04-02-01-黑骏马 [11]
．I could not tell him how I felt，but he seemed to know immediately．He covered me with three warm cloths，then ran for some hot water and made me a warm drink．
John seemed very angry．'Stupid boy！'he said to himself，over and over again．'No cloth put on，and I suppose the water was cold too．Boys are no good！'
I became very ill，and could not breathe without pain．John looked after me day and night，and my master often came to see me too．
'My poor Beauty，'he said one day．'My good horse，you saved your mistress's life．Yes，you saved her life．'
I was very glad to hear that．John told my master that he never saw a horse go so fast．
One night，Tom Green，Joe's father，came to help John give me my medicine，then stayed for a while．At first both men were silent，then Tom said，'John，please say a kind word to Joe．The boy is heart－broken；he can't eat his meals，and he can't smile．He knows it's his fault Beauty is ill，but he did his best．He says if Beauty dies，no one will ever speak to him again．But he's not a bad boy．'
After a short pause，John said，'I know he meant no harm，but I'm proud of that horse，and I hate to think his life may be thrown away like this．But I'll give the boy a kind word to－morrow，if Beauty is better．'
I heard no more of this conversation，as the medicine did well and sent me to sleep，and in the morning I fell much bet－ter．
Joe learned quickly after this，and was so careful that John began to give him many things to do．One day，John was out and the master wanted a letter taken immediately to a gentle－man's house about five kilometres away．He told Joe to saddle me and take it．
The letter was delivered and we were returning through a field where we saw a cart full of bricks．They were so heavy that the wheels of the cart were half－buried in the soft ground，and the horses could not move the cart at all．The man leading the horses was shouting and whipping them without stopping．
'Don't whip the horses like that，'Joe shouted at him．'The wheels are half-buried and won't move．I'll help you take some bricks out to make the cart lighter．'
'Mind your own business！'said the man angrily．He was in a terrible temper and more than half－drunk．
Joe turned me，and we galloped towards the house of the brickmaker，Mr Clay．Joe knocked on the door．
The door opened．'Hallo，young man，'began Mr Clay．
'There's a man in your field whipping two horses to death！'Joe told him，his voice shaking with anger．'I told him to stop，but he wouldn't．I offered to help him lighten the cart，but he refused．I think he's drunk．Please go，sir！'
'I will！'said the man，and hurried off．
When we got home，Joe told John all about it．
'You did the right thing，'said John．'Many people would ride by and say it was none of their business．But cruelty is everybody's business．'
Just before dinner，the master sent for Joe．The drunken man was accused of cruelty to horses and Joe was wanted to tell his story to the police．
'I'll tell it gladly，'said Joe．
We heard afterwards that the poor horses were so exhausted and so badly beaten that the man might have to go to prison．
Joe came across and gave me a friendly pat．'We won't al－low cruelty，will we，old friend？'he said．
And he seemed to have grown up suddenly．
■ 7 乔·格林
接下来的旅途就简单多了，第二天晚上我们就到了主人的朋友家，一个马夫带我们到了一个舒适的马厩。我们住了两三天，然后回家。约翰又见到我们，很高兴，我们也是一样。
“不知道谁会来顶替我呢。”詹姆斯说。
“是小乔·格林，”约翰说。“他只有十四岁半，可是他善良，也愿意来，我已同意让他试6个星期的工。”
第二天，乔·格林来了。他得赶在詹姆斯走之前学会干所有的活计。他是个快活可爱的孩子，来干活时老是唱着歌。但终于还是到了詹姆斯离开我们的时候。
“我舍弃了这么多，”他伤心地对约翰说。“我妈妈，你，一个好主人和太太，还有这些马。在新的地方我谁也不认识。”
“第一次离家的确不容易，”约翰说，“但如果你能适应——我相信你能——你妈妈会为你自豪的。”
大家都为詹姆斯的离开而难过。不过乔在很努力地学，约翰和他在一起挺高兴。
* * *
一天夜里，我醒来时，马厩的铃猛响着。我听见约翰住的房子的门开了，从脚步声可以听出他飞快地向大宅跑去。很快他又回来了。
“醒醒，黑骏马！”他说着，冲进马厩里。“我们必须马上走！”我还没来得及想，他就把马鞍备好，笼头也给我戴上了。
主人在大宅门口等着，手里拿着一封信。“拼命跑，约翰！”他说。“把这封信交给怀特大夫，让马歇歇，然后再尽快赶回来。太太病得很厉害。”
我和约翰冲了出来，穿过庄园，穿过村子，冲下山去。河边的一长段路很平坦，约翰说：“现在，黑骏马，你尽力吧！”我不需鞭打，尽我所能飞奔了2英里——也许比我那得了纽马克特赛马冠军的爷爷跑得还快。当我们来到桥边时，约翰让我稍微放慢速度，拍着我的脖子说：“真不错，黑骏马！”
我又跑了起来，和刚才一样快。空气寒冷，月光皎洁，这是一个令人愉快的夜晚。我们穿过了一个村子，然后是一片黑黢黢的林子，然后上山、下山，跑了12公里后，我们进了城。
当我们停在怀特大夫的门前时，已是凌晨3点了。约翰按了门铃，然后把门擂得
John seemed very angry．'Stupid boy！'he said to himself，over and over again．'No cloth put on，and I suppose the water was cold too．Boys are no good！'
I became very ill，and could not breathe without pain．John looked after me day and night，and my master often came to see me too．
'My poor Beauty，'he said one day．'My good horse，you saved your mistress's life．Yes，you saved her life．'
I was very glad to hear that．John told my master that he never saw a horse go so fast．
One night，Tom Green，Joe's father，came to help John give me my medicine，then stayed for a while．At first both men were silent，then Tom said，'John，please say a kind word to Joe．The boy is heart－broken；he can't eat his meals，and he can't smile．He knows it's his fault Beauty is ill，but he did his best．He says if Beauty dies，no one will ever speak to him again．But he's not a bad boy．'
After a short pause，John said，'I know he meant no harm，but I'm proud of that horse，and I hate to think his life may be thrown away like this．But I'll give the boy a kind word to－morrow，if Beauty is better．'
I heard no more of this conversation，as the medicine did well and sent me to sleep，and in the morning I fell much bet－ter．
Joe learned quickly after this，and was so careful that John began to give him many things to do．One day，John was out and the master wanted a letter taken immediately to a gentle－man's house about five kilometres away．He told Joe to saddle me and take it．
The letter was delivered and we were returning through a field where we saw a cart full of bricks．They were so heavy that the wheels of the cart were half－buried in the soft ground，and the horses could not move the cart at all．The man leading the horses was shouting and whipping them without stopping．
'Don't whip the horses like that，'Joe shouted at him．'The wheels are half-buried and won't move．I'll help you take some bricks out to make the cart lighter．'
'Mind your own business！'said the man angrily．He was in a terrible temper and more than half－drunk．
Joe turned me，and we galloped towards the house of the brickmaker，Mr Clay．Joe knocked on the door．
The door opened．'Hallo，young man，'began Mr Clay．
'There's a man in your field whipping two horses to death！'Joe told him，his voice shaking with anger．'I told him to stop，but he wouldn't．I offered to help him lighten the cart，but he refused．I think he's drunk．Please go，sir！'
'I will！'said the man，and hurried off．
When we got home，Joe told John all about it．
'You did the right thing，'said John．'Many people would ride by and say it was none of their business．But cruelty is everybody's business．'
Just before dinner，the master sent for Joe．The drunken man was accused of cruelty to horses and Joe was wanted to tell his story to the police．
'I'll tell it gladly，'said Joe．
We heard afterwards that the poor horses were so exhausted and so badly beaten that the man might have to go to prison．
Joe came across and gave me a friendly pat．'We won't al－low cruelty，will we，old friend？'he said．
And he seemed to have grown up suddenly．
■ 7 乔·格林
接下来的旅途就简单多了，第二天晚上我们就到了主人的朋友家，一个马夫带我们到了一个舒适的马厩。我们住了两三天，然后回家。约翰又见到我们，很高兴，我们也是一样。
“不知道谁会来顶替我呢。”詹姆斯说。
“是小乔·格林，”约翰说。“他只有十四岁半，可是他善良，也愿意来，我已同意让他试6个星期的工。”
第二天，乔·格林来了。他得赶在詹姆斯走之前学会干所有的活计。他是个快活可爱的孩子，来干活时老是唱着歌。但终于还是到了詹姆斯离开我们的时候。
“我舍弃了这么多，”他伤心地对约翰说。“我妈妈，你，一个好主人和太太，还有这些马。在新的地方我谁也不认识。”
“第一次离家的确不容易，”约翰说，“但如果你能适应——我相信你能——你妈妈会为你自豪的。”
大家都为詹姆斯的离开而难过。不过乔在很努力地学，约翰和他在一起挺高兴。
* * *
一天夜里，我醒来时，马厩的铃猛响着。我听见约翰住的房子的门开了，从脚步声可以听出他飞快地向大宅跑去。很快他又回来了。
“醒醒，黑骏马！”他说着，冲进马厩里。“我们必须马上走！”我还没来得及想，他就把马鞍备好，笼头也给我戴上了。
主人在大宅门口等着，手里拿着一封信。“拼命跑，约翰！”他说。“把这封信交给怀特大夫，让马歇歇，然后再尽快赶回来。太太病得很厉害。”
我和约翰冲了出来，穿过庄园，穿过村子，冲下山去。河边的一长段路很平坦，约翰说：“现在，黑骏马，你尽力吧！”我不需鞭打，尽我所能飞奔了2英里——也许比我那得了纽马克特赛马冠军的爷爷跑得还快。当我们来到桥边时，约翰让我稍微放慢速度，拍着我的脖子说：“真不错，黑骏马！”
我又跑了起来，和刚才一样快。空气寒冷，月光皎洁，这是一个令人愉快的夜晚。我们穿过了一个村子，然后是一片黑黢黢的林子，然后上山、下山，跑了12公里后，我们进了城。
当我们停在怀特大夫的门前时，已是凌晨3点了。约翰按了门铃，然后把门擂得