English
Earlyinthespring,LordW——andpartofhisfamilywentuptoLondon,andtookYorkwiththem.IandGingerandsomeotherhorseswereleftathomeforuse,andtheheadgroomwasleftincharge.
TheLadyHarriet,whoremainedatthehall,wasagreatinvalid,andneverwentoutinthecarriage,andtheLadyAnnepreferredridingonhorsebackwithherbrotherorcousins.
Shewasaperfecthorsewoman,andasgayandgentleasshewasbeautiful.
Shechosemeforherhorse,andnamedme"BlackAuster".
Ienjoyedtheseridesverymuchintheclearcoldair,sometimeswithGinger,sometimeswithLizzie.
ThisLizziewasabrightbaymare,almostthoroughbred,andagreatfavoritewiththegentlemen,onaccountofherfineactionandlivelyspirit;butGinger,whoknewmoreofherthanIdid,toldmeshewasrathernervous.
TherewasagentlemanofthenameofBlantyrestayingatthehall;healwaysrodeLizzie,andpraisedhersomuchthatonedayLadyAnneorderedtheside-saddletobeputonher,andtheothersaddleonme.
Whenwecametothedoorthegentlemanseemedveryuneasy.
"Howisthis?"hesaid."AreyoutiredofyourgoodBlackAuster?"
"Oh,no,notatall,"shereplied,"butIamamiableenoughtoletyouridehimforonce,andIwilltryyourcharmingLizzie.
Youmustconfessthatinsizeandappearancesheisfarmorelikealady'shorsethanmyownfavorite."
"Doletmeadviseyounottomounther,"hesaid;"sheisacharmingcreature,butsheistoonervousforalady.Iassureyou,sheisnotperfectlysafe;letmebegyoutohavethesaddleschanged."
"Mydearcousin,"saidLadyAnne,laughing,"praydonottroubleyourgoodcarefulheadaboutme.
IhavebeenahorsewomaneversinceIwasababy,andIhavefollowedthehoundsagreatmanytimes,thoughIknowyoudonotapproveofladieshunting;butstillthatisthefact,andIintendtotrythisLizziethatyougentlemenareallsofondof;sopleasehelpmetomount,likeagoodfriendasyouare."
Therewasnomoretobesaid;heplacedhercarefullyonthesaddle,lookedtothebitandcurb,gavethereinsgentlyintoherhand,andthenmountedme.
JustasweweremovingoffafootmancameoutwithaslipofpaperandmessagefromtheLadyHarriet.
"WouldtheyaskthisquestionforheratDr.Ashley's,andbringtheanswer?"
Thevillagewasaboutamileoff,andthedoctor'shousewasthelastinit.Wewentalonggaylyenoughtillwecametohisgate.Therewasashortdriveuptothehousebetweentallevergreens.
Blantyrealightedatthegate,andwasgoingtoopenitforLadyAnne,butshesaid,"Iwillwaitforyouhere,andyoucanhangAuster'sreinonthegate."
Helookedatherdoubtfully."Iwillnotbefiveminutes,"hesaid.
"Oh,donothurryyourself;LizzieandIshallnotrunawayfromyou."
Hehungmyreinononeoftheironspikes,andwassoonhiddenamongthetrees.
Lizziewasstandingquietlybythesideoftheroadafewpacesoff,withherbacktome.
Myyoungmistresswassittingeasilywithalooserein,hummingalittlesong.
Ilistenedtomyrider'sfootstepsuntiltheyreachedthehouse,andheardhimknockatthedoor.
Therewasameadowontheoppositesideoftheroad,thegateofwhichstoodopen;justthensomecarthorsesandseveralyoungcoltscametrottingoutinaverydisorderlymanner,whileaboybehindwascrackingagreatwhip.
Thecoltswerewildandfrolicsome,andoneofthemboltedacrosstheroadandblunderedupagainstLizzie'shindlegs,andwhetheritwasthestupidcolt,ortheloudcrackingofthewhip,orbothtogether,Icannotsay,butshegaveaviolentkick,anddashedoffintoaheadlonggallop.
ItwassosuddenthatLadyAnnewasnearlyunseated,butshesoonrecoveredherself.
Igavealoud,shrillneighforhelp;againandagainIneighed,pawingthegroundimpatiently,andtossingmyheadtogetthereinloose.Ihadnotlongtowait.
Blantyrecamerunningtothegate;helookedanxiouslyabout,andjustcaughtsightoftheflyingfigure,nowfarawayontheroad.Inaninstanthesprangtothesaddle.
Ineedednowhip,nospur,forIwasaseagerasmyrider;hesawit,andgivingmeafreerein,andleaningalittleforward,wedashedafterthem.
Foraboutamileandahalftheroadranstraight,andthenbenttotheright,afterwhichitdividedintotworoads.
Longbeforewecametothebendshewasoutofsight.Whichwayhadsheturned?
Awomanwasstandingathergardengate,shadinghereyeswithherhand,andlookingeagerlyuptheroad.
Scarcelydrawingtherein,Blantyreshouted,"Whichway?""Totheright!"
criedthewoman,pointingwithherhand,andawaywewentuptheright-handroad;thenforamomentwecaughtsightofher;anotherbendandshewashiddenagain.
Severaltimeswecaughtglimpses,andthenlostthem.
Wescarcelyseemedtogaingrounduponthematall.
Anoldroad-menderwasstandingnearaheapofstones,hisshoveldroppedandhishandsraised.
Aswecamenearhemadeasigntospeak.Blantyredrewthereinalittle.
"Tothecommon,tothecommon,sir;shehasturnedoffthere."
Iknewthiscommonverywell;itwasforthemostpartveryunevenground,coveredwithheatheranddark-greenfurzebushes,withhereandthereascrubbyoldthorn-tree;therewerealsoopenspacesoffineshortgrass,withant-hillsandmole-turnseverywhere;theworstplaceIeverknewforaheadlonggallop.
Wehadhardlyturnedonthecommon,whenwecaughtsightagainofthegreenhabitflyingonbeforeus.
Mylady'shatwasgone,andherlongbrownhairwasstreamingbehindher.
Herheadandbodywerethrownback,asifshewerepullingwithallherremainingstrength,andasifthatstrengthwerenearlyexhausted.
ItwasclearthattheroughnessofthegroundhadverymuchlessenedLizzie'sspeed,andthereseemedachancethatwemightovertakeher.
Whilewewereonthehighroad,Blantyrehadgivenmemyhead;butnow,withalighthandandapracticedeye,heguidedmeoverthegroundinsuchamasterlymannerthatmypacewasscarcelyslackened,andweweredecidedlygainingonthem.
Abouthalfwayacrosstheheaththerehadbeenawidedikerecentlycut,andtheearthfromthecuttingwascastuproughlyontheotherside.Surelythiswouldstopthem!
Butno;withscarcelyapauseLizzietooktheleap,stumbledamongtheroughclodsandfell.
Blantyregroaned,"Now,Auster,doyourbest!"Hegavemeasteadyrein.
Igatheredmyselfwelltogetherandwithonedeterminedleapclearedbothdikeandbank.
Motionlessamongtheheather,withherfacetotheearth,laymypooryoungmistress.
Blantyrekneeleddownandcalledhername:therewasnosound.
Gentlyheturnedherfaceupward:itwasghastlywhiteandtheeyeswereclosed."Annie,dearAnnie,dospeak!"Buttherewasnoanswer.
Heunbuttonedherhabit,loosenedhercollar,feltherhandsandwrist,thenstartedupandlookedwildlyroundhimforhelp.
Atnogreatdistancethereweretwomencuttingturf,who,seeingLizzierunningwildwithoutarider,hadlefttheirworktocatchher.
Blantyre'shalloosoonbroughtthemtothespot.Theforemostmanseemedmuchtroubledatthesight,andaskedwhathecoulddo.
"Canyouride?"
"Well,sir,Ibean'tmuchofahorseman,butI'driskmyneckfortheLadyAnne;shewasuncommongoodtomywifeinthewinter."
"Thenmountthishorse,myfriend—yourneckwillbequitesafe—andridetothedoctor'sandaskhimtocomeinstantly;thenontothehall;tellthemallthatyouknow,andbidthemsendmethecarriage,withLadyAnne'smaidandhelp.Ishallstayhere."
"Allright,sir,I'lldomybest,andIprayGodthedearyoungladymayopenhereyessoon."
Then,seeingtheotherman,hecalledout,"Here,Joe,runforsomewater,andtellmymissistocomeasquickasshecantotheLadyAnne."
Hethensomehowscrambledintothesaddle,andwitha"Geeup"andaclaponmysideswithbothhislegs,hestartedonhisjourney,makingalittlecircuittoavoidthedike.
Hehadnowhip,whichseemedtotroublehim;butmypacesooncuredthatdifficulty,andhefoundthebestthinghecoulddowastosticktothesaddleandholdmein,whichhedidmanfully.
IshookhimaslittleasIcouldhelp,butonceortwiceontheroughgroundhecalledout,"Steady!Woah!Steady!"
Onthehighroadwewereallright;andatthedoctor'sandthehallhedidhiserrandlikeagoodmanandtrue.
Theyaskedhimintotakeadropofsomething.
"No,no,"hesaid;"I'llbebackto'emagainbyashortcutthroughthefields,andbethereaforethecarriage."
Therewasagreatdealofhurryandexcitementafterthenewsbecameknown.Iwasjustturnedintomybox;thesaddleandbridleweretakenoff,andacloththrownoverme.
GingerwassaddledandsentoffingreathasteforLordGeorge,andIsoonheardthecarriagerolloutoftheyard.
ItseemedalongtimebeforeGingercameback,andbeforewewereleftalone;andthenshetoldmeallthatshehadseen.
"Ican'ttellmuch,"shesaid."Wewentagallopnearlyalltheway,andgottherejustasthedoctorrodeup.
Therewasawomansittingonthegroundwiththelady'sheadinherlap.
Thedoctorpouredsomethingintohermouth,butallthatIheardwas,'Sheisnotdead.'
ThenIwasledoffbyamantoalittledistance.
Afterawhileshewastakentothecarriage,andwecamehometogether.
Iheardmymastersaytoagentlemanwhostoppedhimtoinquire,thathehopednoboneswerebroken,butthatshehadnotspokenyet."
WhenLordGeorgetookGingerforhunting,Yorkshookhishead;hesaiditoughttobeasteadyhandtotrainahorseforthefirstseason,andnotarandomriderlikeLordGeorge.
Gingerusedtolikeitverymuch,butsometimeswhenshecamebackIcouldseethatshehadbeenverymuchstrained,andnowandthenshegaveashortcough.
Shehadtoomuchspirittocomplain,butIcouldnothelpfeelinganxiousabouther.
TwodaysaftertheaccidentBlantyrepaidmeavisit;hepattedmeandpraisedmeverymuch;hetoldLordGeorgethathewassurethehorseknewofAnnie'sdangeraswellashedid.
"IcouldnothaveheldhiminifIwould,"saidhe,"sheoughtnevertorideanyotherhorse."
Ifoundbytheirconversationthatmyyoungmistresswasnowoutofdanger,andwouldsoonbeabletorideagain.
ThiswasgoodnewstomeandIlookedforwardtoahappylife.
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