Black Beauty: Part II

We were taken to a light, airy stable, and placed in boxes adjoining each other, where we were rubbed down and fed.

The black one is the most perfect temper I ever knew; I suppose he has never known a hard word or a blow since he was foaled, and all his pleasure seems to be to do what you wish...

But she is naturally a more irritable constitution than the black horse; flies tease her more; anything wrong in the harness frets her more; and if she were ill-used or unfairly treated she would not be unlikely to give tit for tat.

Two footmen were standing ready, dressed in drab livery, with scarlet breeches and white stockings.

The next day at three o'clock we were again at the door, and the footmen as before; we heard the silk dress rustle and the lady came down the steps, and in an imperious voice she said, “York, you must put those horses' heads higher; they are not fit to be seen.”

The next day at three o'clock we were again at the door, and the footmen as before; we heard the silk dress rustle and the lady came down the steps, and in an imperious voice she said, “York, you must put those horses' heads higher; they are not fit to be seen.”

There is no knowing what further mischief she might have done had not York promptly sat himself down flat on her head to prevent her struggling, at the same time calling out, “Unbuckle the black horse! Run for the winch and unscrew the carriage pole! Cut the trace here, somebody, if you can't unhitch it!”

“Oh, no, not at all,” she replied, “but I am amiable enough to let you ride him for once, and I will try your charming Lizzie. You must confess that in size and appearance she is far more like a lady's horse than my own favorite.”

Blantyre alighted at the gate, and was going to open it for Lady Anne, but she said, “I will wait for you here, and you can hang Auster's rein on the gate.”

The colts were wild and frolicsome, and one of them bolted across the road and blundered up against Lizzie's hind legs, and whether it was the stupid colt, or the loud cracking of the whip, or both together, I cannot say, but she gave a violent kick, and dashed off into a headlong gallop.

The colts were wild and frolicsome, and one of them bolted across the road and blundered up against Lizzie's hind legs, and whether it was the stupid colt, or the loud cracking of the whip, or both together, I cannot say, but she gave a violent kick, and dashed off into a headlong gallop.

We had hardly turned on the common, when we caught sight again of the green habit flying on before us.

About halfway across the heath there had been a wide dike recently cut, and the earth from the cutting was cast up roughly on the other side.

But no; with scarcely a pause Lizzie took the leap, stumbled among the rough clods and fell.

Gently he turned her face upward: it was ghastly white and the eyes were closed.

York had interceded for him with the earl, who is very kind-hearted, and the man had promised faithfully that he would never taste another drop as long as he lived there.

He spoke in a very loud, offhand way, and I thought it very unlike him not to see about the shoe, as he was generally wonderfully particular about loose nails in our shoes.

The roads were stony, having been recently mended; going over them at this pace, my shoe became looser, and as we neared the turnpike gate it came off.

It was a calm, sweet April night; there were no sounds but a few low notes of a nightingale, and nothing moved but the white clouds near the moon and a brown owl that flitted over the hedge.

Robert led me on very slowly, and I limped and hobbled on as well as I could with great pain.

At last I reached my own box, and had some corn; and after Robert had wrapped up my knees in wet cloths, he tied up my foot in a bran poultice, to draw out the heat and cleanse it before the horse-doctor saw it in the morning, and I managed to get myself down on the straw, and slept in spite of the pain.

The next day after the farrier had examined my wounds, he said he hoped the joint was not injured; and if so, I should not be spoiled for work, but I should never lose the blemish.

Proud flesh, as they called it, came up in my knees, and was burned out with caustic; and when at last it was healed, they put a blistering fluid over the front of both knees to bring all the hair off; they had some reason for this, and I suppose it was all right.

As Smith's death had been so sudden, and no one was there to see it, there was an inquest held.

Some poor, broken-down horses, whose mouths have been made hard and insensible by just such drivers as these, may, perhaps, find some support in it; but for a horse who can depend upon his own legs, and who has a tender mouth and is easily guided, it is not only tormenting, but it is stupid.

Besides, a slovenly way of driving gets a horse into bad and often lazy habits, and when he changes hands he has to be whipped out of them with more or less pain and trouble.

By that time I was going so lame with the pain that at last he saw it, and called out, “Well, here's a go! Why, they have sent us out with a lame horse! What a shame!”

“Didn't you?” said the farmer rather contemptuously; “but they do, though, and the best of them will do it, and can't help it sometimes on such roads as these. And if you don't want to lame your horse you must look sharp and get them out quickly. This foot is very much bruised,” he said, setting it gently down and patting me.

And so the whip is plied and the rein is chucked and often a rough, scolding voice cries out, “Go along, you lazy beast!”

She was a strong, well-made animal, of a bright dun color, beautifully dappled, and with a dark-brown mane and tail.

She was a strong, well-made animal, of a bright dun color, beautifully dappled, and with a dark-brown mane and tail.

Some farmers, you know, are capital masters; but I think this one was a low sort of man. He cared nothing about good horses or good driving; he only cared for going fast.

After she left us another horse came in her stead.

And turning to his man, who had come to take me, “Give this horse a right good feed of bruised oats, and don't stint him.”

Filcher was cleaning my feet at the time, but they soon saw him, and though he blustered a good deal they walked him off to the “lock-up”, and his boy with him.

He was a tall, good-looking fellow enough; but if ever there was a humbug in the shape of a groom Alfred Smirk was the man.

I should say he was the laziest, most conceited fellow I ever came near.

I had a loose box, and might have been very comfortable if he had not been too indolent to clean it out.

“Well, sir,” he said, touching his cap, “I'll do so if you please, sir; but it is rather dangerous, sir, throwing down water in a horse's box; they are very apt to take cold, sir. I should not like to do him an injury, but I'll do it if you please, sir.”

The bricklayer came and pulled up a great many bricks, but found nothing amiss; so he put down some lime and charged the master five shillings, and the smell in my box was as bad as ever.