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1"Ah! poor gentleman; I read all about it in the paper at the time. A fine horse killed, too, wasn't there?" "Yes," said
2James; "he was a splendid creature, brother to this one, and just like him." "Pity! pity!" said the old man; "'twas a
3bad place to leap, if I remember; a thin fence at top, a steep bank down to the stream, wasn't it? No chance for a horse
4to see where he is going. Now, I am for bold riding as much as any man, but still there are some leaps that only a very
5knowing old huntsman has any right to take. A man's life and a horse's life are worth more than a fox's tail; at least,
6I should say they ought to be." During this time the other man had finished Ginger and had brought our corn, and James
7and the old man left the stable together. 16 The Fire Later on in the evening a traveler's horse was brought in by the
8second hostler, and while he was cleaning him a young man with a pipe in his mouth lounged into the stable to gossip. "I
9say, Towler," said the hostler, "just run up the ladder into the loft and put some hay down into this horse's rack, will
10you? only lay down your pipe." "All right," said the other, and went up through the trapdoor; and I heard him step
11across the floor overhead and put down the hay. James came in to look at us the last thing, and then the door was
12locked. I cannot say how long I had slept, nor what time in the night it was, but I woke up very uncomfortable, though I
13hardly knew why. I got up; the air seemed all thick and choking. I heard Ginger coughing and one of the other horses
14seemed very restless; it was quite dark, and I could see nothing, but the stable seemed full of smoke, and I hardly knew
15how to breathe. The trapdoor had been left open, and I thought that was the place it came through. I listened, and heard
16a soft rushing sort of noise and a low crackling and snapping. I did not know what it was, but there was something in
17the sound so strange that it made me tremble all over. The other horses were all awake; some were pulling at their
18halters, others stamping. At last I heard steps outside, and the hostler who had put up the traveler's horse burst into
19the stable with a lantern, and began to untie the horses, and try to lead them out; but he seemed in such a hurry and so
20frightened himself that he frightened me still more. The first horse would not go with him; he tried the second and
21third, and they too would not stir. He came to me next and tried to drag me out of the stall by force; of course that
22was no use. He tried us all by turns and then left the stable. No doubt we were very foolish, but danger seemed to be
23all round, and there was nobody we knew to trust in, and all was strange and uncertain. The fresh air that had come in
24through the open door made it easier to breathe, but the rushing sound overhead grew louder, and as I looked upward
25through the bars of my empty rack I saw a red light flickering on the wall. Then I heard a cry of "Fire!" outside, and
26the old hostler quietly and quickly came in; he got one horse out, and went to another, but the flames were playing
27round the trapdoor, and the roaring overhead was dreadful. The next thing I heard was James' voice, quiet and cheery, as
28it always was. "Come, my beauties, it is time for us to be off, so wake up and come along." I stood nearest the door, so
29he came to me first, patting me as he came in. "Come, Beauty, on with your bridle, my boy, we'll soon be out of this
30smother." It was on in no time; then he took the scarf off his neck, and tied it lightly over my eyes, and patting and
31coaxing he led me out of the stable. Safe in the yard, he slipped the scarf off my eyes, and shouted, "Here somebody!
32take this horse while I go back for the other." A tall, broad man stepped forward and took me, and James darted back
33into the stable. I set up a shrill whinny as I saw him go. Ginger told me afterward that whinny was the best thing I
34could have done for her, for had she not heard me outside she would never have had courage to come out. There was much
35confusion in the yard; the horses being got out of other stables, and the carriages and gigs being pulled out of houses
36and sheds, lest the flames should spread further. On the other side the yard windows were thrown up, and people were
37shouting all sorts of things; but I kept my eye fixed on the stable door, where the smoke poured out thicker than ever,
38and I could see flashes of red light; presently I heard above all the stir and din a loud, clear voice, which I knew was
39master's: "James Howard! James Howard! Are you there?" There was no answer, but I heard a crash of something falling in
40the stable, and the next moment I gave a loud, joyful neigh, for I saw James coming through the smoke leading Ginger
41with him; she was coughing violently, and he was not able to speak. "My brave lad!" said master, laying his hand on his
42shoulder, "are you hurt?" James shook his head, for he could not yet speak. "Ay," said the big man who held me; "he is a
43brave lad, and no mistake." "And now," said master, "when you have got your breath, James, we'll get out of this place
44as quickly as we can," and we were moving toward the entry, when from the market-place there came a sound of galloping
45feet and loud rumbling wheels. "'Tis the fire-engine! the fire-engine!" shouted two or three voices, "stand back, make
46way!" and clattering and thundering over the stones two horses dashed into the yard with a heavy engine behind them. The
47firemen leaped to the ground; there was no need to ask where the fire was--it was rolling up in a great blaze from the
48roof. We got out as fast as we could into the broad quiet market-place; the stars were shining, and except the noise
49behind us, all was still. Master led the way to a large hotel on the other side, and as soon as the hostler came, he
50said, "James, I must now hasten to your mistress; I trust the horses entirely to you, order whatever you think is
51needed," and with that he was gone. The master did not run, but I never saw mortal man walk so fast as he did that
52night. There was a dreadful sound before we got into our stalls--the shrieks of those poor horses that were left burning
53to death in the stable--it was very terrible! and made both Ginger and me feel very bad. We, however, were taken in and
54well done by. The next morning the master came to see how we were and to speak to James. I did not hear much, for the
55hostler was rubbing me down, but I could see that James looked very happy, and I thought the master was proud of him.
56Our mistress had been so much alarmed in the night that the journey was put off till the afternoon, so James had the
57morning on hand, and went first to the inn to see about our harness and the carriage, and then to hear more about the
58fire. When he came back we heard him tell the hostler about it. At first no one could guess how the fire had been
59caused, but at last a man said he saw Dick Towler go into the stable with a pipe in his mouth, and when he came out he
60had not one, and went to the tap for another. Then the under hostler said he had asked Dick to go up the ladder to put
61down some hay, but told him to lay down his pipe first. Dick denied taking the pipe with him, but no one believed him. I
62remember our John Manly's rule, never to allow a pipe in the stable, and thought it ought to be the rule everywhere.
63James said the roof and floor had all fallen in, and that only the black walls were standing; the two poor horses that
64could not be got out were buried under the burnt rafters and tiles. 17 John Manly's Talk
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