English
BeforeIwastwoyearsoldacircumstancehappenedwhichIhaveneverforgotten.
Itwasearlyinthespring;therehadbeenalittlefrostinthenight,andalightmiststillhungoverthewoodsandmeadows.
Iandtheothercoltswerefeedingatthelowerpartofthefieldwhenweheard,quiteinthedistance,whatsoundedlikethecryofdogs.
Theoldestofthecoltsraisedhishead,prickedhisears,andsaid,"Therearethehounds!"
andimmediatelycanteredoff,followedbytherestofustotheupperpartofthefield,wherewecouldlookoverthehedgeandseeseveralfieldsbeyond.
Mymotherandanoldridinghorseofourmaster'swerealsostandingnear,andseemedtoknowallaboutit.
"Theyhavefoundahare,"saidmymother,"andiftheycomethiswayweshallseethehunt."
Andsoonthedogswerealltearingdownthefieldofyoungwheatnexttoours.
Ineverheardsuchanoiseastheymade.
Theydidnotbark,norhowl,norwhine,butkeptona"yo!yo,o,o!yo!yo,o,o!"atthetopoftheirvoices.
Afterthemcameanumberofmenonhorseback,someofthemingreencoats,allgallopingasfastastheycould.
Theoldhorsesnortedandlookedeagerlyafterthem,andweyoungcoltswantedtobegallopingwiththem,buttheyweresoonawayintothefieldslowerdown;hereitseemedasiftheyhadcometoastand;thedogsleftoffbarking,andranabouteverywaywiththeirnosestotheground.
"Theyhavelostthescent,"saidtheoldhorse;"perhapstheharewillgetoff."
"Whathare?"Isaid.
"Oh!Idon'tknowwhathare;likelyenoughitmaybeoneofourownharesoutofthewoods;anyharetheycanfindwilldoforthedogsandmentorunafter;"andbeforelongthedogsbegantheir"yo!yo,o,o!"
again,andbacktheycamealtogetheratfullspeed,makingstraightforourmeadowatthepartwherethehighbankandhedgeoverhangthebrook.
"Nowweshallseethehare,"saidmymother;andjustthenaharewildwithfrightrushedbyandmadeforthewoods.
Oncamethedogs;theyburstoverthebank,leapedthestream,andcamedashingacrossthefieldfollowedbythehuntsmen.
Sixoreightmenleapedtheirhorsescleanover,closeuponthedogs.
Theharetriedtogetthroughthefence;itwastoothick,andsheturnedsharproundtomakefortheroad,butitwastoolate;thedogswereuponherwiththeirwildcries;weheardoneshriek,andthatwastheendofher.
Oneofthehuntsmenrodeupandwhippedoffthedogs,whowouldsoonhavetornhertopieces.
Heheldherupbythelegtornandbleeding,andallthegentlemenseemedwellpleased.
Asforme,IwassoastonishedthatIdidnotatfirstseewhatwasgoingonbythebrook;butwhenIdidlooktherewasasadsight;twofinehorsesweredown,onewasstrugglinginthestream,andtheotherwasgroaningonthegrass.
Oneoftheriderswasgettingoutofthewatercoveredwithmud,theotherlayquitestill.
"Hisneckisbroke,"saidmymother.
"Andservehimright,too,"saidoneofthecolts.
Ithoughtthesame,butmymotherdidnotjoinwithus.
"Well,no,"shesaid,"youmustnotsaythat;butthoughIamanoldhorse,andhaveseenandheardagreatdeal,Ineveryetcouldmakeoutwhymenaresofondofthissport;theyoftenhurtthemselves,oftenspoilgoodhorses,andtearupthefields,andallforahareorafox,orastag,thattheycouldgetmoreeasilysomeotherway;butweareonlyhorses,anddon'tknow."
Whilemymotherwassayingthiswestoodandlookedon.
Manyoftheridershadgonetotheyoungman;butmymaster,whohadbeenwatchingwhatwasgoingon,wasthefirsttoraisehim.
Hisheadfellbackandhisarmshungdown,andeveryonelookedveryserious.
Therewasnonoisenow;eventhedogswerequiet,andseemedtoknowthatsomethingwaswrong.Theycarriedhimtoourmaster'shouse.
IheardafterwardthatitwasyoungGeorgeGordon,thesquire'sonlyson,afine,tallyoungman,andtheprideofhisfamily.
Therewasnowridingoffinalldirectionstothedoctor's,tothefarrier's,andnodoubttoSquireGordon's,tolethimknowabouthisson.
WhenMr.Bond,thefarrier,cametolookattheblackhorsethatlaygroaningonthegrass,hefelthimallover,andshookhishead;oneofhislegswasbroken.
Thensomeonerantoourmaster'shouseandcamebackwithagun;presentlytherewasaloudbangandadreadfulshriek,andthenallwasstill;theblackhorsemovednomore.
Mymotherseemedmuchtroubled;shesaidshehadknownthathorseforyears,andthathisnamewas"RobRoy";hewasagoodhorse,andtherewasnoviceinhim.
Sheneverwouldgotothatpartofthefieldafterward.
Notmanydaysafterweheardthechurch-belltollingforalongtime,andlookingoverthegatewesawalong,strangeblackcoachthatwascoveredwithblackclothandwasdrawnbyblackhorses;afterthatcameanotherandanotherandanother,andallwereblack,whilethebellkepttolling,tolling.
TheywerecarryingyoungGordontothechurchyardtoburyhim.Hewouldneverrideagain.
WhattheydidwithRobRoyIneverknew;but'twasallforonelittlehare.
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