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1We left the carriage at the maker's, and Smith rode me to the White Lion, and ordered the hostler to feed me well, and
2have me ready for him at four o'clock. A nail in one of my front shoes had started as I came along, but the hostler did
3not notice it till just about four o'clock. Smith did not come into the yard till five, and then he said he should not
4leave till six, as he had met with some old friends. The man then told him of the nail, and asked if he should have the
5shoe looked to. "No," said Smith, "that will be all right till we get home." He spoke in a very loud, offhand way, and I
6thought it very unlike him not to see about the shoe, as he was generally wonderfully particular about loose nails in
7our shoes. He did not come at six nor seven, nor eight, and it was nearly nine o'clock before he called for me, and then
8it was with a loud, rough voice. He seemed in a very bad temper, and abused the hostler, though I could not tell what
9for. The landlord stood at the door and said, "Have a care, Mr. Smith!" but he answered angrily with an oath; and almost
10before he was out of the town he began to gallop, frequently giving me a sharp cut with his whip, though I was going at
11full speed. The moon had not yet risen, and it was very dark. The roads were stony, having been recently mended; going
12over them at this pace, my shoe became looser, and as we neared the turnpike gate it came off. If Smith had been in his
13right senses he would have been sensible of something wrong in my pace, but he was too drunk to notice. Beyond the
14turnpike was a long piece of road, upon which fresh stones had just been laid--large sharp stones, over which no horse
15could be driven quickly without risk of danger. Over this road, with one shoe gone, I was forced to gallop at my utmost
16speed, my rider meanwhile cutting into me with his whip, and with wild curses urging me to go still faster. Of course my
17shoeless foot suffered dreadfully; the hoof was broken and split down to the very quick, and the inside was terribly cut
18by the sharpness of the stones. This could not go on; no horse could keep his footing under such circumstances; the pain
19was too great. I stumbled, and fell with violence on both my knees. Smith was flung off by my fall, and, owing to the
20speed I was going at, he must have fallen with great force. I soon recovered my feet and limped to the side of the road,
21where it was free from stones. The moon had just risen above the hedge, and by its light I could see Smith lying a few
22yards beyond me. He did not rise; he made one slight effort to do so, and then there was a heavy groan. I could have
23groaned, too, for I was suffering intense pain both from my foot and knees; but horses are used to bear their pain in
24silence. I uttered no sound, but I stood there and listened. One more heavy groan from Smith; but though he now lay in
25the full moonlight I could see no motion. I could do nothing for him nor myself, but, oh! how I listened for the sound
26of horse, or wheels, or footsteps! The road was not much frequented, and at this time of the night we might stay for
27hours before help came to us. I stood watching and listening. It was a calm, sweet April night; there were no sounds but
28a few low notes of a nightingale, and nothing moved but the white clouds near the moon and a brown owl that flitted over
29the hedge. It made me think of the summer nights long ago, when I used to lie beside my mother in the green pleasant
30meadow at Farmer Grey's. 26 How it Ended It must have been nearly midnight when I heard at a great distance the sound of
31a horse's feet. Sometimes the sound died away, then it grew clearer again and nearer. The road to Earlshall led through
32woods that belonged to the earl; the sound came in that direction, and I hoped it might be some one coming in search of
33us. As the sound came nearer and nearer I was almost sure I could distinguish Ginger's step; a little nearer still, and
34I could tell she was in the dog-cart. I neighed loudly, and was overjoyed to hear an answering neigh from Ginger, and
35men's voices. They came slowly over the stones, and stopped at the dark figure that lay upon the ground. One of the men
36jumped out, and stooped down over it. "It is Reuben," he said, "and he does not stir!" The other man followed, and bent
37over him. "He's dead," he said; "feel how cold his hands are." They raised him up, but there was no life, and his hair
38was soaked with blood. They laid him down again, and came and looked at me. They soon saw my cut knees. "Why, the horse
39has been down and thrown him! Who would have thought the black horse would have done that? Nobody thought he could fall.
40Reuben must have been lying here for hours! Odd, too, that the horse has not moved from the place." Robert then
41attempted to lead me forward. I made a step, but almost fell again. "Halloo! he's bad in his foot as well as his knees.
42Look here--his hoof is cut all to pieces; he might well come down, poor fellow! I tell you what, Ned, I'm afraid it
43hasn't been all right with Reuben. Just think of his riding a horse over these stones without a shoe! Why, if he had
44been in his right senses he would just as soon have tried to ride him over the moon. I'm afraid it has been the old
45thing over again. Poor Susan! she looked awfully pale when she came to my house to ask if he had not come home. She made
46believe she was not a bit anxious, and talked of a lot of things that might have kept him. But for all that she begged
47me to go and meet him. But what must we do? There's the horse to get home as well as the body, and that will be no easy
48matter." Then followed a conversation between them, till it was agreed that Robert, as the groom, should lead me, and
49that Ned must take the body. It was a hard job to get it into the dog-cart, for there was no one to hold Ginger; but she
50knew as well as I did what was going on, and stood as still as a stone. I noticed that, because, if she had a fault, it
51was that she was impatient in standing. Ned started off very slowly with his sad load, and Robert came and looked at my
52foot again; then he took his handkerchief and bound it closely round, and so he led me home. I shall never forget that
53night walk; it was more than three miles. Robert led me on very slowly, and I limped and hobbled on as well as I could
54with great pain. I am sure he was sorry for me, for he often patted and encouraged me, talking to me in a pleasant
55voice. At last I reached my own box, and had some corn; and after Robert had wrapped up my knees in wet cloths, he tied
56up 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
57managed to get myself down on the straw, and slept in spite of the pain. The next day after the farrier had examined my
58wounds, he said he hoped the joint was not injured; and if so, I should not be spoiled for work, but I should never lose
59the blemish. I believe they did the best to make a good cure, but it was a long and painful one. Proud flesh, as they
60called it, came up in my knees, and was burned out with caustic; and when at last it was healed, they put a blistering
61fluid over the front of both knees to bring all the hair off; they had some reason for this, and I suppose it was all
62right.
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