. His lips were thin and +close shut, though they had a very pleasant smile; his eye was keen, and +there was something in his jaw and the motion of his head that made one +think he was very determined in anything he set about. His voice was +pleasant and kind; any horse would trust that voice, though it was just +as decided as everything else about him. + +One day he and another gentleman took our cab; they stopped at a shop +in R---- Street, and while his friend went in he stood at the door. A +little ahead of us on the other side of the street a cart with two very +fine horses was standing before some wine vaults; the carter was not +with them, and I cannot tell how long they had been standing, but they +seemed to think they had waited long enough, and began to move off. +Before they had gone many paces the carter came running out and caught +them. He seemed furious at their having moved, and with whip and rein +punished them brutally, even beating them about the head. Our gentleman +saw it all, and stepping quickly across the street, said in a decided +voice: + +"If you don't stop that directly, I'll have you arrested for leaving +your horses, and for brutal conduct." + +The man, who had clearly been drinking, poured forth some abusive +language, but he left off knocking the horses about, and taking the +reins, got into his cart; meantime our friend had quietly taken a +note-book from his pocket, and looking at the name and address painted +on the cart, he wrote something down. + +"What do you want with that?" growled the carter, as he cracked his whip +and was moving on. A nod and a grim smile was the only answer he got. + +On returning to the cab our friend was joined by his companion, who said +laughingly, "I should have thought, Wright, you had enough business of +your own to look after, without troubling yourself about other people's +horses and servants." + +Our friend stood still for a moment, and throwing his head a little +back, "Do you know why this world is as bad as it is?" + +"No," said the other. + +"Then I'll tell you. It is because people think only about their own +business, and won't trouble themselves to stand up for the oppressed, +nor bring the wrongdoer to light. I never see a wicked thing like this +without doing what I can, and many a master has thanked me for letting +him know how his horses have been used." + +"I wish there were more gentlemen like you, sir," said Jerry, "for they +are wanted badly enough in this city." + +After this we continued our journey, and as they got out of the cab our +friend was saying, "My doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or +wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves +sharers in the guilt." + + + + +39 Seedy Sam + + +I should say that for a cab-horse I was very well off indeed; my driver +was my owner, and it was his interest to treat me well and not overwork +me, even had he not been so good a man as he was; but there were a great +many horses which belonged to the large cab-owners, who let them out to +their drivers for so much money a day. As the horses did not belong to +these men the only thing they thought of was how to get their money out +of them, first, to pay the master, and then to provide for their own +living; and a dreadful time some of these horses had of it. Of course, +I understood but little, but it was often talked over on the stand, +and the governor, who was a kind-hearted man and fond of horses, would +sometimes speak up if one came in very much jaded or ill-used. + +One day a shabby, miserable-looking driver, who went by the name of +"Seedy Sam", brought in his horse looking dreadfully beat, and the +governor said: + +"You and your horse look more fit for the police station than for this +rank." + +The man flung his tattered rug over the horse, turned full round upon +the Governor and said in a voice that sounded almost desperate: + +"If the police have any business with the matter it ought to be with the +masters who charge us so much, or with the fares that are fixed so low. +If a man has to pay eighteen shillings a day for the use of a cab and +two horses, as many of us have to do in the season, and must make that +up before we earn a penny for ourselves I say 'tis more than hard work; +nine shillings a day to get out of each horse before you begin to get +your own living. You know that's true, and if the horses don't work we +must starve, and I and my children have known what that is before now. +I've six of 'em, and only one earns anything; I am on the stand fourteen +or sixteen hours a day, and I haven't had a Sunday these ten or twelve +weeks; you know Skinner never gives a day if he can help it, and if I +don't work hard, tell me who does! I want a warm coat and a mackintosh, +but with so many to feed how can a man get it? I had to pledge my clock +a week ago to pay Skinner, and I shall never see it again." + +Some of the other drivers stood round nodding their heads and saying he +was right. The man went on: + +"You that have your own horses and cabs, or drive for good masters, have +a chance of getting on and a chance of doing right; I haven't. We can't +charge more than sixpence a mile after the first, within the four-mile +radius. This very morning I had to go a clear six miles and only took +three shillings. I could not get a return fare, and had to come all the +way back; there's twelve miles for the horse and three shillings for me. +After that I had a three-mile fare, and there were bags and boxes enough +to have brought in a good many twopences if they had been put outside; +but you know how people do; all that could be piled up inside on the +front seat were put in and three heavy boxes went on the top. That +was sixpence, and the fare one and sixpence; then I got a return for a +shilling. Now that makes eighteen miles for the horse and six shillings +for me; there's three shillings still for that horse to earn and nine +shillings for the afternoon horse before I touch a penny. Of course, it +is not always so bad as that, but you know it often is, and I say 'tis +a mockery to tell a man that he must not overwork his horse, for when a +beast is downright tired there's nothing but the whip that will keep +his legs a-going; you can't help yourself--you must put your wife and +children before the horse; the masters must look to that, we can't. I +don't ill-use my horse for the sake of it; none of you can say I do. +There's wrong lays somewhere--never a day's rest, never a quiet hour +with the wife and children. I often feel like an old man, though I'm +only forty-five. You know how quick some of the gentry are to suspect us +of cheating and overcharging; why, they stand with their purses in +their hands counting it over to a penny and looking at us as if we were +pickpockets. I wish some of 'em had got to sit on my box sixteen hours +a day and get a living out of it and eighteen shillings beside, and that +in all weathers; they would not be so uncommon particular never to give +us a sixpence over or to cram all the luggage inside. Of course, some of +'em tip us pretty handsome now and then, or else we could not live; but +you can't depend upon that." + +The men who stood round much approved this speech, and one of them said, +"It is desperate hard, and if a man sometimes does what is wrong it is +no wonder, and if he gets a dram too much who's to blow him up?" + +Jerry had taken no part in this conversation, but I never saw his face +look so sad before. The governor had stood with both his hands in his +pockets; now he took his handkerchief out of his hat and wiped his +forehead. + +"You've beaten me, Sam," he said, "for it's all true, and I won't cast +it up to you any more about the police; it was the look in that horse's +eye that came over me. It is hard lines for man and it is hard lines for +beast, and who's to mend it I don't know: but anyway you might tell +the poor beast that you were sorry to take it out of him in that way. +Sometimes a kind word is all we can give 'em, poor brutes, and 'tis +wonderful what they do understand." + +A few mornings after this talk a new man came on the stand with Sam's +cab. + +"Halloo!" said one, "what's up with Seedy Sam?" + +"He's ill in bed," said the man; "he was taken last night in the yard, +and could scarcely crawl home. His wife sent a boy this morning to +say his father was in a high fever and could not get out, so I'm here +instead." + +The next morning the same man came again. + +"How is Sam?" inquired the governor. + +"He's gone," said the man. + +"What, gone? You don't mean to say he's dead?" + +"Just snuffed out," said the other; "he died at four o'clock this +morning; all yesterday he was raving--raving about Skinner, and having +no Sundays. 'I never had a Sunday's rest,' these were his last words." + +No one spoke for a while, and then the governor said, "I'll tell you +what, mates, this is a warning for us." + + + + +40 Poor Ginger + + +One day, while our cab and many others were waiting outside one of the +parks where music was playing, a shabby old cab drove up beside ours. +The horse was an old worn-out chestnut, with an ill-kept coat, and +bones that showed plainly through it, the knees knuckled over, and the +fore-legs were very unsteady. I had been eating some hay, and the wind +rolled a little lock of it that way, and the poor creature put out her +long thin neck and picked it up, and then turned and looked about for +more. There was a hopeless look in the dull eye that I could not help +noticing, and then, as I was thinking where I had seen that horse +before, she looked full at me and said, "Black Beauty, is that you?" + +It was Ginger! but how changed! The beautifully arched and glossy neck +was now straight, and lank, and fallen in; the clean straight legs and +delicate fetlocks were swelled; the joints were grown out of shape with +hard work; the face, that was once so full of spirit and life, was now +full of suffering, and I could tell by the heaving of her sides, and her +frequent cough, how bad her breath was. + +Our drivers were standing together a little way off, so I sidled up to +her a step or two, that we might have a little quiet talk. It was a sad +tale that she had to tell. + +After a twelvemonth's run off at Earlshall, she was considered to be fit +for work again, and was sold to a gentleman. For a little while she +got on very well, but after a longer gallop than usual the old strain +returned, and after being rested and doctored she was again sold. In +this way she changed hands several times, but always getting lower down. + +"And so at last," said she, "I was bought by a man who keeps a number of +cabs and horses, and lets them out. You look well off, and I am glad of +it, but I could not tell you what my life has been. When they found out +my weakness they said I was not worth what they gave for me, and that I +must go into one of the low cabs, and just be used up; that is what +they are doing, whipping and working with never one thought of what I +suffer--they paid for me, and must get it out of me, they say. The man +who hires me now pays a deal of money to the owner every day, and so he +has to get it out of me too; and so it's all the week round and round, +with never a Sunday rest." + +I said, "You used to stand up for yourself if you were ill-used." + +"Ah!" she said, "I did once, but it's no use; men are strongest, and if +they are cruel and have no feeling, there is nothing that we can do, but +just bear it--bear it on and on to the end. I wish the end was come, +I wish I was dead. I have seen dead horses, and I am sure they do not +suffer pain; I wish I may drop down dead at my work, and not be sent off +to the knackers." + +I was very much troubled, and I put my nose up to hers, but I could say +nothing to comfort her. I think she was pleased to see me, for she said, +"You are the only friend I ever had." + +Just then her driver came up, and with a tug at her mouth backed her out +of the line and drove off, leaving me very sad indeed. + +A short time after this a cart with a dead horse in it passed our +cab-stand. The head hung out of the cart-tail, the lifeless tongue was +slowly dropping with blood; and the sunken eyes! but I can't speak of +them, the sight was too dreadful. It was a chestnut horse with a long, +thin neck. I saw a white streak down the forehead. I believe it was +Ginger; I hoped it was, for then her troubles would be over. Oh! if men +were more merciful they would shoot us before we came to such misery. + + + + +41 The Butcher + + +I saw a great deal of trouble among the horses in London, and much of +it might have been prevented by a little common sense. We horses do not +mind hard work if we are treated reasonably, and I am sure there are +many driven by quite poor men who have a happier life than I had when I +used to go in the Countess of W----'s carriage, with my silver-mounted +harness and high feeding. + +It often went to my heart to see how the little ponies were used, +straining along with heavy loads or staggering under heavy blows from +some low, cruel boy. Once I saw a little gray pony with a thick mane +and a pretty head, and so much like Merrylegs that if I had not been in +harness I should have neighed to him. He was doing his best to pull a +heavy cart, while a strong rough boy was cutting him under the belly +with his whip and chucking cruelly at his little mouth. Could it be +Merrylegs? It was just like him; but then Mr. Blomefield was never to +sell him, and I think he would not do it; but this might have been quite +as good a little fellow, and had as happy a place when he was young. + +I often noticed the great speed at which butchers' horses were made to +go, though I did not know why it was so till one day when we had to wait +some time in St. John's Wood. There was a butcher's shop next door, and +as we were standing a butcher's cart came dashing up at a great pace. +The horse was hot and much exhausted; he hung his head down, while his +heaving sides and trembling legs showed how hard he had been driven. The +lad jumped out of the cart and was getting the basket when the master +came out of the shop much displeased. After looking at the horse he +turned angrily to the lad. + +"How many times shall I tell you not to drive in this way? You ruined +the last horse and broke his wind, and you are going to ruin this in the +same way. If you were not my own son I would dismiss you on the spot; +it is a disgrace to have a horse brought to the shop in a condition like +that; you are liable to be taken up by the police for such driving, and +if you are you need not look to me for bail, for I have spoken to you +till I'm tired; you must look out for yourself." + +During this speech the boy had stood by, sullen and dogged, but when his +father ceased he broke out angrily. It wasn't his fault, and he wouldn't +take the blame; he was only going by orders all the time. + +"You always say, 'Now be quick; now look sharp!' and when I go to the +houses one wants a leg of mutton for an early dinner and I must be back +with it in a quarter of an hour; another cook has forgotten to order +the beef; I must go and fetch it and be back in no time, or the +mistress will scold; and the housekeeper says they have company coming +unexpectedly and must have some chops sent up directly; and the lady at +No. 4, in the Crescent, never orders her dinner till the meat comes +in for lunch, and it's nothing but hurry, hurry, all the time. If the +gentry would think of what they want, and order their meat the day +before, there need not be this blow up!" + +"I wish to goodness they would," said the butcher; "'twould save me a +wonderful deal of harass, and I could suit my customers much better if +I knew beforehand--But there! what's the use of talking--who ever thinks +of a butcher's convenience or a butcher's horse! Now, then, take him +in and look to him well; mind, he does not go out again to-day, and if +anything else is wanted you must carry it yourself in the basket." With +that he went in, and the horse was led away. + +But all boys are not cruel. I have seen some as fond of their pony or +donkey as if it had been a favorite dog, and the little creatures have +worked away as cheerfully and willingly for their young drivers as I +work for Jerry. It may be hard work sometimes, but a friend's hand and +voice make it easy. + +There was a young coster-boy who came up our street with greens and +potatoes; he had an old pony, not very handsome, but the cheerfullest +and pluckiest little thing I ever saw, and to see how fond those two +were of each other was a treat. The pony followed his master like a dog, +and when he got into his cart would trot off without a whip or a word, +and rattle down the street as merrily as if he had come out of the +queen's stables. Jerry liked the boy, and called him "Prince Charlie", +for he said he would make a king of drivers some day. + +There was an old man, too, who used to come up our street with a little +coal cart; he wore a coal-heaver's hat, and looked rough and black. He +and his old horse used to plod together along the street, like two good +partners who understood each other; the horse would stop of his own +accord at the doors where they took coal of him; he used to keep one ear +bent toward his master. The old man's cry could be heard up the street +long before he came near. I never knew what he said, but the children +called him "Old Ba-a-ar Hoo", for it sounded like that. Polly took her +coal of him, and was very friendly, and Jerry said it was a comfort to +think how happy an old horse might be in a poor place. + + + + +42 The Election + + +As we came into the yard one afternoon Polly came out. "Jerry! I've had +Mr. B---- here asking about your vote, and he wants to hire your cab for +the election; he will call for an answer." + +"Well, Polly, you may say that my cab will be otherwise engaged. I +should not like to have it pasted over with their great bills, and as +to making Jack and Captain race about to the public-houses to bring up +half-drunken voters, why, I think 'twould be an insult to the horses. +No, I shan't do it." + +"I suppose you'll vote for the gentleman? He said he was of your +politics." + +"So he is in some things, but I shall not vote for him, Polly; you know +what his trade is?" + +"Yes." + +"Well, a man who gets rich by that trade may be all very well in some +ways, but he is blind as to what workingmen want; I could not in my +conscience send him up to make the laws. I dare say they'll be angry, +but every man must do what he thinks to be the best for his country." + +On the morning before the election, Jerry was putting me into the +shafts, when Dolly came into the yard sobbing and crying, with her +little blue frock and white pinafore spattered all over with mud. + +"Why, Dolly, what is the matter?" + +"Those naughty boys," she sobbed, "have thrown the dirt all over me, and +called me a little raga--raga--" + +"They called her a little 'blue' ragamuffin, father," said Harry, who +ran in looking very angry; "but I have given it to them; they won't +insult my sister again. I have given them a thrashing they will +remember; a set of cowardly, rascally 'orange' blackguards." + +Jerry kissed the child and said, "Run in to mother, my pet, and tell her +I think you had better stay at home to-day and help her." + +Then turning gravely to Harry: + +"My boy, I hope you will always defend your sister, and give anybody who +insults her a good thrashing--that is as it should be; but mind, I won't +have any election blackguarding on my premises. There are as many +'blue' blackguards as there are 'orange', and as many white as there are +purple, or any other color, and I won't have any of my family mixed up +with it. Even women and children are ready to quarrel for the sake of a +color, and not one in ten of them knows what it is about." + +"Why, father, I thought blue was for Liberty." + +"My boy, Liberty does not come from colors, they only show party, and +all the liberty you can get out of them is, liberty to get drunk at +other people's expense, liberty to ride to the poll in a dirty old cab, +liberty to abuse any one that does not wear your color, and to shout +yourself hoarse at what you only half-understand--that's your liberty!" + +"Oh, father, you are laughing." + +"No, Harry, I am serious, and I am ashamed to see how men go on who +ought to know better. An election is a very serious thing; at least it +ought to be, and every man ought to vote according to his conscience, +and let his neighbor do the same." + + + + +43 A Friend in Need + + +The election day came at last; there was no lack of work for Jerry and +me. First came a stout puffy gentleman with a carpet bag; he wanted to +go to the Bishopsgate station; then we were called by a party who wished +to be taken to the Regent's Park; and next we were wanted in a side +street where a timid, anxious old lady was waiting to be taken to the +bank; there we had to stop to take her back again, and just as we had +set her down a red-faced gentleman, with a handful of papers, came +running up out of breath, and before Jerry could get down he had opened +the door, popped himself in, and called out, "Bow Street Police Station, +quick!" so off we went with him, and when after another turn or two +we came back, there was no other cab on the stand. Jerry put on my +nose-bag, for as he said, "We must eat when we can on such days as +these; so munch away, Jack, and make the best of your time, old boy." + +I found I had a good feed of crushed oats wetted up with a little bran; +this would be a treat any day, but very refreshing then. Jerry was so +thoughtful and kind--what horse would not do his best for such a master? +Then he took out one of Polly's meat pies, and standing near me, he +began to eat it. The streets were very full, and the cabs, with the +candidates' colors on them, were dashing about through the crowd as if +life and limb were of no consequence; we saw two people knocked down +that day, and one was a woman. The horses were having a bad time of it, +poor things! but the voters inside thought nothing of that; many of them +were half-drunk, hurrahing out of the cab windows if their own party +came by. It was the first election I had seen, and I don't want to be in +another, though I have heard things are better now. + +Jerry and I had not eaten many mouthfuls before a poor young woman, +carrying a heavy child, came along the street. She was looking this way +and that way, and seemed quite bewildered. Presently she made her way up +to Jerry and asked if he could tell her the way to St. Thomas' Hospital, +and how far it was to get there. She had come from the country that +morning, she said, in a market cart; she did not know about the +election, and was quite a stranger in London. She had got an order for +the hospital for her little boy. The child was crying with a feeble, +pining cry. + +"Poor little fellow!" she said, "he suffers a deal of pain; he is four +years old and can't walk any more than a baby; but the doctor said if I +could get him into the hospital he might get well; pray, sir, how far is +it; and which way is it?" + +"Why, missis," said Jerry, "you can't get there walking through crowds +like this! why, it is three miles away, and that child is heavy." + +"Yes, bless him, he is; but I am strong, thank God, and if I knew the +way I think I should get on somehow; please tell me the way." + +"You can't do it," said Jerry, "you might be knocked down and the child +be run over. Now look here, just get into this cab, and I'll drive you +safe to the hospital. Don't you see the rain is coming on?" + +"No, sir, no; I can't do that, thank you, I have only just money enough +to get back with. Please tell me the way." + +"Look you here, missis," said Jerry, "I've got a wife and dear children +at home, and I know a father's feelings; now get you into that cab, and +I'll take you there for nothing. I'd be ashamed of myself to let a woman +and a sick child run a risk like that." + +"Heaven bless you!" said the woman, and burst into tears. + +"There, there, cheer up, my dear, I'll soon take you there; come, let me +put you inside." + +As Jerry went to open the door two men, with colors in their hats and +buttonholes, ran up calling out, "Cab!" + +"Engaged," cried Jerry; but one of the men, pushing past the woman, +sprang into the cab, followed by the other. Jerry looked as stern as a +policeman. "This cab is already engaged, gentlemen, by that lady." + +"Lady!" said one of them; "oh! she can wait; our business is very +important, besides we were in first, it is our right, and we shall stay +in." + +A droll smile came over Jerry's face as he shut the door upon them. "All +right, gentlemen, pray stay in as long as it suits you; I can wait while +you rest yourselves." And turning his back upon them he walked up to the +young woman, who was standing near me. "They'll soon be gone," he said, +laughing; "don't trouble yourself, my dear." + +And they soon were gone, for when they understood Jerry's dodge they got +out, calling him all sorts of bad names and blustering about his number +and getting a summons. After this little stoppage we were soon on our +way to the hospital, going as much as possible through by-streets. Jerry +rung the great bell and helped the young woman out. + +"Thank you a thousand times," she said; "I could never have got here +alone." + +"You're kindly welcome, and I hope the dear child will soon be better." + +He watched her go in at the door, and gently he said to himself, +"Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these." Then he +patted my neck, which was always his way when anything pleased him. + +The rain was now coming down fast, and just as we were leaving the +hospital the door opened again, and the porter called out, "Cab!" We +stopped, and a lady came down the steps. Jerry seemed to know her at +once; she put back her veil and said, "Barker! Jeremiah Barker, is it +you? I am very glad to find you here; you are just the friend I want, +for it is very difficult to get a cab in this part of London to-day." + +"I shall be proud to serve you, ma'am; I am right glad I happened to be +here. Where may I take you to, ma'am?" + +"To the Paddington Station, and then if we are in good time, as I think +we shall be, you shall tell me all about Mary and the children." + +We got to the station in good time, and being under shelter the lady +stood a good while talking to Jerry. I found she had been Polly's +mistress, and after many inquiries about her she said: + +"How do you find the cab work suit you in winter? I know Mary was rather +anxious about you last year." + +"Yes, ma'am, she was; I had a bad cough that followed me up quite into +the warm weather, and when I am kept out late she does worry herself a +good deal. You see, ma'am, it is all hours and all weathers, and that +does try a man's constitution; but I am getting on pretty well, and I +should feel quite lost if I had not horses to look after. I was brought +up to it, and I am afraid I should not do so well at anything else." + +"Well, Barker," she said, "it would be a great pity that you should +seriously risk your health in this work, not only for your own but for +Mary's and the children's sake; there are many places where good drivers +or good grooms are wanted, and if ever you think you ought to give up +this cab work let me know." + +Then sending some kind messages to Mary she put something into his hand, +saying, "There is five shillings each for the two children; Mary will +know how to spend it." + +Jerry thanked her and seemed much pleased, and turning out of the +station we at last reached home, and I, at least, was tired. + + + + +44 Old Captain and His Successor + + +Captain and I were great friends. He was a noble old fellow, and he was +very good company. I never thought that he would have to leave his home +and go down the hill; but his turn came, and this was how it happened. I +was not there, but I heard all about it. + +He and Jerry had taken a party to the great railway station over London +Bridge, and were coming back, somewhere between the bridge and the +monument, when Jerry saw a brewer's empty dray coming along, drawn by +two powerful horses. The drayman was lashing his horses with his heavy +whip; the dray was light, and they started off at a furious rate; the +man had no control over them, and the street was full of traffic. + +One young girl was knocked down and run over, and the next moment they +dashed up against our cab; both the wheels were torn off and the cab was +thrown over. Captain was dragged down, the shafts splintered, and one +of them ran into his side. Jerry, too, was thrown, but was only bruised; +nobody could tell how he escaped; he always said 'twas a miracle. When +poor Captain was got up he was found to be very much cut and knocked +about. Jerry led him home gently, and a sad sight it was to see the +blood soaking into his white coat and dropping from his side and +shoulder. The drayman was proved to be very drunk, and was fined, and +the brewer had to pay damages to our master; but there was no one to pay +damages to poor Captain. + +The farrier and Jerry did the best they could to ease his pain and make +him comfortable. The fly had to be mended, and for several days I did +not go out, and Jerry earned nothing. The first time we went to the +stand after the accident the governor came up to hear how Captain was. + +"He'll never get over it," said Jerry, "at least not for my work, so the +farrier said this morning. He says he may do for carting, and that sort +of work. It has put me out very much. Carting, indeed! I've seen what +horses come to at that work round London. I only wish all the drunkards +could be put in a lunatic asylum instead of being allowed to run foul of +sober people. If they would break their own bones, and smash their own +carts, and lame their own horses, that would be their own affair, and +we might let them alone, but it seems to me that the innocent +always suffer; and then they talk about compensation! You can't make +compensation; there's all the trouble, and vexation, and loss of time, +besides losing a good horse that's like an old friend--it's nonsense +talking of compensation! If there's one devil that I should like to see +in the bottomless pit more than another, it's the drink devil." + +"I say, Jerry," said the governor, "you are treading pretty hard on my +toes, you know; I'm not so good as you are, more shame to me; I wish I +was." + +"Well," said Jerry, "why don't you cut with it, governor? You are too +good a man to be the slave of such a thing." + +"I'm a great fool, Jerry, but I tried once for two days, and I thought I +should have died; how did you do?" + +"I had hard work at it for several weeks; you see I never did get drunk, +but I found that I was not my own master, and that when the craving came +on it was hard work to say 'no'. I saw that one of us must knock under, +the drink devil or Jerry Barker, and I said that it should not be Jerry +Barker, God helping me; but it was a struggle, and I wanted all the +help I could get, for till I tried to break the habit I did not know how +strong it was; but then Polly took such pains that I should have good +food, and when the craving came on I used to get a cup of coffee, or +some peppermint, or read a bit in my book, and that was a help to me; +sometimes I had to say over and over to myself, 'Give up the drink or +lose your soul! Give up the drink or break Polly's heart!' But thanks be +to God, and my dear wife, my chains were broken, and now for ten years I +have not tasted a drop, and never wish for it." + +"I've a great mind to try at it," said Grant, "for 'tis a poor thing not +to be one's own master." + +"Do, governor, do, you'll never repent it, and what a help it would be +to some of the poor fellows in our rank if they saw you do without it. I +know there's two or three would like to keep out of that tavern if they +could." + +At first Captain seemed to do well, but he was a very old horse, and it +was only his wonderful constitution, and Jerry's care, that had kept +him up at the cab work so long; now he broke down very much. The farrier +said he might mend up enough to sell for a few pounds, but Jerry said, +no! a few pounds got by selling a good old servant into hard work +and misery would canker all the rest of his money, and he thought the +kindest thing he could do for the fine old fellow would be to put a sure +bullet through his head, and then he would never suffer more; for he did +not know where to find a kind master for the rest of his days. + +The day after this was decided Harry took me to the forge for some new +shoes; when I returned Captain was gone. I and the family all felt it +very much. + +Jerry had now to look out for another horse, and he soon heard of one +through an acquaintance who was under-groom in a nobleman's stables. He +was a valuable young horse, but he had run away, smashed into another +carriage, flung his lordship out, and so cut and blemished himself that +he was no longer fit for a gentleman's stables, and the coachman had +orders to look round, and sell him as well as he could. + +"I can do with high spirits," said Jerry, "if a horse is not vicious or +hard-mouthed." + +"There is not a bit of vice in him," said the man; "his mouth is very +tender, and I think myself that was the cause of the accident; you see +he had just been clipped, and the weather was bad, and he had not had +exercise enough, and when he did go out he was as full of spring as a +balloon. Our governor (the coachman, I mean) had him harnessed in as +tight and strong as he could, with the martingale, and the check-rein, a +very sharp curb, and the reins put in at the bottom bar. It is my belief +that it made the horse mad, being tender in the mouth and so full of +spirit." + +"Likely enough; I'll come and see him," said Jerry. + +The next day Hotspur, that was his name, came home; he was a fine brown +horse, without a white hair in him, as tall as Captain, with a very +handsome head, and only five years old. I gave him a friendly greeting +by way of good fellowship, but did not ask him any questions. The first +night he was very restless. Instead of lying down, he kept jerking his +halter rope up and down through the ring, and knocking the block about +against the manger till I could not sleep. However, the next day, after +five or six hours in the cab, he came in quiet and sensible. Jerry +patted and talked to him a good deal, and very soon they understood each +other, and Jerry said that with an easy bit and plenty of work he would +be as gentle as a lamb; and that it was an ill wind that blew nobody +good, for if his lordship had lost a hundred-guinea favorite, the cabman +had gained a good horse with all his strength in him. + +Hotspur thought it a great come-down to be a cab-horse, and was +disgusted at standing in the rank, but he confessed to me at the end of +the week that an easy mouth and a free head made up for a great deal, +and after all, the work was not so degrading as having one's head and +tail fastened to each other at the saddle. In fact, he settled in well, +and Jerry liked him very much. + + + + +45 Jerry's New Year + + +For some people Christmas and the New Year are very merry times; but for +cabmen and cabmen's horses it is no holiday, though it may be a harvest. +There are so many parties, balls, and places of amusement open that the +work is hard and often late. Sometimes driver and horse have to wait +for hours in the rain or frost, shivering with the cold, while the merry +people within are dancing away to the music. I wonder if the beautiful +ladies ever think of the weary cabman waiting on his box, and his +patient beast standing, till his legs get stiff with cold. + +I had now most of the evening work, as I was well accustomed to +standing, and Jerry was also more afraid of Hotspur taking cold. We had +a great deal of late work in the Christmas week, and Jerry's cough was +bad; but however late we were, Polly sat up for him, and came out with a +lantern to meet him, looking anxious and troubled. + +On the evening of the New Year we had to take two gentlemen to a house +in one of the West End Squares. We set them down at nine o'clock, and +were told to come again at eleven, "but," said one, "as it is a card +party, you may have to wait a few minutes, but don't be late." + +As the clock struck eleven we were at the door, for Jerry was always +punctual. The clock chimed the quarters, one, two, three, and then +struck twelve, but the door did not open. + +The wind had been very changeable, with squalls of rain during the day, +but now it came on sharp, driving sleet, which seemed to come all the +way round; it was very cold, and there was no shelter. Jerry got off +his box and came and pulled one of my cloths a little more over my neck; +then he took a turn or two up and down, stamping his feet; then he began +to beat his arms, but that set him off coughing; so he opened the cab +door and sat at the bottom with his feet on the pavement, and was a +little sheltered. Still the clock chimed the quarters, and no one came. +At half-past twelve he rang the bell and asked the servant if he would +be wanted that night. + +"Oh, yes, you'll be wanted safe enough," said the man; "you must not go, +it will soon be over," and again Jerry sat down, but his voice was so +hoarse I could hardly hear him. + +At a quarter past one the door opened, and the two gentlemen came out; +they got into the cab without a word, and told Jerry where to drive, +that was nearly two miles. My legs were numb with cold, and I thought +I should have stumbled. When the men got out they never said they were +sorry to have kept us waiting so long, but were angry at the charge; +however, as Jerry never charged more than was his due, so he never took +less, and they had to pay for the two hours and a quarter waiting; but +it was hard-earned money to Jerry. + +At last we got home; he could hardly speak, and his cough was dreadful. +Polly asked no questions, but opened the door and held the lantern for +him. + +"Can't I do something?" she said. + +"Yes; get Jack something warm, and then boil me some gruel." + +This was said in a hoarse whisper; he could hardly get his breath, but +he gave me a rub-down as usual, and even went up into the hayloft for an +extra bundle of straw for my bed. Polly brought me a warm mash that made +me comfortable, and then they locked the door. + +It was late the next morning before any one came, and then it was only +Harry. He cleaned us and fed us, and swept out the stalls, then he put +the straw back again as if it was Sunday. He was very still, and neither +whistled nor sang. At noon he came again and gave us our food and water; +this time Dolly came with him; she was crying, and I could gather from +what they said that Jerry was dangerously ill, and the doctor said it +was a bad case. So two days passed, and there was great trouble indoors. +We only saw Harry, and sometimes Dolly. I think she came for company, +for Polly was always with Jerry, and he had to be kept very quiet. + +On the third day, while Harry was in the stable, a tap came at the door, +and Governor Grant came in. + +"I wouldn't go to the house, my boy," he said, "but I want to know how +your father is." + +"He is very bad," said Harry, "he can't be much worse; they call +it 'bronchitis'; the doctor thinks it will turn one way or another +to-night." + +"That's bad, very bad," said Grant, shaking his head; "I know two men +who died of that last week; it takes 'em off in no time; but while +there's life there's hope, so you must keep up your spirits." + +"Yes," said Harry quickly, "and the doctor said that father had a better +chance than most men, because he didn't drink. He said yesterday the +fever was so high that if father had been a drinking man it would have +burned him up like a piece of paper; but I believe he thinks he will get +over it; don't you think he will, Mr. Grant?" + +The governor looked puzzled. + +"If there's any rule that good men should get over these things, I'm +sure he will, my boy; he's the best man I know. I'll look in early +to-morrow." + +Early next morning he was there. + +"Well?" said he. + +"Father is better," said Harry. "Mother hopes he will get over it." + +"Thank God!" said the governor, "and now you must keep him warm, and +keep his mind easy, and that brings me to the horses; you see Jack will +be all the better for the rest of a week or two in a warm stable, and +you can easily take him a turn up and down the street to stretch his +legs; but this young one, if he does not get work, he will soon be all +up on end, as you may say, and will be rather too much for you; and when +he does go out there'll be an accident." + +"It is like that now," said Harry. "I have kept him short of corn, but +he's so full of spirit I don't know what to do with him." + +"Just so," said Grant. "Now look here, will you tell your mother that +if she is agreeable I will come for him every day till something is +arranged, and take him for a good spell of work, and whatever he earns, +I'll bring your mother half of it, and that will help with the horses' +feed. Your father is in a good club, I know, but that won't keep the +horses, and they'll be eating their heads off all this time; I'll come +at noon and hear what she says," and without waiting for Harry's thanks +he was gone. + +At noon I think he went and saw Polly, for he and Harry came to the +stable together, harnessed Hotspur, and took him out. + +For a week or more he came for Hotspur, and when Harry thanked him or +said anything about his kindness, he laughed it off, saying it was all +good luck for him, for his horses were wanting a little rest which they +would not otherwise have had. + +Jerry grew better steadily, but the doctor said that he must never go +back to the cab work again if he wished to be an old man. The children +had many consultations together about what father and mother would do, +and how they could help to earn money. + +One afternoon Hotspur was brought in very wet and dirty. + +"The streets are nothing but slush," said the governor; "it will give +you a good warming, my boy, to get him clean and dry." + +"All right, governor," said Harry, "I shall not leave him till he is; +you know I have been trained by my father." + +"I wish all the boys had been trained like you," said the governor. + +While Harry was sponging off the mud from Hotspur's body and legs Dolly +came in, looking very full of something. + +"Who lives at Fairstowe, Harry? Mother has got a letter from Fairstowe; +she seemed so glad, and ran upstairs to father with it." + +"Don't you know? Why, it is the name of Mrs. Fowler's place--mother's +old mistress, you know--the lady that father met last summer, who sent +you and me five shillings each." + +"Oh! Mrs. Fowler. Of course, I know all about her. I wonder what she is +writing to mother about." + +"Mother wrote to her last week," said Harry; "you know she told father +if ever he gave up the cab work she would like to know. I wonder what +she says; run in and see, Dolly." + +Harry scrubbed away at Hotspur with a huish! huish! like any old +hostler. In a few minutes Dolly came dancing into the stable. + +"Oh! Harry, there never was anything so beautiful; Mrs. Fowler says we +are all to go and live near her. There is a cottage now empty that +will just suit us, with a garden and a henhouse, and apple-trees, and +everything! and her coachman is going away in the spring, and then she +will want father in his place; and there are good families round, where +you can get a place in the garden or the stable, or as a page-boy; +and there's a good school for me; and mother is laughing and crying by +turns, and father does look so happy!" + +"That's uncommon jolly," said Harry, "and just the right thing, I should +say; it will suit father and mother both; but I don't intend to be a +page-boy with tight clothes and rows of buttons. I'll be a groom or a +gardener." + +It was quickly settled that as soon as Jerry was well enough they should +remove to the country, and that the cab and horses should be sold as +soon as possible. + +This was heavy news for me, for I was not young now, and could not look +for any improvement in my condition. Since I left Birtwick I had never +been so happy as with my dear master Jerry; but three years of cab work, +even under the best conditions, will tell on one's strength, and I felt +that I was not the horse that I had been. + +Grant said at once that he would take Hotspur, and there were men on the +stand who would have bought me; but Jerry said I should not go to cab +work again with just anybody, and the governor promised to find a place +for me where I should be comfortable. + +The day came for going away. Jerry had not been allowed to go out yet, +and I never saw him after that New Year's eve. Polly and the children +came to bid me good-by. "Poor old Jack! dear old Jack! I wish we could +take you with us," she said, and then laying her hand on my mane she put +her face close to my neck and kissed me. Dolly was crying and kissed +me too. Harry stroked me a great deal, but said nothing, only he seemed +very sad, and so I was led away to my new place. + + + + +Part IV + + + + +46 Jakes and the Lady + + +I was sold to a corn dealer and baker, whom Jerry knew, and with him he +thought I should have good food and fair work. In the first he was quite +right, and if my master had always been on the premises I do not think +I should have been overloaded, but there was a foreman who was always +hurrying and driving every one, and frequently when I had quite a full +load he would order something else to be taken on. My carter, whose name +was Jakes, often said it was more than I ought to take, but the other +always overruled him. "'Twas no use going twice when once would do, and +he chose to get business forward." + +Jakes, like the other carters, always had the check-rein up, which +prevented me from drawing easily, and by the time I had been there three +or four months I found the work telling very much on my strength. + +One day I was loaded more than usual, and part of the road was a steep +uphill. I used all my strength, but I could not get on, and was obliged +continually to stop. This did not please my driver, and he laid his whip +on badly. "Get on, you lazy fellow," he said, "or I'll make you." + +Again I started the heavy load, and struggled on a few yards; again the +whip came down, and again I struggled forward. The pain of that great +cart whip was sharp, but my mind was hurt quite as much as my poor +sides. To be punished and abused when I was doing my very best was +so hard it took the heart out of me. A third time he was flogging me +cruelly, when a lady stepped quickly up to him, and said in a sweet, +earnest voice: + +"Oh! pray do not whip your good horse any more; I am sure he is doing +all he can, and the road is very steep; I am sure he is doing his best." + +"If doing his best won't get this load up he must do something more than +his best; that's all I know, ma'am," said Jakes. + +"But is it not a heavy load?" she said. + +"Yes, yes, too heavy," he said; "but that's not my fault; the foreman +came just as we were starting, and would have three hundredweight more +put on to save him trouble, and I must get on with it as well as I can." + +He was raising the whip again, when the lady said: + +"Pray, stop; I think I can help you if you will let me." + +The man laughed. + +"You see," she said, "you do not give him a fair chance; he cannot use +all his power with his head held back as it is with that check-rein; if +you would take it off I am sure he would do better--do try it," she said +persuasively, "I should be very glad if you would." + +"Well, well," said Jakes, with a short laugh, "anything to please a +lady, of course. How far would you wish it down, ma'am?" + +"Quite down, give him his head altogether." + +The rein was taken off, and in a moment I put my head down to my very +knees. What a comfort it was! Then I tossed it up and down several times +to get the aching stiffness out of my neck. + +"Poor fellow! that is what you wanted," said she, patting and stroking +me with her gentle hand; "and now if you will speak kindly to him and +lead him on I believe he will be able to do better." + +Jakes took the rein. "Come on, Blackie." I put down my head, and threw +my whole weight against the collar; I spared no strength; the load +moved on, and I pulled it steadily up the hill, and then stopped to take +breath. + +The lady had walked along the footpath, and now came across into the +road. She stroked and patted my neck, as I had not been patted for many +a long day. + +"You see he was quite willing when you gave him the chance; I am sure he +is a fine-tempered creature, and I dare say has known better days. You +won't put that rein on again, will you?" for he was just going to hitch +it up on the old plan. + +"Well, ma'am, I can't deny that having his head has helped him up the +hill, and I'll remember it another time, and thank you, ma'am; but if +he went without a check-rein I should be the laughing-stock of all the +carters; it is the fashion, you see." + +"Is it not better," she said, "to lead a good fashion than to follow a +bad one? A great many gentlemen do not use check-reins now; our carriage +horses have not worn them for fifteen years, and work with much less +fatigue than those who have them; besides," she added in a very serious +voice, "we have no right to distress any of God's creatures without a +very good reason; we call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they +cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they +have no words. But I must not detain you now; I thank you for trying +my plan with your good horse, and I am sure you will find it far better +than the whip. Good-day," and with another soft pat on my neck she +stepped lightly across the path, and I saw her no more. + +"That was a real lady, I'll be bound for it," said Jakes to himself; +"she spoke just as polite as if I was a gentleman, and I'll try her +plan, uphill, at any rate;" and I must do him the justice to say that +he let my rein out several holes, and going uphill after that, he always +gave me my head; but the heavy loads went on. Good feed and fair rest +will keep up one's strength under full work, but no horse can stand +against overloading; and I was getting so thoroughly pulled down from +this cause that a younger horse was bought in my place. I may as well +mention here what I suffered at this time from another cause. I had +heard horses speak of it, but had never myself had experience of the +evil; this was a badly-lighted stable; there was only one very small +window at the end, and the consequence was that the stalls were almost +dark. + +Besides the depressing effect this had on my spirits, it very much +weakened my sight, and when I was suddenly brought out of the darkness +into the glare of daylight it was very painful to my eyes. Several times +I stumbled over the threshold, and could scarcely see where I was going. + +I believe, had I stayed there very long, I should have become purblind, +and that would have been a great misfortune, for I have heard men say +that a stone-blind horse was safer to drive than one which had imperfect +sight, as it generally makes them very timid. However, I escaped without +any permanent injury to my sight, and was sold to a large cab owner. + + + + +47 Hard Times + + +My new master I shall never forget; he had black eyes and a hooked nose, +his mouth was as full of teeth as a bull-dog's, and his voice was as +harsh as the grinding of cart wheels over graveled stones. His name was +Nicholas Skinner, and I believe he was the man that poor Seedy Sam drove +for. + +I have heard men say that seeing is believing; but I should say that +feeling is believing; for much as I had seen before, I never knew till +now the utter misery of a cab-horse's life. + +Skinner had a low set of cabs and a low set of drivers; he was hard on +the men, and the men were hard on the horses. In this place we had no +Sunday rest, and it was in the heat of summer. + +Sometimes on a Sunday morning a party of fast men would hire the cab for +the day; four of them inside and another with the driver, and I had to +take them ten or fifteen miles out into the country, and back again; +never would any of them get down to walk up a hill, let it be ever +so steep, or the day ever so hot--unless, indeed, when the driver was +afraid I should not manage it, and sometimes I was so fevered and worn +that I could hardly touch my food. How I used to long for the nice bran +mash with niter in it that Jerry used to give us on Saturday nights in +hot weather, that used to cool us down and make us so comfortable. +Then we had two nights and a whole day for unbroken rest, and on Monday +morning we were as fresh as young horses again; but here there was no +rest, and my driver was just as hard as his master. He had a cruel whip +with something so sharp at the end that it sometimes drew blood, and he +would even whip me under the belly, and flip the lash out at my head. +Indignities like these took the heart out of me terribly, but still I +did my best and never hung back; for, as poor Ginger said, it was no +use; men are the strongest. + +My life was now so utterly wretched that I wished I might, like Ginger, +drop down dead at my work and be out of my misery, and one day my wish +very nearly came to pass. + +I went on the stand at eight in the morning, and had done a good share +of work, when we had to take a fare to the railway. A long train was +just expected in, so my driver pulled up at the back of some of the +outside cabs to take the chance of a return fare. It was a very heavy +train, and as all the cabs were soon engaged ours was called for. There +was a party of four; a noisy, blustering man with a lady, a little boy +and a young girl, and a great deal of luggage. The lady and the boy got +into the cab, and while the man ordered about the luggage the young girl +came and looked at me. + +"Papa," she said, "I am sure this poor horse cannot take us and all our +luggage so far, he is so very weak and worn up. Do look at him." + +"Oh! he's all right, miss," said my driver, "he's strong enough." + +The porter, who was pulling about some heavy boxes, suggested to the +gentleman, as there was so much luggage, whether he would not take a +second cab. + +"Can your horse do it, or can't he?" said the blustering man. + +"Oh! he can do it all right, sir; send up the boxes, porter; he could +take more than that;" and he helped to haul up a box so heavy that I +could feel the springs go down. + +"Papa, papa, do take a second cab," said the young girl in a beseeching +tone. "I am sure we are wrong, I am sure it is very cruel." + +"Nonsense, Grace, get in at once, and don't make all this fuss; a pretty +thing it would be if a man of business had to examine every cab-horse +before he hired it--the man knows his own business of course; there, get +in and hold your tongue!" + +My gentle friend had to obey, and box after box was dragged up and +lodged on the top of the cab or settled by the side of the driver. At +last all was ready, and with his usual jerk at the rein and slash of the +whip he drove out of the station. + +The load was very heavy and I had had neither food nor rest since +morning; but I did my best, as I always had done, in spite of cruelty +and injustice. + +I got along fairly till we came to Ludgate Hill; but there the heavy +load and my own exhaustion were too much. I was struggling to keep on, +goaded by constant chucks of the rein and use of the whip, when in a +single moment--I cannot tell how--my feet slipped from under me, and I +fell heavily to the ground on my side; the suddenness and the force +with which I fell seemed to beat all the breath out of my body. I lay +perfectly still; indeed, I had no power to move, and I thought now I was +going to die. I heard a sort of confusion round me, loud, angry voices, +and the getting down of the luggage, but it was all like a dream. I +thought I heard that sweet, pitiful voice saying, "Oh! that poor horse! +it is all our fault." Some one came and loosened the throat strap of +my bridle, and undid the traces which kept the collar so tight upon me. +Some one said, "He's dead, he'll never get up again." Then I could hear +a policeman giving orders, but I did not even open my eyes; I could only +draw a gasping breath now and then. Some cold water was thrown over +my head, and some cordial was poured into my mouth, and something was +covered over me. I cannot tell how long I lay there, but I found my life +coming back, and a kind-voiced man was patting me and encouraging me to +rise. After some more cordial had been given me, and after one or two +attempts, I staggered to my feet, and was gently led to some stables +which were close by. Here I was put into a well-littered stall, and some +warm gruel was brought to me, which I drank thankfully. + +In the evening I was sufficiently recovered to be led back to Skinner's +stables, where I think they did the best for me they could. In the +morning Skinner came with a farrier to look at me. He examined me very +closely and said: + +"This is a case of overwork more than disease, and if you could give him +a run off for six months he would be able to work again; but now there +is not an ounce of strength left in him." + +"Then he must just go to the dogs," said Skinner. "I have no meadows to +nurse sick horses in--he might get well or he might not; that sort of +thing don't suit my business; my plan is to work 'em as long as they'll +go, and then sell 'em for what they'll fetch, at the knacker's or +elsewhere." + +"If he was broken-winded," said the farrier, "you had better have him +killed out of hand, but he is not; there is a sale of horses coming off +in about ten days; if you rest him and feed him up he may pick up, and +you may get more than his skin is worth, at any rate." + +Upon this advice Skinner, rather unwillingly, I think, gave orders that +I should be well fed and cared for, and the stable man, happily for me, +carried out the orders with a much better will than his master had in +giving them. Ten days of perfect rest, plenty of good oats, hay, +bran mashes, with boiled linseed mixed in them, did more to get up my +condition than anything else could have done; those linseed mashes were +delicious, and I began to think, after all, it might be better to live +than go to the dogs. When the twelfth day after the accident came, I +was taken to the sale, a few miles out of London. I felt that any change +from my present place must be an improvement, so I held up my head, and +hoped for the best. + + + + +48 Farmer Thoroughgood and His Grandson Willie + + +At this sale, of course I found myself in company with the old +broken-down horses--some lame, some broken-winded, some old, and some +that I am sure it would have been merciful to shoot. + +The buyers and sellers, too, many of them, looked not much better off +than the poor beasts they were bargaining about. There were poor old +men, trying to get a horse or a pony for a few pounds, that might drag +about some little wood or coal cart. There were poor men trying to sell +a worn-out beast for two or three pounds, rather than have the greater +loss of killing him. Some of them looked as if poverty and hard times +had hardened them all over; but there were others that I would have +willingly used the last of my strength in serving; poor and shabby, but +kind and human, with voices that I could trust. There was one tottering +old man who took a great fancy to me, and I to him, but I was not strong +enough--it was an anxious time! Coming from the better part of the fair, +I noticed a man who looked like a gentleman farmer, with a young boy by +his side; he had a broad back and round shoulders, a kind, ruddy face, +and he wore a broad-brimmed hat. When he came up to me and my companions +he stood still and gave a pitiful look round upon us. I saw his eye +rest on me; I had still a good mane and tail, which did something for my +appearance. I pricked my ears and looked at him. + +"There's a horse, Willie, that has known better days." + +"Poor old fellow!" said the boy, "do you think, grandpapa, he was ever a +carriage horse?" + +"Oh, yes! my boy," said the farmer, coming closer, "he might have been +anything when he was young; look at his nostrils and his ears, the shape +of his neck and shoulder; there's a deal of breeding about that horse." +He put out his hand and gave me a kind pat on the neck. I put out my +nose in answer to his kindness; the boy stroked my face. + +"Poor old fellow! see, grandpapa, how well he understands kindness. +Could not you buy him and make him young again as you did with +Ladybird?" + +"My dear boy, I can't make all old horses young; besides, Ladybird was +not so very old, as she was run down and badly used." + +"Well, grandpapa, I don't believe that this one is old; look at his mane +and tail. I wish you would look into his mouth, and then you could tell; +though he is so very thin, his eyes are not sunk like some old horses'." + +The old gentleman laughed. "Bless the boy! he is as horsey as his old +grandfather." + +"But do look at his mouth, grandpapa, and ask the price; I am sure he +would grow young in our meadows." + +The man who had brought me for sale now put in his word. + +"The young gentleman's a real knowing one, sir. Now the fact is, this +'ere hoss is just pulled down with overwork in the cabs; he's not an old +one, and I heerd as how the vetenary should say, that a six months' run +off would set him right up, being as how his wind was not broken. +I've had the tending of him these ten days past, and a gratefuller, +pleasanter animal I never met with, and 'twould be worth a gentleman's +while to give a five-pound note for him, and let him have a chance. I'll +be bound he'd be worth twenty pounds next spring." + +The old gentleman laughed, and the little boy looked up eagerly. + +"Oh, grandpapa, did you not say the colt sold for five pounds more than +you expected? You would not be poorer if you did buy this one." + +The farmer slowly felt my legs, which were much swelled and strained; +then he looked at my mouth. "Thirteen or fourteen, I should say; just +trot him out, will you?" + +I arched my poor thin neck, raised my tail a little, and threw out my +legs as well as I could, for they were very stiff. + +"What is the lowest you will take for him?" said the farmer as I came +back. + +"Five pounds, sir; that was the lowest price my master set." + +"'Tis a speculation," said the old gentleman, shaking his head, but at +the same time slowly drawing out his purse, "quite a speculation! Have +you any more business here?" he said, counting the sovereigns into his +hand. + +"No, sir, I can take him for you to the inn, if you please." + +"Do so, I am now going there." + +They walked forward, and I was led behind. The boy could hardly control +his delight, and the old gentleman seemed to enjoy his pleasure. I had a +good feed at the inn, and was then gently ridden home by a servant of my +new master's, and turned into a large meadow with a shed in one corner +of it. + +Mr. Thoroughgood, for that was the name of my benefactor, gave orders +that I should have hay and oats every night and morning, and the run of +the meadow during the day, and, "you, Willie," said he, "must take the +oversight of him; I give him in charge to you." + +The boy was proud of his charge, and undertook it in all seriousness. +There was not a day when he did not pay me a visit; sometimes picking +me out from among the other horses, and giving me a bit of carrot, or +something good, or sometimes standing by me while I ate my oats. He +always came with kind words and caresses, and of course I grew very fond +of him. He called me Old Crony, as I used to come to him in the field +and follow him about. Sometimes he brought his grandfather, who always +looked closely at my legs. + +"This is our point, Willie," he would say; "but he is improving so +steadily that I think we shall see a change for the better in the +spring." + +The perfect rest, the good food, the soft turf, and gentle exercise, +soon began to tell on my condition and my spirits. I had a good +constitution from my mother, and I was never strained when I was young, +so that I had a better chance than many horses who have been worked +before they came to their full strength. During the winter my legs +improved so much that I began to feel quite young again. The spring came +round, and one day in March Mr. Thoroughgood determined that he would +try me in the phaeton. I was well pleased, and he and Willie drove me a +few miles. My legs were not stiff now, and I did the work with perfect +ease. + +"He's growing young, Willie; we must give him a little gentle work now, +and by mid-summer he will be as good as Ladybird. He has a beautiful +mouth and good paces; they can't be better." + +"Oh, grandpapa, how glad I am you bought him!" + +"So am I, my boy; but he has to thank you more than me; we must now +be looking out for a quiet, genteel place for him, where he will be +valued." + + + + +49 My Last Home + + +One day during this summer the groom cleaned and dressed me with such +extraordinary care that I thought some new change must be at hand; he +trimmed my fetlocks and legs, passed the tarbrush over my hoofs, and +even parted my forelock. I think the harness had an extra polish. Willie +seemed half-anxious, half-merry, as he got into the chaise with his +grandfather. + +"If the ladies take to him," said the old gentleman, "they'll be suited +and he'll be suited. We can but try." + +At the distance of a mile or two from the village we came to a pretty, +low house, with a lawn and shrubbery at the front and a drive up to the +door. Willie rang the bell, and asked if Miss Blomefield or Miss Ellen +was at home. Yes, they were. So, while Willie stayed with me, Mr. +Thoroughgood went into the house. In about ten minutes he returned, +followed by three ladies; one tall, pale lady, wrapped in a white shawl, +leaned on a younger lady, with dark eyes and a merry face; the other, +a very stately-looking person, was Miss Blomefield. They all came +and looked at me and asked questions. The younger lady--that was Miss +Ellen--took to me very much; she said she was sure she should like me, I +had such a good face. The tall, pale lady said that she should always +be nervous in riding behind a horse that had once been down, as I might +come down again, and if I did she should never get over the fright. + +"You see, ladies," said Mr. Thoroughgood, "many first-rate horses have +had their knees broken through the carelessness of their drivers without +any fault of their own, and from what I see of this horse I should say +that is his case; but of course I do not wish to influence you. If you +incline you can have him on trial, and then your coachman will see what +he thinks of him." + +"You have always been such a good adviser to us about our horses," said +the stately lady, "that your recommendation would go a long way with me, +and if my sister Lavinia sees no objection we will accept your offer of +a trial, with thanks." + +It was then arranged that I should be sent for the next day. + +In the morning a smart-looking young man came for me. At first he looked +pleased; but when he saw my knees he said in a disappointed voice: + +"I didn't think, sir, you would have recommended my ladies a blemished +horse like that." + +"'Handsome is that handsome does'," said my master; "you are only taking +him on trial, and I am sure you will do fairly by him, young man. If he +is not as safe as any horse you ever drove send him back." + +I was led to my new home, placed in a comfortable stable, fed, and left +to myself. The next day, when the groom was cleaning my face, he said: + +"That is just like the star that 'Black Beauty' had; he is much the same +height, too. I wonder where he is now." + +A little further on he came to the place in my neck where I was bled and +where a little knot was left in the skin. He almost started, and began +to look me over carefully, talking to himself. + +"White star in the forehead, one white foot on the off side, this little +knot just in that place;" then looking at the middle of my back--"and, +as I am alive, there is that little patch of white hair that John used +to call 'Beauty's three-penny bit'. It must be 'Black Beauty'! Why, +Beauty! Beauty! do you know me?--little Joe Green, that almost killed +you?" And he began patting and patting me as if he was quite overjoyed. + +I could not say that I remembered him, for now he was a fine grown young +fellow, with black whiskers and a man's voice, but I was sure he knew +me, and that he was Joe Green, and I was very glad. I put my nose up +to him, and tried to say that we were friends. I never saw a man so +pleased. + +"Give you a fair trial! I should think so indeed! I wonder who the +rascal was that broke your knees, my old Beauty! you must have been +badly served out somewhere; well, well, it won't be my fault if you +haven't good times of it now. I wish John Manly was here to see you." + +In the afternoon I was put into a low park chair and brought to the +door. Miss Ellen was going to try me, and Green went with her. I soon +found that she was a good driver, and she seemed pleased with my paces. +I heard Joe telling her about me, and that he was sure I was Squire +Gordon's old "Black Beauty". + +When we returned the other sisters came out to hear how I had behaved +myself. She told them what she had just heard, and said: + +"I shall certainly write to Mrs. Gordon, and tell her that her favorite +horse has come to us. How pleased she will be!" + +After this I was driven every day for a week or so, and as I appeared +to be quite safe, Miss Lavinia at last ventured out in the small close +carriage. After this it was quite decided to keep me and call me by my +old name of "Black Beauty". + +I have now lived in this happy place a whole year. Joe is the best and +kindest of grooms. My work is easy and pleasant, and I feel my strength +and spirits all coming back again. Mr. Thoroughgood said to Joe the +other day: + +"In your place he will last till he is twenty years old--perhaps more." + +Willie always speaks to me when he can, and treats me as his special +friend. My ladies have promised that I shall never be sold, and so I +have nothing to fear; and here my story ends. My troubles are all over, +and I am at home; and often before I am quite awake, I fancy I am still +in the orchard at Birtwick, standing with my old friends under the +apple-trees. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACK BEAUTY *** + +***** This file should be named 271.txt or 271.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/7/271/ + +Produced by A. Light, Linda Bowser, and David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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