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AssoonasmykneesweresufficientlyhealedIwasturnedintoasmallmeadowforamonthortwo;noothercreaturewasthere;andthoughIenjoyedthelibertyandthesweetgrass,yetIhadbeensolongusedtosocietythatIfeltverylonely.
GingerandIhadbecomefastfriends,andnowImissedhercompanyextremely.
IoftenneighedwhenIheardhorses'feetpassingintheroad,butIseldomgotananswer;tillonemorningthegatewasopened,andwhoshouldcomeinbutdearoldGinger.
Themanslippedoffherhalter,andleftherthere.
WithajoyfulwhinnyItrotteduptoher;wewerebothgladtomeet,butIsoonfoundthatitwasnotforourpleasurethatshewasbroughttobewithme.
Herstorywouldbetoolongtotell,buttheendofitwasthatshehadbeenruinedbyhardriding,andwasnowturnedofftoseewhatrestwoulddo.
LordGeorgewasyoungandwouldtakenowarning;hewasahardrider,andwouldhuntwheneverhecouldgetthechance,quitecarelessofhishorse.
SoonafterIleftthestabletherewasasteeplechase,andhedeterminedtoride.
Thoughthegroomtoldhimshewasalittlestrained,andwasnotfitfortherace,hedidnotbelieveit,andonthedayoftheraceurgedGingertokeepupwiththeforemostriders.
Withherhighspirit,shestrainedherselftotheutmost;shecameinwiththefirstthreehorses,butherwindwastouched,besideswhichhewastooheavyforher,andherbackwasstrained.
"Andso,"shesaid,"hereweare,ruinedintheprimeofouryouthandstrength,youbyadrunkard,andIbyafool;itisveryhard."
Webothfeltinourselvesthatwewerenotwhatwehadbeen.
However,thatdidnotspoilthepleasurewehadineachother'scompany;wedidnotgallopaboutasweoncedid,butweusedtofeed,andliedowntogether,andstandforhoursunderoneoftheshadylime-treeswithourheadsclosetoeachother;andsowepassedourtimetillthefamilyreturnedfromtown.
Onedaywesawtheearlcomeintothemeadow,andYorkwaswithhim.
Seeingwhoitwas,westoodstillunderourlime-tree,andletthemcomeuptous.Theyexamineduscarefully.Theearlseemedmuchannoyed.
"Thereisthreehundredpoundsflungawayfornoearthlyuse,"saidhe;"butwhatIcaremostforisthatthesehorsesofmyoldfriend,whothoughttheywouldfindagoodhomewithme,areruined.
Themareshallhaveatwelve-month'srun,andweshallseewhatthatwilldoforher;buttheblackone,hemustbesold;'tisagreatpity,butIcouldnothavekneesliketheseinmystables."
"No,mylord,ofcoursenot,"saidYork;"buthemightgetaplacewhereappearanceisnotofmuchconsequence,andstillbewelltreated.
IknowamaninBath,themasterofsomeliverystables,whooftenwantsagoodhorseatalowfigure;Iknowhelookswellafterhishorses.
Theinquestclearedthehorse'scharacter,andyourlordship'srecommendation,ormine,wouldbesufficientwarrantforhim."
"Youhadbetterwritetohim,York.Ishouldbemoreparticularabouttheplacethanthemoneyhewouldfetch."
Afterthistheyleftus.
"They'llsoontakeyouaway,"saidGinger,"andIshalllosetheonlyfriendIhave,andmostlikelyweshallneverseeeachotheragain.'Tisahardworld!"
AboutaweekafterthisRobertcameintothefieldwithahalter,whichheslippedovermyhead,andledmeaway.
Therewasnoleave-takingofGinger;weneighedtoeachotherasIwasledoff,andshetrottedanxiouslyalongbythehedge,callingtomeaslongasshecouldhearthesoundofmyfeet.
ThroughtherecommendationofYork,Iwasboughtbythemasteroftheliverystables.
Ihadtogobytrain,whichwasnewtome,andrequiredagooddealofcouragethefirsttime;butasIfoundthepuffing,rushing,whistling,and,morethanall,thetremblingofthehorse-boxinwhichIstooddidmenorealharm,Isoontookitquietly.
WhenIreachedtheendofmyjourneyIfoundmyselfinatolerablycomfortablestable,andwellattendedto.
ThesestableswerenotsoairyandpleasantasthoseIhadbeenusedto.
Thestallswerelaidonaslopeinsteadofbeinglevel,andasmyheadwaskepttiedtothemanger,Iwasobligedalwaystostandontheslope,whichwasveryfatiguing.
Mendonotseemtoknowyetthathorsescandomoreworkiftheycanstandcomfortablyandcanturnabout;however,Iwaswellfedandwellcleaned,and,onthewhole,Ithinkourmastertookasmuchcareofusashecould.
Hekeptagoodmanyhorsesandcarriagesofdifferentkindsforhire.
Sometimeshisownmendrovethem;atothers,thehorseandchaisewerelettogentlemenorladieswhodrovethemselves.
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