Black Beauty (7 page)

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.

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.

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.