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Chapter 26 How It Happened It must have been nearly midnight when I heard at a great distance the sound of a horse's feet.
Sometimes the sound died away,
Then it grew clearer and clearer.
The road to Urshels led through woods that belonged to the Earl.
The sound came in that direction and I hoped it might be someone coming in search of us.
As the sound came nearer and nearer I was almost sure I could distinguish Ginger's step.
A little nearer still and I could tell she was in the dog cart.
I neighed loudly and was overjoyed to hear an answering neigh from Ginger and men's voices.
They came slowly over the stones and stopped at the dark figure that lay upon the ground.
It's Roman,
One of the men said,
As he jumped out and stooped over him.
He does not stir.
The other man followed and bent over him.
He's dead,
He said.
Feel how cold his hands are.
They raised him up but there was no life and his hair was soaked with blood.
They laid him down again and came and looked at me.
They soon saw my cut knees.
The horse has been down and thrown him.
Who would have thought the black horse would have done that?
Nobody thought he could fall.
Ruben must have been lying here for hours.
Odd too the horse has not moved from the place.
Robert then attempted to lead me forward.
I made a step but almost fell again.
Knees bad and foot as well as his knees,
His hoofs all cut to pieces.
He might come down poor fellow.
I tell you what Ned,
I'm afraid it hasn't been all right with Ruben.
Just think of his riding a horse over these stones without a shoe.
Why if he'd been in his right senses he would just as soon have tried to ride him over the moon.
I'm afraid it's been the old thing over and over again.
Poor Susan,
She looked awfully pale when she came to my house to ask if he'd not come home.
She knew he'd been drinking.
But she begged me to go and meet him.
What must we do?
There's the horse to get home as well as the body and that will be no easy matter.
Then followed a conversation between them until it was agreed that Robert as the groom should lead me and Ned would 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 knew as well as I did what was going on and she stood still as a stone.
Usually she was impatient in standing.
Ned started off very slowly with his sad load and Robert came and looked at my foot again.
He took his handkerchief and he bound it closely round then led me home.
I shall never forget that night walk.
It was more than three miles.
Robert led me on very slowly and I limped and hobbled on as well as I could with great pain.
I was sure he was sorry for me for he often patted and encouraged me,
Talking to me in a pleasant voice.
At last I reached my own box and had some corn and after Robert wrapped up my knees in wet cloths he tied up my foot in a brand poultice to draw out the heat and cleanse it before the horse doctor saw it in the morning.
Then I managed to get myself down on the straw and slept in spite of the pain.
The next day after the farrier examined my wounds he said he hoped the joint was not injured and if so I should not be spoiled for work but I should never lose the blemish.
I believe they did their best to make it a good cure but it was a long and painful one.
Proud flesh as they called it came up in my knees and was burned out with caustic and when it was healed they put a fluid over the front of both knees to bring all the hair off.
As Smith's death had been so sudden and no one was there to see it there was an inquest held.
The landlord and hostler at the White Lion with several other people gave evidence he was intoxicated when he started from the inn.
The keeper of the toll gate said he rode at a hard gallop through the gate and my shoe was picked up among the stones so the case was plain to see.
I was cleared of all blame.
Everybody pitied Susan.
She was nearly out of her mind.
It was all that cursed drink she said.
Why will they sell that cursed drink?
Oh Reuben,
Reuben.
And she went on like this until after he was buried.
As she had no home or relations to go to with her six little children she was obliged once more to leave the pleasant home by the tall oak trees and go into the great gloomy Union house.
As soon as my knees were sufficiently healed I was turned into a small meadow for a month or two.
No other creature was there and although I enjoyed the liberty in the sweet grass I'd been so long used to society I felt very lonely.
Ginger and I had become fast friends and now I missed her company extremely.
I often need when I heard horses feet passing in the road but I seldom got an answer until one morning the gate was opened and who should come in but dear old Ginger.
The man slipped off her halter and left her there and with a joyful whinny I trotted up to her.
We were both very glad to meet but I soon found out it was not for our pleasure she was brought to be with me.
Her story would be too long to tell but in the end of it was that she'd been ruined by hard riding.
I was now turned off to see what rest would do.
Lord George had been a terrible rider.
He was young and would take no warning and would hunt whenever he could get the chance quite careless of Ginger.
The groom told him she was a little strained and was not fit for the race but he did not believe it and he urged Ginger to keep up with the foremost riders.
With her trademark high spirits she strained herself to the utmost and came in with the first three horses but her wind was touched.
Besides Lord George was far too heavy for her and her back was strained.
So here we are ruined in the prime of our youth and strength she said.
You by a drunkard and I by a fool.
It's very hard for us.
We felt in ourselves we were not what we'd been.
However that did not spoil the pleasure we had in each other's company.
We did not gallop about as we once did but we fared and lay down together and stood for hours under one of the shady lime trees with our heads close to each other and there we passed our time till the family returned.
One day we saw the Earl coming to the meadow and York was with him.
Seeing who it was we stood still under our lime tree and let them come up to us.
The Earl seemed much annoyed.
There's three hundred pounds flung away for no earthly use he said but what I care for most is these horses and my old friend who thought they'd find a good home with me are now ruined.
The mare shall have a twelve months run and we'll see what we can do for her but the black one he must be sold.
It's a great pity but I could not have knees like this in my stables.
