Black Beauty Page #2

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...a specialist who lived far away.

You won't smoke that pipe

in these stables.

Yeah, yeah. Keep your shirt on, skinny.

Evening.

Evening.

That idiot left a lamp up here.

Little know-it-all ought

to mind his own business.

You complain about my pipe,

but you leave a lamp near the hay.

For you to see by.

Bring it down here, will you?

Lucky for you I came up here.

What? What's that?

Beauty! It's only for tonight.

What are you afraid of? You'll be all right.

I'll be back for the horse in the morning.

I'm off too.

Easy.

Eat your hay.

The sounds and smells were so strange.

I didn't know what they were.

If you've never heard or smelled

something, how can you understand it?

Whoa, Beauty. I'm here.

I can't leave Ginger!

I won't let it hurt you!

Don't look at it!

I couldn't see anything.

I had to follow him!

Joe saved us.

The other horses were rescued too,

but no one could help our mistress.

Her illness was so advanced...

...that the doctor told her to move

to a warmer place.

The family would have to leave England...

...and us.

Right this way. Leaving in five minutes.

Goodbye, John. Bless you.

Please God, we may see you

back again soon.

Portsmouth train leaving

from platform one.

We love you, Merrylegs.

You're the best.

We'll never forget you.

Time to go, sisters.

I want to thank you, John,

for your faithful service to my family.

We shall never forget you, sir.

Goodbye, my Beauty.

Nevermore were we to see our family.

Nevermore.

It was our last time together

in the big pasture...

...but it was something nobody could

ever take away from us.

They were dancing!

The vicar came to take Merrylegs away.

He'd promised the squire

he would never sell him.

I hated saying goodbye

to that plucky little pony.

In no time, Ginger and Joe and I...

...also found ourselves miles away

from everything dear and familiar.

Horses to the back!

What do you think you're doing?

I swear to you...

...someday, somehow...

...I'll be with you again.

Take me with you now.

Don't go.

But he was gone.

Lady Wexmire, Lord Wexmire...

...Lord George.

They stared.

Staring at us with their critical eyes.

To them, we were no more alive...

...than the bits of harness on our backs.

Look at the long legs

on the chestnut mare.

What a hunter she'd make.

She'd fly over the jumps.

You must put these horses' heads higher.

They're not accustomed

to the bearing rein.

Their groom said they'd never used

the rein on either one.

- Didn't he, York?

- He did, my lord.

Be safer to bring them up by degrees.

Pish-posh!

These animals are not fit to be seen.

One notch tighter won't kill them, will it?

York?

As you wish, my lady.

Reuben, attend to the mare.

When a bearing rein is tightened,

it pulls back your head...

...so that you have to carry it

uncomfortably high.

People think it makes a horse look fancy.

But it made Ginger angry.

This was a very grand place we'd come to.

Three or four times the size

of Birtwick Park...

...but not at all pleasant...

...if a horse may have an opinion.

Ordinarily, we would have

put our heads down and forward...

...but not now.

Now we had to pull with our heads up.

Pain shot through our backs and legs.

For what?

For fashion.

Rein them tighter, York.

As you wish, my lady.

Reuben, shorten the bearing rein

on the mare.

A bearing rein is well named.

For it is unbearable.

It makes no sense.

And nonsense can drive a horse mad.

Rein them tighter, York!

As you wish, my lady.

I didn't know how much longer

Ginger could stand it.

For pity's sake.

Are you never going to get their heads up?

Raise them at once!

As you wish, my lady.

Quickly!

And then it happened.

You incompetent fool!

Whoa, there!

Keep a hold of her!

Hang on!

I can't be late for the Duchess!

Get him! Quick!

Give it here. Now, get that shaft off.

Go on! Get it!

The bloody rein's choking her.

There, lassie.

You idiot!

These horses have more brains than you!

Cover the chestnut with a blanket.

You fetch hot water and lotion

for the black one.

Whoa, there.

Stay!

Take care of the black one too.

As you wish, Mr. York.

My leg hurt.

The wound was deep.

Well, it's her own silly fault

if she misses her tea party...

...not yours.

No, nor mine neither.

It's enough to drive anybody back to drink.

They put wicked wooden contraptions

around our necks...

...so we couldn't even turn our heads

to lick our wounds.

After that...

...my lady never called for Ginger again.

I, on the other hand...

...continued to be subject

to her every whim.

Look, man, look!

Got a job for us then, Reuben?

Yes. It's stood out in all weathers.

Between that and the roads up there.

Plenty of rot here.

Plenty of rot everywhere.

What do they want to do?

Me lady craves a new coat of paint.

I believe your lady could use

a good deal more than a new coat of paint.

Amen.

Keep the horse for me, will you?

Best leave it saddled.

I daren't be late.

Where are you going then?

I'll be back later.

Listen.

There's a loose shoe.

Where are you going?

You mustn't ride him, Mr. Smith.

Now stand up, will you?

He's standing.

Come on, there. Come on.

Now stand up.

Where's your head?

Get out of the way!

Come on.

He pushed me...

...and pushed me...

...and pushed me!

What was the matter with him?

I was losing my shoe...

...but he had lost his mind!

My body couldn't escape...

...but my thoughts could.

They took me away from that awful place.

Far away.

But there was Reuben...

...still lying where he'd fallen.

I stayed with him.

My mother had taught me to be loyal,

no matter what.

Good Lord, what's happened here?

Roll him over.

See if we can get him to his feet.

I'll carry him.

Every step was agony.

I didn't know if my knees would ever heal.

We don't get to choose the people

in our lives.

For us, it's all chance.

Come on.

Come on, get on. Get on!

He won!

Lovely ride, son.

Thank you, Mama.

Good God, George.

What have you done to the horse?

Didn't you bother to train her?

I won the race.

You've broken her.

She can't breathe properly.

Ginger loved jumping.

Her heart leapt at every fence.

But they raced her before she was fit...

...and it shattered her.

They used to be such beautiful animals.

Now just look at them. Ruined.

A 12-month run should bring back

the mare's wind, my lord.

Well, the black one will have to be sold.

I won't have knees like that in my stables.

Sold?

Every horse knows that terrifying word.

When they came to take me away,

it was so sudden...

...that Ginger and I didn't even

get to say goodbye.

The terrible man who bought me

kept horses for rent.

Suck it in!

I was rented out to anyone who wanted

to hire me.

I was glad my friends couldn't see me now.

They wouldn't even have known me.

We hated that man.

You missed me, you stupid beasts.

This horse is 20 if it's a day.

This lively place lifted my spirits.

I'll meet you after the fair, Joe.

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