black beauty-第28部分

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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；