English
JeremiahBarkerwasmynewmaster'sname,butaseveryonecalledhimJerry,Ishalldothesame.
Polly,hiswife,wasjustasgoodamatchasamancouldhave.
Shewasaplump,trim,tidylittlewoman,withsmooth,darkhair,darkeyes,andamerrylittlemouth.
Theboywastwelveyearsold,atall,frank,good-temperedlad;andlittleDorothy(Dollytheycalledher)washermotheroveragain,ateightyearsold.
Theywereallwonderfullyfondofeachother;Ineverknewsuchahappy,merryfamilybeforeorsince.
Jerryhadacabofhisown,andtwohorses,whichhedroveandattendedtohimself.
Hisotherhorsewasatall,white,ratherlarge-bonedanimalcalled"Captain".
Hewasoldnow,butwhenhewasyounghemusthavebeensplendid;hehadstillaproudwayofholdinghisheadandarchinghisneck;infact,hewasahigh-bred,fine-mannered,nobleoldhorse,everyinchofhim.
HetoldmethatinhisearlyyouthhewenttotheCrimeanWar;hebelongedtoanofficerinthecavalry,andusedtoleadtheregiment.Iwilltellmoreofthathereafter.
Thenextmorning,whenIwaswell-groomed,PollyandDollycameintotheyardtoseemeandmakefriends.
Harryhadbeenhelpinghisfathersincetheearlymorning,andhadstatedhisopinionthatIshouldturnouta"regularbrick".
Pollybroughtmeasliceofapple,andDollyapieceofbread,andmadeasmuchofmeasifIhadbeenthe"BlackBeauty"ofoldentime.
Itwasagreattreattobepettedagainandtalkedtoinagentlevoice,andIletthemseeaswellasIcouldthatIwishedtobefriendly.
PollythoughtIwasveryhandsome,andagreatdealtoogoodforacab,ifitwasnotforthebrokenknees.
"Ofcoursethere'snoonetotelluswhosefaultthatwas,"saidJerry,"andaslongasIdon'tknowIshallgivehimthebenefitofthedoubt;forafirmer,neaterstepperIneverrode.
We'llcallhim'Jack',aftertheoldone—shallwe,Polly?"
"Do,"shesaid,"forIliketokeepagoodnamegoing."
Captainwentoutinthecaballthemorning.
Harrycameinafterschooltofeedmeandgivemewater.
IntheafternoonIwasputintothecab.
JerrytookasmuchpainstoseeifthecollarandbridlefittedcomfortablyasifhehadbeenJohnManlyoveragain.
Whenthecrupperwasletoutaholeortwoitallfittedwell.
Therewasnocheck-rein,nocurb,nothingbutaplainringsnaffle.Whatablessingthatwas!
AfterdrivingthroughthesidestreetwecametothelargecabstandwhereJerryhadsaid"Good-night".
Ononesideofthiswidestreetwerehighhouseswithwonderfulshopfronts,andontheotherwasanoldchurchandchurchyard,surroundedbyironpalisades.
Alongsidetheseironrailsanumberofcabsweredrawnup,waitingforpassengers;bitsofhaywerelyingaboutontheground;someofthemenwerestandingtogethertalking;someweresittingontheirboxesreadingthenewspaper;andoneortwowerefeedingtheirhorseswithbitsofhay,andgivingthemadrinkofwater.
Wepulledupintherankatthebackofthelastcab.
Twoorthreemencameroundandbegantolookatmeandpasstheirremarks.
"Verygoodforafuneral,"saidone.
"Toosmart-looking,"saidanother,shakinghisheadinaverywiseway;"you'llfindoutsomethingwrongoneofthesefinemornings,ormynameisn'tJones."
"Well,"saidJerrypleasantly,"IsupposeIneednotfinditouttillitfindsmeout,eh?Andifso,I'llkeepupmyspiritsalittlelonger."
Thentherecameupabroad-facedman,dressedinagreatgraycoatwithgreatgraycapeandgreatwhitebuttons,agrayhat,andabluecomforterlooselytiedroundhisneck;hishairwasgray,too;buthewasajolly-lookingfellow,andtheothermenmadewayforhim.
Helookedmeallover,asifhehadbeengoingtobuyme;andthenstraighteninghimselfupwithagrunt,hesaid,"He'stherightsortforyou,Jerry;Idon'tcarewhatyougaveforhim,he'llbeworthit."
Thusmycharacterwasestablishedonthestand.
Thisman'snamewasGrant,buthewascalled"GrayGrant",or"GovernorGrant".
Hehadbeenthelongestonthatstandofanyofthemen,andhetookituponhimselftosettlemattersandstopdisputes.
Hewasgenerallyagood-humored,sensibleman;butifhistemperwasalittleout,asitwassometimeswhenhehaddrunktoomuch,nobodylikedtocometoonearhisfist,forhecoulddealaveryheavyblow.
Thefirstweekofmylifeasacabhorsewasverytrying.
IhadneverbeenusedtoLondon,andthenoise,thehurry,thecrowdsofhorses,carts,andcarriagesthatIhadtomakemywaythroughmademefeelanxiousandharassed;butIsoonfoundthatIcouldperfectlytrustmydriver,andthenImademyselfeasyandgotusedtoit.
JerrywasasgoodadriverasIhadeverknown,andwhatwasbetter,hetookasmuchthoughtforhishorsesashedidforhimself.
HesoonfoundoutthatIwaswillingtoworkanddomybest,andheneverlaidthewhiponmeunlessitwasgentlydrawingtheendofitovermybackwhenIwastogoon;butgenerallyIknewthisquitewellbythewayinwhichhetookupthereins,andIbelievehiswhipwasmorefrequentlystuckupbyhissidethaninhishand.
InashorttimeIandmymasterunderstoodeachotheraswellashorseandmancando.
Inthestable,too,hedidallthathecouldforourcomfort.
Thestallsweretheold-fashionedstyle,toomuchontheslope;buthehadtwomovablebarsfixedacrossthebackofourstalls,sothatatnight,andwhenwewereresting,hejusttookoffourhaltersandputupthebars,andthuswecouldturnaboutandstandwhicheverwaywepleased,whichisagreatcomfort.
Jerrykeptusveryclean,andgaveusasmuchchangeoffoodashecould,andalwaysplentyofit;andnotonlythat,buthealwaysgaveusplentyofcleanfreshwater,whichheallowedtostandbyusbothnightandday,exceptofcoursewhenwecameinwarm.
Somepeoplesaythatahorseoughtnottodrinkallhelikes;butIknowifweareallowedtodrinkwhenwewantitwedrinkonlyalittleatatime,anditdoesusagreatdealmoregoodthanswallowingdownhalfabucketfulatatime,becausewehavebeenleftwithouttillwearethirstyandmiserable.
Somegroomswillgohometotheirbeerandleaveusforhourswithourdryhayandoatsandnothingtomoistenthem;thenofcoursewegulpdowntoomuchatonce,whichhelpstospoilourbreathingandsometimeschillsourstomachs.
ButthebestthingwehadherewasourSundaysforrest;weworkedsohardintheweekthatIdonotthinkwecouldhavekeptuptoitbutforthatday;besides,wehadthentimetoenjoyeachother'scompany.
ItwasonthesedaysthatIlearnedmycompanion'shistory.
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