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 ’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 ’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 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 , 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 ; has a great name in these parts , and won the cup two years at the Newmarket 15
races ; 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 ’s advice ; I 0
knew she 8
was a wise old horse 73
, and thought a great deal of her 8
.
Her 8
name was Duchess 8
, but he 18
often called her 8
Pet 8
.
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 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 ? ”
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 .
All the horses 3
would come to him 18
, but I 0
think we 9
were .
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 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 , 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
.
and an old riding horse of
’s
31 were also standing near , and seemed to know all about it .
“ They 32
have found a hare , ” said , “ 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
, in green coats , all galloping as fast as they 33
could .
The old horse 31
snorted and looked eagerly after them 33
, and 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 at the part where the high bank and hedge overhang the brook 7
.
“ Now we 3
shall see the hare , ” said ; 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
.
was getting out of the water 48
covered with mud , the other lay quite still .
“ His 49
neck is broke , ” said .
“ And serve him 49
right , too , ” said .
I 0
thought the same , but 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 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 .
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 .
There was now riding off in all directions to , to , and no doubt to , to let him 57
know about .
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 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 .
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 .