Part I 01
My 0
Early Home
The first place that
I 0
can well remember 1
was
a large pleasant meadow with
a pond of clear water in
it 1
2
70
.
Some shady trees leaned over
it 1
, and rushes and water-lilies grew at the deep end .
Over the hedge on one side
we 3
looked into
a plowed field 4
, and on the other
we 3
looked over a gate at
our 3
master 18
’s house , which stood by the roadside 5
; at the top of
the meadow 1
was
a grove of fir trees 6
, and at the bottom
a running brook overhung by a steep bank 7
.
While
I 0
was young
I 0
lived upon
my 0
mother 8
’s milk , as
I 0
could not eat grass .
In the daytime
I 0
ran by
her 8
side , and at night
I 0
lay down close by
her 8
.
When it was hot
we 9
used to stand by
the pond 2
in the shade of the trees , and when it was cold
we 9
had
a nice warm shed near
the grove 6
10
.
As soon as
I 0
was old enough to eat grass
my 0
mother 8
used to go out to work in the daytime , and come back in the evening .
There were
six young colts 11
in
the meadow 1
besides
me 0
;
they 11
were older than
I 0
was ; some were nearly as large as grown-up horses .
I 0
used to run with
them 11
, and had great fun ;
we 12
used to gallop all together round and round
the field 4
as hard as
we 12
could go .
Sometimes
we 12
had rather rough play , for
they 11
would frequently bite and kick as well as gallop .
One day , when there was a good deal of kicking ,
my 0
mother 8
whinnied to
me 0
to come to
her 8
, and then
she 8
said : “
I 8
wish
you 0
to pay attention to what
I 8
am going to say to
you 0
.
The colts who live here 11
are
very good colts 71
, but
they 11
are
cart-horse colts 72
, and of course
they 11
have not learned manners .
You 0
have been well-bred and well-born ;
your 0
father 13
has a great name in these parts , and
your 0
grandfather 14
won the cup two years at the
Newmarket 15
races ;
your 0
grandmother 16
had the sweetest temper of
any horse
I 8
ever knew 17
, and
I 8
think
you 0
have never seen
me 8
kick or bite .
I 8
hope
you 0
will grow up gentle and good , and never learn bad ways ; do
your 0
work with a good will , lift
your 0
feet up well when
you 0
trot , and never bite or kick even in play . ”
I 0
have never forgotten
my 0
mother 8
’s advice ;
I 0
knew
she 8
was
a wise old horse 73
, and
our 3
master 18
thought a great deal of
her 8
.
Her 8
name was
Duchess 8
, but
he 18
often called
her 8
Pet 8
.
Our 3
master 18
was
a good , kind man 66
.
He 18
gave
us 3
good food , good lodging , and kind words ;
he 18
spoke as kindly to
us 3
as
he 18
did to
his 18
little children 19
.
We 3
were all fond of
him 18
, and
my 0
mother 8
loved
him 18
very much .
When
she 8
saw
him 18
at the gate
she 8
would neigh with joy , and trot up to
him 18
.
He 18
would pat and stroke
her 8
and say , “ Well ,
old Pet 18
, and how is
your 8
little Darkie 0
? ”
I 0
was a dull black , so
he 18
called
me 0
Darkie 0
; then
he 18
would give
me 0
a piece of bread , which was very good , and sometimes
he 18
brought a carrot for
my 0
mother 8
.
All the horses 3
would come to
him 18
, but
I 0
think
we 9
were
his 18
favorites 74
.
My 0
mother 8
always took
him 18
to
the town 20
on a market day in a light gig .
There was
a plowboy 21
,
Dick 75
, who sometimes came into
our 3
field to pluck blackberries from the hedge .
When
he 21
had eaten all
he 21
wanted
he 21
would have what
he 21
called fun with
the colts 11
, throwing stones and sticks at
them 11
to make
them 11
gallop .
We 3
did not much mind
him 21
, for
we 3
could gallop off ; but sometimes a stone would hit and hurt
us 3
.
One day
he 21
was at this game , and did not know that
the master 18
was in
the next field 22
; but
he 18
was
there 22
, watching what was going on ; over the hedge
he 18
jumped in a snap , and catching
Dick 21
by the arm ,
he 18
gave
him 21
such a box on the ear as made
him 21
roar with the pain and surprise .
As soon as
we 3
saw
the master 18
we 3
trotted up nearer to see what went on .
Bad boy 21
! ”
he 18
said , “
bad boy 21
!
to chase
the colts 11
.
This is not the first time , nor the second , but it shall be the last .
There -- take
your 21
money and go
home 23
;
I 18
shall not want
you 21
on
my 18
farm 24
again . ”
So
we 3
never saw
Dick 21
any more .
Old Daniel 25
,
the man who looked after
the horses 3
67
, was just as gentle as
our 3
master 18
, so
we 3
were well off .
02 The Hunt Before
I 0
was two years old a circumstance happened which
I 0
have never forgotten .
It was early in the spring ; there had been a little frost in the night , and a light mist still hung over
the woods 26
and
meadows 27
.
I 0
and
the other colts 11
were feeding at the lower part of
the field 4
when
we 12
heard , quite in the distance , what sounded like the cry of dogs .
The oldest of
the colts 11
28
raised
his 28
head , pricked
his 28
ears , and said , “ There are the hounds ! ” and immediately cantered off , followed by the rest of
us 29
to the upper part of the field , where
we 12
could look over the hedge and see
several fields beyond 30
.
My 0
mother 8
and
an old riding horse of
our 3
master 18
’s 31
were also standing near , and seemed to know all about it .
They 32
have found a hare , ” said
my 0
mother 8
, “ and if
they 32
come this way
we 3
shall see the hunt . ”
And soon the dogs were all tearing down the
field of young wheat 41
next to ours .
I 0
never heard such a noise as
they 32
made .
They 32
did not bark , nor howl , nor whine , but kept on a “ yo !
yo , o , o !
yo !
yo , o , o ! ” at the top of
their 32
voices .
After
them 32
came
a number of men on horseback 33
,
some of
them 33
34
in green coats , all galloping as fast as
they 33
could .
The old horse 31
snorted and looked eagerly after
them 33
, and
we 12
young colts 12
wanted to be galloping with
them 33
, but
they 33
were soon away into
the fields lower down 35
;
here 35
it seemed as if
they 33
had come to a stand ; the dogs left off barking , and ran about every way with
their 32
noses to the ground .
They 32
have lost the scent , ” said
the old horse 31
; “ perhaps the hare will get off . ”
“ What hare ? ”
I 0
said .
“ Oh !
I 31
do n’t know what hare ; likely enough it may be one of
our 36
own hares out of
the woods 26
; any hare
they 33
can find will do for the dogs and
men 37
to run after ; ” and before long the dogs began
their 32
“ yo !
yo , o , o ! ” again , and back
they 32
came altogether at full speed , making straight for
our 3
meadow 1
at the part where the high bank and hedge overhang
the brook 7
.
“ Now
we 3
shall see the hare , ” said
my 0
mother 8
; and just then a hare wild with fright rushed by and made for
the woods 26
.
On came the dogs ;
they 32
burst over the bank , leaped
the stream 38
, and came dashing across
the field 4
followed by
the huntsmen 33
.
Six or eight men 39
leaped
their 39
horses clean over , close upon the dogs .
The hare tried to get through the fence ; it was too thick , and
she 40
turned sharp round to make for
the road 42
, but it was too late ; the dogs were upon
her 40
with
their 32
wild cries ;
we 3
heard one shriek , and that was the end of
her 40
.
One of
the huntsmen 33
43
rode up and whipped off the dogs , who would soon have torn
her 40
to pieces .
He 43
held
her 40
up by the leg torn and bleeding , and
all the gentlemen 33
seemed well pleased .
As for
me 0
,
I 0
was so astonished that
I 0
did not at first see what was going on by
the brook 7
; but when
I 0
did look there was a sad sight ;
two fine horses 44
were down , one was struggling in
the stream 38
, and the other was groaning on
the grass 45
.
One of
the riders 47
46
was getting out of
the water 48
covered with mud , the other lay quite still .
His 49
neck is broke , ” said
my 0
mother 8
.
“ And serve
him 49
right , too , ” said
one of
the colts 11
50
.
I 0
thought the same , but
my 0
mother 8
did not join with
us 51
.
“ Well , no , ”
she 8
said , “
you 50
must not say that ; but though
I 8
am
an old horse 76
, and have seen and heard a great deal ,
I 8
never yet could make out why
men 52
are so fond of this sport ;
they 52
often hurt
themselves 52
, often spoil
good horses 53
, and tear up
the fields 54
, and all for a hare or a fox , or a stag , that
they 52
could get more easily some other way ; but
we 3
are only
horses 55
, and do n’t know . ”
While
my 0
mother 8
was saying this
we 3
stood and looked on .
Many of
the riders 47
had gone to
the young man 49
; but
my 0
master , who had been watching what was going on 18
, was the first to raise
him 49
.
His 49
head fell back and
his 49
arms hung down , and
every one 56
looked very serious .
There was no noise now ; even the dogs were quiet , and seemed to know that something was wrong .
They 33
carried
him 49
to
our 3
master 19
’s house 5
.
I 0
heard afterward that it was
young George Gordon 49
,
the squire 57
’s only son 68
,
a fine , tall young man 77
, and
the pride of
his 49
family 58
78
.
There was now riding off in all directions to
the doctor 59
’s 60
, to
the farrier 61
’s 62
, and no doubt to
Squire Gordon 57
’s 63
, to let
him 57
know about
his 57
son 49
.
When
Mr. Bond 61
,
the farrier 69
, came to look at
the black horse that lay groaning on the grass 64
,
he 61
felt
him 64
all over , and shook
his 61
head ; one of
his 64
legs was broken .
Then
some one 65
ran to
our 3
master 18
’s house 5
and came back with a gun ; presently there was a loud bang and a dreadful shriek , and then all was still ;
the black horse 64
moved no more .
My 0
mother 8
seemed much troubled ;
she 8
said
she 8
had known
that horse 64
for years , and that
his 64
name was
“ Rob Roy ” 64
;
he 64
was
a good horse 79
, and there was no vice in
him 64
.
She 8
never would go to that part of
the field 4
afterward .