Black Beauty Read online

  "Your master never taught you a truer thing," said John; "there is noreligion without love, and people may talk as much as they like abouttheir religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to manand beast it is all a sham--all a sham, James, and it won't stand whenthings come to be turned inside out."

  14 James Howard

  Early one morning in December John had just led me into my box after mydaily exercise, and was strapping my cloth on and James was coming infrom the corn chamber with some oats, when the master came into thestable. He looked rather serious, and held an open letter in his hand.John fastened the door of my box, touched his cap, and waited fororders.

  "Good-morning, John," said the master. "I want to know if you have anycomplaint 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 tosuspect, when he goes out with the horses to exercise them or to take amessage, that he stops about talking to his acquaintances, or goes intohouses where he has no business, leaving the horses outside?"

  "No, sir, certainly not; and if anybody has been saying that aboutJames, I don't believe it, and I don't mean to believe it unless I haveit fairly proved before witnesses; it's not for me to say who has beentrying to take away James' character, but I will say this, sir, that asteadier, pleasanter, honester, smarter young fellow I never had in thisstable. I can trust his word and I can trust his work; he is gentle andclever with the horses, and I would rather have them in charge with himthan with half the young fellows I know of in laced hats and liveries;and whoever wants a character of James Howard," said John, with adecided jerk of his head, "let them come to John Manly."

  The master stood all this time grave and attentive, but as John finishedhis speech a broad smile spread over his face, and looking kindlyacross 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 findthat 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 notalways easy to get his opinion about people, so I thought if I beat thebush on this side the birds would fly out, and I should learn what Iwanted to know quickly; so now we will come to business. I have a letterfrom my brother-in-law, Sir Clifford Williams, of Clifford Hall.He wants me to find him a trustworthy young groom, about twenty ortwenty-one, who knows his business. His old coachman, who has lived withhim thirty years, is getting feeble, and he wants a man to work with himand get into his ways, who would be able, when the old man was pensionedoff, to step into his place. He would have eighteen shillings a week atfirst, a stable suit, a driving suit, a bedroom over the coachhouse, anda boy under him. Sir Clifford is a good master, and if you could get theplace 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 forthe 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, hehas a light firm hand and a quick eye, and he is very careful, and I amquite sure no horse of his will be ruined for want of having his feetand shoes looked after."

  "Your word will go the furthest, John," said the master, "for SirClifford adds in a postscript, 'If I could find a man trained by yourJohn I should like him better than any other;' so, James, lad, think itover, talk to your mother at dinner-time, and then let me know what youwish."

  In a few days after this conversation it was fully settled that Jamesshould go to Clifford Hall, in a month or six weeks, as it suited hismaster, and in the meantime he was to get all the practice in drivingthat could be given to him. I never knew the carriage to go out so oftenbefore; when the mistress did not go out the master drove himself in thetwo-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 droveus. At the first John rode with him on the box, telling him this andthat, and after that James drove alone.

  Then it was wonderful what a number of places the master would go to inthe city on Saturday, and what queer streets we were driven through. Hewas 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 overthe bridge together; that bridge wanted good horses and good driverswhen the railway bell was ringing, for it was narrow, and there was avery sharp turn up to the station, where it would not have been at alldifficult for people to run into each other, if they did not look sharpand keep their wits about them.

  15 The Old Hostler

  After this it was decided by my master and mistress to pay a visit tosome friends who lived about forty-six miles from our home, and Jameswas to drive them. The first day we traveled thirty-two miles.There were some long, heavy hills, but James drove so carefully andthoughtfully that we were not at all harassed. He never forgot to put onthe brake as we went downhill, nor to take it off at the right place. Hekept our feet on the smoothest part of the road, and if the uphill wasvery long, he set the carriage wheels a little across the road, so asnot to run back, and gave us a breathing. All these little things help ahorse 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 downwe reached the town where we were to spend the night. We stopped at theprincipal 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 whichwere the stables and coachhouses. Two hostlers came to take us out. Thehead hostler was a pleasant, active little man, with a crooked leg,and a yellow striped waistcoat. I never saw a man unbuckle harness soquickly as he did, and with a pat and a good word he led me to a longstable, with six or eight stalls in it, and two or three horses. Theother man brought Ginger; James stood by while we were rubbed down andcleaned.

  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 Icould not be thoroughly done, but he found my coat as clean and smoothas silk.

  "Well," he said, "I thought I was pretty quick, and our John quickerstill, but you do beat all I ever saw for being quick and thorough atthe same time."

  "Practice makes perfect," said the crooked little hostler, "and 'twouldbe 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 isonly a matter of habit; if you get into the habit of being quick it isjust as easy as being slow; easier, I should say; in fact it don't agreewith my health to be hulking about over a job twice as long as it needtake. Bless you! I couldn't whistle if I crawled over my work as somefolks do! You see, I have been about horses ever since I was twelveyears old, in hunting stables, and racing stables; and being small, yesee, I was jockey for several years; but at the Goodwood, ye see, theturf was very slippery and my poor Larkspur got a fall, and I broke myknee, and so of course I was of no more use there. But I could not livewithout horses, of course I couldn't, so I took to the hotels. And Ican 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 ahorse 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 tobe cleaned out, or anything else you please to wish; then you'll findanother fidgety, fretty, won't move the right way, or starts across thestall, tosses up his head as soon as you come near him, lays his ears,and seems afraid of you; or else squares abou
t at you with his heels.Poor things! I know what sort of treatment they have had. If they aretimid it makes them start or shy; if they are high-mettled it makes themvicious or dangerous; their tempers are mostly made when they are young.Bless you! they are like children, train 'em up in the way they shouldgo, as the good book says, and when they are old they will not departfrom it, if they have a chance."

  "I like to hear you talk," said James, "that's the way we lay it down athome, at our master's."

  "Who is your master, young man? if it be a proper question. I shouldjudge he is a good one, from what I see."

  "He is Squire Gordon, of Birtwick Park, the other side the BeaconHills," 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 thepoor young master was killed."

  "Ah! poor gentleman; I read all about it in the paper at the time. Afine horse killed, too, wasn't there?"

  "Yes," said James; "he was a splendid creature, brother to this one, andjust like him."

  "Pity! pity!" said the old man; "'twas a bad place to leap, if Iremember; a thin fence at top, a steep bank down to the stream, wasn'tit? No chance for a horse to see where he is going. Now, I am for boldriding as much as any man, but still there are some leaps that onlya very knowing old huntsman has any right to take. A man's life and ahorse's life are worth more than a fox's tail; at least, I should saythey ought to be."

  During this time the other man had finished Ginger and had brought ourcorn, 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 secondhostler, and while he was cleaning him a young man with a pipe in hismouth lounged into the stable to gossip.

  "I say, Towler," said the hostler, "just run up the ladder into the loftand put some hay down into this horse's rack, will you? only lay downyour pipe."

  "All right," said the other, and went up through the trapdoor; and Iheard him step across the floor overhead and put down the hay. Jamescame 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 oneof the other horses seemed very restless; it was quite dark, and I couldsee nothing, but the stable seemed full of smoke, and I hardly knew howto breathe.

  The trapdoor had been left open, and I thought that was the place itcame through. I listened, and heard a soft rushing sort of noise and alow crackling and snapping. I did not know what it was, but there wassomething in the sound so strange that it made me tremble all over. Theother horses were all awake; some were pulling at their halters, othersstamping.

  At last I heard steps outside, and the hostler who had put up thetraveler's horse burst into the stable with a lantern, and began tountie the horses, and try to lead them out; but he seemed in such ahurry and so frightened himself that he frightened me still more. Thefirst horse would not go with him; he tried the second and third, andthey too would not stir. He came to me next and tried to drag me out ofthe stall by force; of course that was no use. He tried us all by turnsand then left the stable.

  No doubt we were very foolish, but danger seemed to be all round, andthere 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 tobreathe, but the rushing sound overhead grew louder, and as I lookedupward through the bars of my empty rack I saw a red light flickeringon the wall. Then I heard a cry of "Fire!" outside, and the old hostlerquietly and quickly came in; he got one horse out, and went to another,but the flames were playing round the trapdoor, and the roaring overheadwas dreadful.

  The next thing I heard was James' voice, quiet and cheery, as it alwayswas.

  "Come, my beauties, it is time for us to be off, so wake up and comealong." I stood nearest the door, so he came to me first, patting me ashe came in.

  "Come, Beauty, on with your bridle, my boy, we'll soon be out of thissmother." It was on in no time; then he took the scarf off his neck, andtied it lightly over my eyes, and patting and coaxing he led me outof the stable. Safe in the yard, he slipped the scarf off my eyes, andshouted, "Here somebody! take this horse while I go back for the other."

  A tall, broad man stepped forward and took me, and James darted backinto the stable. I set up a shrill whinny as I saw him go. Ginger toldme 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 tocome out.

  There was much confusion in the yard; the horses being got out of otherstables, and the carriages and gigs being pulled out of houses andsheds, lest the flames should spread further. On the other side the yardwindows 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 outthicker than ever, and I could see flashes of red light; presently Iheard above all the stir and din a loud, clear voice, which I knew wasmaster's:

  "James Howard! James Howard! Are you there?" There was no answer, but Iheard a crash of something falling in the stable, and the next momentI gave a loud, joyful neigh, for I saw James coming through the smokeleading Ginger with him; she was coughing violently, and he was not ableto speak.

  "My brave lad!" said master, laying his hand on his shoulder, "are youhurt?"

  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 getout of this place as quickly as we can," and we were moving toward theentry, when from the market-place there came a sound of galloping feetand 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 stonestwo horses dashed into the yard with a heavy engine behind them. Thefiremen leaped to the ground; there was no need to ask where the firewas--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; thestars 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 asthe 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 sawmortal man walk so fast as he did that night.

  There was a dreadful sound before we got into our stalls--the shrieks ofthose poor horses that were left burning to death in the stable--it wasvery 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 toJames. I did not hear much, for the hostler was rubbing me down, butI could see that James looked very happy, and I thought the master wasproud of him. Our mistress had been so much alarmed in the night thatthe journey was put off till the afternoon, so James had the morningon hand, and went first to the inn to see about our harness and thecarriage, and then to hear more about the fire. When he came back weheard him tell the hostler about it. At first no one could guess how thefire had been caused, but at last a man said he saw Dick Towler go intothe stable with a pipe in his mouth, and when he came out he had notone, and went to the tap for another. Then the under hostler said he hadasked Dick to go up the ladder to put down some hay, but told him to laydown his pipe first. Dick denied taking the pipe with him, but no onebelieved him. I remember our John Manly's rule, never to allow a pipe inthe stable, and thought it ought to be the rule everywhere.

  James said the roof and floor had all fallen in, and that only the blackwalls were standing; the two poor horses that could not be got out wereburied under the burnt rafters and tiles.

  17 John Manly's Talk
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br />   The rest of our journey was very easy, and a little after sunset wereached 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 thefire.

  "There is one thing quite clear, young man," he said, "your horses knowwho they can trust; it is one of the hardest things in the world to gethorses out of a stable when there is either fire or flood. I don't knowwhy 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. Allwent 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 iscoming in my place."