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1For a week or more he came for Hotspur, and when Harry thanked him or said anything about his kindness, he laughed it
2off, saying it was all good luck for him, for his horses were wanting a little rest which they would not otherwise have
3had. Jerry grew better steadily, but the doctor said that he must never go back to the cab work again if he wished to be
4an old man. The children had many consultations together about what father and mother would do, and how they could help
5to earn money. One afternoon Hotspur was brought in very wet and dirty. "The streets are nothing but slush," said the
6governor; "it will give you a good warming, my boy, to get him clean and dry." "All right, governor," said Harry, "I
7shall not leave him till he is; you know I have been trained by my father." "I wish all the boys had been trained like
8you," said the governor. While Harry was sponging off the mud from Hotspur's body and legs Dolly came in, looking very
9full of something. "Who lives at Fairstowe, Harry? Mother has got a letter from Fairstowe; she seemed so glad, and ran
10upstairs to father with it." "Don't you know? Why, it is the name of Mrs. Fowler's place--mother's old mistress, you
11know--the lady that father met last summer, who sent you and me five shillings each." "Oh! Mrs. Fowler. Of course, I
12know all about her. I wonder what she is writing to mother about." "Mother wrote to her last week," said Harry; "you
13know she told father if ever he gave up the cab work she would like to know. I wonder what she says; run in and see,
14Dolly." Harry scrubbed away at Hotspur with a huish! huish! like any old hostler. In a few minutes Dolly came dancing
15into the stable. "Oh! Harry, there never was anything so beautiful; Mrs. Fowler says we are all to go and live near her.
16There is a cottage now empty that will just suit us, with a garden and a henhouse, and apple-trees, and everything! and
17her coachman is going away in the spring, and then she will want father in his place; and there are good families round,
18where you can get a place in the garden or the stable, or as a page-boy; and there's a good school for me; and mother is
19laughing and crying by turns, and father does look so happy!" "That's uncommon jolly," said Harry, "and just the right
20thing, I should say; it will suit father and mother both; but I don't intend to be a page-boy with tight clothes and
21rows of buttons. I'll be a groom or a gardener." It was quickly settled that as soon as Jerry was well enough they
22should remove to the country, and that the cab and horses should be sold as soon as possible. This was heavy news for
23me, for I was not young now, and could not look for any improvement in my condition. Since I left Birtwick I had never
24been so happy as with my dear master Jerry; but three years of cab work, even under the best conditions, will tell on
25one's strength, and I felt that I was not the horse that I had been. Grant said at once that he would take Hotspur, and
26there were men on the stand who would have bought me; but Jerry said I should not go to cab work again with just
27anybody, and the governor promised to find a place for me where I should be comfortable. The day came for going away.
28Jerry had not been allowed to go out yet, and I never saw him after that New Year's eve. Polly and the children came to
29bid me good-by. "Poor old Jack! dear old Jack! I wish we could take you with us," she said, and then laying her hand on
30my mane she put her face close to my neck and kissed me. Dolly was crying and kissed me too. Harry stroked me a great
31deal, but said nothing, only he seemed very sad, and so I was led away to my new place. Part IV 46 Jakes and the Lady I
32was sold to a corn dealer and baker, whom Jerry knew, and with him he thought I should have good food and fair work. In
33the first he was quite right, and if my master had always been on the premises I do not think I should have been
34overloaded, but there was a foreman who was always hurrying and driving every one, and frequently when I had quite a
35full load he would order something else to be taken on. My carter, whose name was Jakes, often said it was more than I
36ought to take, but the other always overruled him. "'Twas no use going twice when once would do, and he chose to get
37business forward." Jakes, like the other carters, always had the check-rein up, which prevented me from drawing easily,
38and by the time I had been there three or four months I found the work telling very much on my strength. One day I was
39loaded more than usual, and part of the road was a steep uphill. I used all my strength, but I could not get on, and was
40obliged continually to stop. This did not please my driver, and he laid his whip on badly. "Get on, you lazy fellow," he
41said, "or I'll make you." Again I started the heavy load, and struggled on a few yards; again the whip came down, and
42again I struggled forward. The pain of that great cart whip was sharp, but my mind was hurt quite as much as my poor
43sides. To be punished and abused when I was doing my very best was so hard it took the heart out of me. A third time he
44was flogging me cruelly, when a lady stepped quickly up to him, and said in a sweet, earnest voice: "Oh! pray do not
45whip your good horse any more; I am sure he is doing all he can, and the road is very steep; I am sure he is doing his
46best." "If doing his best won't get this load up he must do something more than his best; that's all I know, ma'am,"
47said Jakes. "But is it not a heavy load?" she said. "Yes, yes, too heavy," he said; "but that's not my fault; the
48foreman came just as we were starting, and would have three hundredweight more put on to save him trouble, and I must
49get on with it as well as I can." He was raising the whip again, when the lady said: "Pray, stop; I think I can help you
50if you will let me." The man laughed. "You see," she said, "you do not give him a fair chance; he cannot use all his
51power with his head held back as it is with that check-rein; if you would take it off I am sure he would do better--do
52try it," she said persuasively, "I should be very glad if you would." "Well, well," said Jakes, with a short laugh,
53"anything to please a lady, of course. How far would you wish it down, ma'am?" "Quite down, give him his head
54altogether." The rein was taken off, and in a moment I put my head down to my very knees. What a comfort it was! Then I
55tossed it up and down several times to get the aching stiffness out of my neck. "Poor fellow! that is what you wanted,"
56said she, patting and stroking me with her gentle hand; "and now if you will speak kindly to him and lead him on I
57believe he will be able to do better." Jakes took the rein. "Come on, Blackie." I put down my head, and threw my whole
58weight against the collar; I spared no strength; the load moved on, and I pulled it steadily up the hill, and then
59stopped to take breath. The lady had walked along the footpath, and now came across into the road. She stroked and
60patted my neck, as I had not been patted for many a long day. "You see he was quite willing when you gave him the
61chance; I am sure he is a fine-tempered creature, and I dare say has known better days. You won't put that rein on
62again, will you?" for he was just going to hitch it up on the old plan. "Well, ma'am, I can't deny that having his head
63has helped him up the hill, and I'll remember it another time, and thank you, ma'am; but if he went without a check-rein
64I should be the laughing-stock of all the carters; it is the fashion, you see."
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