black beauty-第17部分

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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