The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-10-31
The History Of Black Beauty.

his knees. Look here-his hoof is cut all
to pieces; he might well come down, poor
fellow 1 tell you what, Ned, I'm afraid it
hasn't been all right with Reuben. Just
think of his riding a horse over these
stones without a shoe Why, if he had
been in his right senses, he would just as
soon have tried to ride him over the moon.
I'm afraid it has been the old thing over
again. Poor Susan she looked awfully
pale when she came to my house to ask if
he had not come home. She made believe
that she was not bit anxious, and talked
of lot of things that might have kept
him. But for all that, she begged me to
go and meet him. But what must we doP
There's the horse to get home as well as
the body, and that will be no easy NATTER
Then followed conversation between
them, till it was agreed that Robert, as
groom, should lead me, and that Ned must
take the body. 1t was hard job to get it
into the dog-cart, for there was no one to
hold Ginger; but she knew as well as L
did what was going on, and stood as still
az stone. l noticed that because, if she
had fault, it was that she was impatient
in standing.
Ned started off very slowly with his sad
load, and Robert came and looked at my
foot again; then he took his handkerchief
and bound it closely round and 80 he led me
home. shall never orgetthatnight's walk;
it was moro than three miles Robert led
me on very slowly, and limped and hob
bled on as we'll as could with great pain
I am sure he was sorry for me, for he Of
ten patted and encouraged me, talking to
me in pleasant voice.
At last 1 reached my o Hn box, and had
some corn; and after Robert had wrapped
up my knees in wet cloths, he tied up my
foot in bran poultice, to draw out the
heat and cleanse it before the horse-doc-
tor saw it in the morning, and | managed
to get myself down on the straw, and slept
in spite of the pain.
The next day after the farrier had ex-
amined my wounds, he said he hoped the
joint was not injured and if so, should
~ he 90 b,,A oho
lose the blemish. believe they did their
best to make good cure, but it was a
long and painful one. Proud flesh, as they
called it, came up in my knees, and was
burnt out with caustic; and when at last
it was healed, they put blistering fluid
over the front of both knees to bring all
the hair off; they had some reason for
this, and 1 suppose it was all right.
AS Smiths death had been 90 sudden,
and no one was there to see it there was an
inquest held. The landlord and ostler at
the White Lion. with several other people,
gave evidence that he was intoxicated
when he started from the inn. The keeper
of the toll-gate said he rode at hard
gallop through the gate and my shoe was
picked up amongst the stones, so that the
case was quite plain to them, and l was
cleared of all blame.
Everybody pitied Susan. She was nearly
out of her mind she kept saying over and
over again, "Oh he was SO good-so good
1t was all that cursed drink; why will they
sell that cursed drink O Reuben, Beu-
benz So she went on till after he was
buried; and then, as she had no home or
relations, she, with her six little children
were obliged once more to leave the pleas
ant home by the tall oak trees, and go in
to that great gloomy Union House.
Ito be continued next Sunday