black beauty-第30部分

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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　t