04-02-01-黑骏马 [10]
“救火车来了！”有人喊道。
两匹马从我身旁跑过，拖着沉重的救火车。消防员跳下来，我们赶紧跑回宽敞、安静的马克特·普雷斯旅店，以免挡着他们的路。
主人带我们去了另一个大旅店，一个马夫出来带我们进去，然后主人赶回去找他的妻子。
第二天一早，他来看望我们并和詹姆斯谈了几句。我听见得不多，不过詹姆斯看上去很高兴，主人也满怀自豪地看着他。
这场大火是怎么引起的？有人说看见迪克·透勒吸着烟斗走进马厩，而出来时烟斗没带在身边。小马夫说他要迪克上梯子弄些干草下来，但也要他先放下烟斗。迪克说他照办了，不过没人信他。
詹姆斯说房顶和地板都塌了，只有熏黑的墙壁还直立着；两匹可怜的马来不及跑出来，被塌下的屋顶砸死了。
■ 7 Joe Green
The rest of our journey was very easy，and the next evening we reached the house of our master's friend，where a groom took us to a comfortable stable．We stayed two or three days，then returned home．John was glad to see us，and we were glad to see him．
'I wonder who will come in my place，'said James．
'Little Joe Green，'said John．'He's only fourteen and a half but he has a kind heart and wants to come，so I've agreed to try him for six weeks．'
The next day，Joe Green came to learn all he could before James left．He was a nice happy boy and always came to work singing．But then the day came when James had to leave us．
'I'm leaving a lot behind，'he said sadly to John．'My mother，and you，a good master and mistress，and the horses．And I shan't know anybody at the new place．'
'It's hard to leave your home for the first time，'said John，'but if you get on well—which I'm sure you will——your moth－er will be proud of you．'
Everyone was sorry to lose James，but Joe tried hard to learn，and John was pleased with him．
* * *
One night I woke up to hear the stable bell ringing loudly．I heard the door open at John's house，and his feet running up to the Hall．He was back quickly．
'Wake up，Beauty！'he said，coming into the stable．'We must go quickly now！'And before I could think，he had the saddle on my back and the bridle on my head．
The master was waiting at the Hall door with a letter in his hand．'Ride for your life，John！'he said．'Give this to Dr White，then rest your horse and be back as soon as you can．Mrs Gordon is very ill．'
Away went John and I，through the Park，through the vil－lage，and down the hill．There was a long piece of flat road by the riverside，and John said，'Now Beauty，do your best！'I needed no whip，and for two miles I galloped as fast as I could——perhaps even faster than my grandfather，who won the race at Newrmarket．When we came to the bridge，John slowed me down a little and patted my neck．'Well done，Beauty！'he said．
Then I was off again，as fast as before．The air was cold and the moon was bright，and it was a pleasant night．We went through a village，then a dark wood，then uphill，then down－hill，and after twelve kilometres，we came to the town．
It was three o'clock when we stopped by Dr White's door．John rang the bell，then knocked on the door like thunder．A window was pushed up and Dr White's head appeared．'What do you want？'he said．
'Mrs Gordon is very ill，'said John．'You must come at once，or she'll die．Here's a letter．'
The doctor was soon at the door．'My horse has been out all day and is exhausted．Can I take yours？'
'My master told me to rest him，'said John，'but take him if you think it's best，sir．'
'I'll soon be ready，'said the doctor．
John stood by me and patted my neck．I was very hot．Then the doctor came out with his riding whip．
'You won't need that，sir，'said John．'Black Beauty will go until he drops．'
The doctor was a heavier man than John，and not so good a rider，but I did my very best．Joe was waiting at the gate and the master was at the Hall door．He did not say a word．The doctor went into the house with him，and Joe led me to the stable．
My legs were shaking and there was not a dry hair on my body．The water ran down my legs and I was hot all over．Poor Joe！He was young and knew very little．He did the best he could，cleaning my legs and my chest，but he did not put a warm cloth on me；he thought I was so hot that I would not like it．He gave me some cold water to drink，then he gave me some food and went away．
Soon I began to shake and tremble with cold，and I ached all over．I wished John was there，but he had twelve kilometres to walk，so I tried to sleep．
After a long time，I heard John at the door．I gave a low cry，and he was at my side in a moment
两匹马从我身旁跑过，拖着沉重的救火车。消防员跳下来，我们赶紧跑回宽敞、安静的马克特·普雷斯旅店，以免挡着他们的路。
主人带我们去了另一个大旅店，一个马夫出来带我们进去，然后主人赶回去找他的妻子。
第二天一早，他来看望我们并和詹姆斯谈了几句。我听见得不多，不过詹姆斯看上去很高兴，主人也满怀自豪地看着他。
这场大火是怎么引起的？有人说看见迪克·透勒吸着烟斗走进马厩，而出来时烟斗没带在身边。小马夫说他要迪克上梯子弄些干草下来，但也要他先放下烟斗。迪克说他照办了，不过没人信他。
詹姆斯说房顶和地板都塌了，只有熏黑的墙壁还直立着；两匹可怜的马来不及跑出来，被塌下的屋顶砸死了。
■ 7 Joe Green
The rest of our journey was very easy，and the next evening we reached the house of our master's friend，where a groom took us to a comfortable stable．We stayed two or three days，then returned home．John was glad to see us，and we were glad to see him．
'I wonder who will come in my place，'said James．
'Little Joe Green，'said John．'He's only fourteen and a half but he has a kind heart and wants to come，so I've agreed to try him for six weeks．'
The next day，Joe Green came to learn all he could before James left．He was a nice happy boy and always came to work singing．But then the day came when James had to leave us．
'I'm leaving a lot behind，'he said sadly to John．'My mother，and you，a good master and mistress，and the horses．And I shan't know anybody at the new place．'
'It's hard to leave your home for the first time，'said John，'but if you get on well—which I'm sure you will——your moth－er will be proud of you．'
Everyone was sorry to lose James，but Joe tried hard to learn，and John was pleased with him．
* * *
One night I woke up to hear the stable bell ringing loudly．I heard the door open at John's house，and his feet running up to the Hall．He was back quickly．
'Wake up，Beauty！'he said，coming into the stable．'We must go quickly now！'And before I could think，he had the saddle on my back and the bridle on my head．
The master was waiting at the Hall door with a letter in his hand．'Ride for your life，John！'he said．'Give this to Dr White，then rest your horse and be back as soon as you can．Mrs Gordon is very ill．'
Away went John and I，through the Park，through the vil－lage，and down the hill．There was a long piece of flat road by the riverside，and John said，'Now Beauty，do your best！'I needed no whip，and for two miles I galloped as fast as I could——perhaps even faster than my grandfather，who won the race at Newrmarket．When we came to the bridge，John slowed me down a little and patted my neck．'Well done，Beauty！'he said．
Then I was off again，as fast as before．The air was cold and the moon was bright，and it was a pleasant night．We went through a village，then a dark wood，then uphill，then down－hill，and after twelve kilometres，we came to the town．
It was three o'clock when we stopped by Dr White's door．John rang the bell，then knocked on the door like thunder．A window was pushed up and Dr White's head appeared．'What do you want？'he said．
'Mrs Gordon is very ill，'said John．'You must come at once，or she'll die．Here's a letter．'
The doctor was soon at the door．'My horse has been out all day and is exhausted．Can I take yours？'
'My master told me to rest him，'said John，'but take him if you think it's best，sir．'
'I'll soon be ready，'said the doctor．
John stood by me and patted my neck．I was very hot．Then the doctor came out with his riding whip．
'You won't need that，sir，'said John．'Black Beauty will go until he drops．'
The doctor was a heavier man than John，and not so good a rider，but I did my very best．Joe was waiting at the gate and the master was at the Hall door．He did not say a word．The doctor went into the house with him，and Joe led me to the stable．
My legs were shaking and there was not a dry hair on my body．The water ran down my legs and I was hot all over．Poor Joe！He was young and knew very little．He did the best he could，cleaning my legs and my chest，but he did not put a warm cloth on me；he thought I was so hot that I would not like it．He gave me some cold water to drink，then he gave me some food and went away．
Soon I began to shake and tremble with cold，and I ached all over．I wished John was there，but he had twelve kilometres to walk，so I tried to sleep．
After a long time，I heard John at the door．I gave a low cry，and he was at my side in a moment