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And nowhere you need to go.
Close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the support beneath you and let all the worries of the day drift away.
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Chapter 18 I do not know how long I was ill.
Mr.
Bond the horse doctor came every day,
And one day he bled me.
John held a pail for the blood and I felt very faint after it and thought I should die.
I believe they all thought so too.
Ginger and Marylegs had been moved into the other stable so I might be quiet,
For the fever made me very quick of hearing.
Any little noise seemed quite loud and I could tell everyone's footstep going to and from the house.
I knew all that was going on.
One night John had to give me a draft.
Thomas Green came in to help him,
And after I had taken it and John made me as comfortable as he could,
He said he should stay half an hour to see how the medicine settled.
Thomas said he would stay with him so they went and sat down on a bench that had been brought into Marylegs' stall and put down the lantern at their feet that I might not be disturbed with the light.
For a while both men sat silent and then Tom Green said in a low voice,
I wish John you'd say a bit of a kind word to Joe.
The boy's quite broken hearted.
He can't eat his meals and he can't smile.
He says he knows it was all his fault,
Though he's sure he did the best he knew,
And he says if Beauty dies no one will ever speak to him again.
It goes to my heart to hear him.
I think you might just give him a word.
He's not a bad boy.
After a short pause John said slowly,
You must not beat your heart upon me,
Tom,
I know he meant no harm,
I never said he did,
I know he's not a bad boy,
But you see,
I'm sore myself.
That also is the pride of my heart,
To say nothing of his being such a favourite with the Master of Mysteries,
And to think his life might be flung away in this manner is even more than I can bear,
But if you think I'm hard on the boy I'll try and give him a good word tomorrow,
That is,
If Beauty's better.
Well John,
Thank you,
I knew you did not wish to be too hard and I'm glad you say it was only ignorance.
John's voice almost startled me as he answered,
Only ignorance?
Only ignorance?
How can you talk about only ignorance,
Don't you know it's the worst thing in the world next to wickedness,
And which does the most mischief ever known he knows.
If people can say,
Oh I didn't know,
I didn't mean any harm,
They think it's all right.
I suppose Martha Moulish didn't mean to kill that baby when she dosed it with Dolby and soothing syrups,
But she did kill it and she was tried for manslaughter.
It'd serve her right too,
Said Tom,
A woman should not undertake to nurse a tender little child without knowing what's good and bad for it.
Bill Starkey,
Continued John,
He did not mean to frighten his brother into fits when he dressed up like a ghost and ran after him in the moonlight,
But he did,
And that bright handsome little fellow,
That might have been the pride of any mother's heart,
Is no better than an idiot now and he never will be if he lives to be eighty years old.
You were a good deal caught up yourself Tom,
Two weeks ago,
When those young ladies left your hot house door open with a frosty swim blowing right in.
You said it killed a good many of your plants.
A good many,
Said Tom,
There was not one of the tender cuttings that wasn't nipped off,
I'll have to strike all over again,
And the worst of it is I don't know where to go to get fresh ones,
I was nearly mad when I came and saw what was done.
And yet,
Said John,
I'm sure the young ladies didn't mean it,
It was only ignorance.
I heard no more of this conversation,
For the medicine did well and sent me to sleep.
And in the morning I felt much better.
But I often thought of John's words when I came to know more of the world.
Chapter 19 Joe Green went on very well.
He learned quickly and was so attentive and careful that John began to trust him in many things.
But as I've said,
He was small of his age and it was seldom he was allowed to exercise either Ginger or me.
But it so happened one morning,
John was out with Justice in the luggage cart,
And the master wanted a note to be taken immediately to a gentleman's house about three miles distant.
He sent his orders for Joe to saddle me and take it,
Adding the caution that he was to ride steadily.
The note was delivered and we were quietly returning when we came to the brick field.
Here we saw a cart heavily laden with bricks.
The wheels had stuck fast in the stiff mud of some deep ruts and the carter was shouting and flogging the two horses unmercifully.
Joe pulled up.
It was a sad sight.
The two horses were straining and struggling with all their might to drug the cart out,
But they could not move it.
The man,
Fiercely pulling at the head of the forehorse,
Swore and lashed out most brutally.
Hold hard,
Said Joe.
Don't go flogging horses like that.
The wheels are so stuck they can't move.
But the man took no heed.
Stop,
Pray stop,
Said Joe.
I'll help you to lighten the cart.
They can't move it now.
Mind your own business,
You impudent young rascal,
And I'll mind mine.
The man was in a towering passion,
And the worse for drink,
And he laid on the whip again.
Joe turned my head and the next moment we were going round there was a gallop towards the house of the master brickmaker.
I cannot say if John would have approved of our pace,
But Joe and I were both of one mind and so angry we could not have gone slower.
The house stood by the roadside and John knocked at the door.
Hello,
Is Mr.
Clay at home?
Then the door was opened and Mr.
Clay himself came out.
Hello young man,
You seem in a hurry.
Any orders from the squire this morning?
No,
Mr.
Clay,
But there's a fella in your brickyard flogging two horses to death.
I told him to stop and he wouldn't.
I said I'd help him to lighten the cart and he wouldn't do that either,
So I've come to tell you.
Pray,
Sir,
Go.
Thank you,
Me lad,
Said the man,
Running for his hat.
Then he paused for a moment.
Would you give evidence of what you saw,
If I should bring the fellow up before a magistrate?
That I will,
Said Joe,
And glad to.
Then the man was gone and we were on our way home at a smart trot.
Why,
What's the matter with you,
Joe?
You look angry all over,
Said John,
As the boy flung himself from the saddle when we got back.
I'm so angry I can't tell you,
Said the boy.
Then he hurried in,
Excited words he told them all.
He was usually such a quiet,
Gentle little fellow.
It was wonderful to see him so roused.
Right,
Boy,
You did right,
Whether the fella gets the summons or not,
Said John.
Many folks would have ridden by and said it was not their business.
Now I say that with cruelty and oppression it's everybody's business to interfere when they see it.
So I say you did right.
Joe was quite calm by this time and proud that John had approved of him.
He cleaned out my feet and rubbed me down with a firmer hand than usual.
They were just going home to dinner when the footman came down to the stable to say that Joe was wanted directly in master's private room.
There was a man brought up for ill-using horses and Joe's evidence was wanted.
The boy flushed up to his forehead and his eyes sparkled.
I shall have it,
Said he.
Put yourself a bit straight,
Young lad,
Said John.
And Joe gave a pull at his necktie and a twitch at his jacket.
Then he was off in a moment.
Our master,
Being one of the county magistrates,
Cases were often brought to him to settle.
In the stable we heard no more for some time as it was the men's dinner hour.
But when Joe next came back I saw that he was in high spirits.
We won't see such things done,
Will we,
Old fellow?
He said.
And we heard afterwards he'd given his evidence so clearly.
The horses were in such an exhausted state and they bore marks with such brutal usage that the carter was committed to take his trial and might possibly be sentenced to two or three months in prison.
It was wonderful what change had come over Joe then.
John laughed and said he'd grown an inch taller in just that week and I believed he had.
He was as kind and gentle as before but there was more purpose and determination in all that he did as if he'd jumped up at once from a boy into a man.
