04-02-01-黑骏马 [12]
像打雷一样响。一扇窗子被推上去，怀特大夫的头探了出来。“你要干什么？”他说。
“高顿太太病得很厉害，”约翰说。“您必须马上来，先生，不然她会死的！这是信。”
医生很快出现在门口。“我的马出去了一整天，已经很累了，我能骑你的马吗？”
“我主人让我歇一歇马，”约翰说，“不过如果您觉得这样最好，那就骑吧，先生。”
“我很快就准备好，”医生说。
约翰站在我身旁，拍着我的脖子，我热得要命。医生带着鞭子出来了。
“您不需要用鞭子，先生，”约翰说，“黑骏马跑死也不会停下来。”
医生比约翰重，而且骑术不太好，不过我拼尽全力。乔在大门口等着，主人则在大宅门口等着。他一言不发。医生随他进了房间，乔把我带回马厩。
我的腿在瑟瑟发抖，全身上下没有一根毛是于的。汗水顺着腿流下来，我全身热得要命。可怜的乔！他小小年纪，懂得很少。他尽他所能，洗干净我的腿和胸，可是没有给我盖上暖和的布，他觉得我已经很热了，可能不会喜欢盖布。他喂了我一些冷水和一些食物，然后就走开了。
很快我开始发抖，冷得直哆嚏，浑身上下都痛。我真希望约翰在，但是，他得步行12公里，我只好试着睡觉。
过了很久，我听见约的在门口。我低低地呜咽了一声，他立刻来到我身旁。我没法儿告诉他我的感觉，但他似乎立刻就明白了。他给我盖了3块暖和的布，跑去取了些热水让我趁热喝下。
约翰看上去很生气。“傻小子！”他一遍又一遍地自言自语着。“一块布也不盖，估计水也是冷的。小孩子真不像话！”
我病得很厉害，每呼吸一下都觉得疼。约翰夜以继日地看护我，主人也常来看望我。
“我可怜的黑骏马！”一天他说。“我的好马，你救了你女主人的命。是啊，你救了她的命。”
我听见这个很高兴。约翰告诉主人说他从没见过哪匹马跑得这么快。
一个晚上，汤姆·格林，乔的爸爸，来帮约翰给我喂药，然后又多呆了会儿。起先两个男人都沉默着，然后汤姆说：“约翰，请对乔说句好话吧。这孩子心都碎了，他吃不下饭，也不笑了。他知道黑骏马生病是他的错，不过他尽力而为了。他说如果黑骏马死了，就不会有人再理他了。可他不是个坏孩子。”
短暂的沉默之后，约翰说：“我知道他不是故意的，但是我以这匹马为荣，我不能忍受就这么看着他死去。不过，明天我会对这孩子说句好话，如果黑骏马能好一点儿。”
我没再听到下面的谈话，因为药开始起作用，我昏昏欲睡了。早上，我觉得好多了。
这件事之后，乔学习进步很快，而且特别仔细。约翰开始把很多事交给他去办。一天，约翰外出了，主人想把一封信立刻送到5公里外的一位先生家里，他吩咐乔给我备鞍，把信送去。
信被送到了。归途中，我们穿过一片田野，在那儿我们看见一辆装满砖头的马车。沉重的车身压得轮子的一半陷入了松软的地里。马根本拉不动车。赶车的人不断地喊叫，抽打着马匹。
“别抽得那么狠，”乔冲赶车人喊着，“轮子一半儿陷下去了，动不了啦。我帮你卸下些砖来，让车轻一点。”
“你少管闲事！”那人恼怒地说。他正大发脾气，而且已醉得可以了。
乔让我转过身，我们朝着制砖人克雷先生的房子飞奔过去。乔敲了门。
门开了。“喂！小伙子，”克雷先生开口道。
“你田里有个人快把两匹马抽死了！”乔告诉他，气得声音发抖。“我叫他住手，可他不听。我提出帮他把车弄轻些，他也不干。我看他是醉了。您去一下吧，先生！”
“我会去的！”克雷先生说，他立刻就赶了过去。
我们到家后，乔对约翰讲了整个事情。
“你做得对，”约翰说。“很多人会擦身而过，觉得那不关他们的事。但是制止残暴的行为是每个人都应该做的事。”
晚饭前，主人派人来叫乔。那个醉汉被指控虐待马匹，乔被叫去向警察讲述经过。
“我很乐意去讲一讲，”乔说。
事后，我们听说那两匹可怜的马已累得精疲力竭，还被打得半死。那人有可能要进监狱。
乔过来友好地拍了拍我。“我们不允许残暴的行为，是吗，我的老朋友？”他说。
他看上去一下子长大了。
■ 8 Earlshall Park
I lived at Birtwick Park for three happy years，but then changes came．Our mistress was often ill and the doctor advised her to go and live in a warm country for two or three years．Everyone was very sorry，but the master immediately started making arrangements to leave England．
John did his work silently and sadly，and Joe didn't sing any more．Then we heard that the master had sold Ginger and me to an old friend of his，Lord Gray．Merrylegs was given to the neighbour，Mr Blomefield，and Joe was employed to look after him．John was offered several good jobs but he wanted to wait and look around．
'I want to train young horses，'he told the master．
'I cannot think of anyone more suitable for that work than you，John，'said the master．'If I can help you in any way，write to me．'
The next morning，John took Ginger and me to Earlshall Park where Lord Gray lived．There was a very fine house and lots of stables．John asked for Mr York，who was going to be our new driver．
Mr York was a good－looking man of about forty，with a voice that expected to be obeyed．He called a groom to take us to our boxes，then invited John to have a drink with him．We were taken to a pleasant stable and put in boxes next to one another，then we were groomed and fed．Half an hour later，John and Mr York came to see us．
Mr York looked at us carefully．'Is there anything you want to mention about them，Mr Manly？'he said．
'I don't believe there's a better pair of horses in the coun－try，'said John，'but they're not alike．The black one has the most perfect temper I've ever known．The other was badly treated before she came to us，but has grown better－tempered in the last three years．We've never used a bearing rein with either of them．'
'They'll wear one here，'said York．'Lady Gray follows the fashion，and if her horses are not reined up tight，she doesn't like it．'
'I'm sorry to hear that，'said John．He came to pat each of us for the last time．I held my face close to him，which was all I could do to say goodbye．And then he was gone，and I have never seen him since．
Lord Gray came to look at us the next day and seemed pleased．He heard what John had said about us．'Keep an eye on the mare，'he said to York．'Don't make the bearing rein too tight at first，and I'll mention it to my wife．'
In the afternoon，we were harnessed to the carriage and La－dy Gray came out and looked at us．She was a tall，
“高顿太太病得很厉害，”约翰说。“您必须马上来，先生，不然她会死的！这是信。”
医生很快出现在门口。“我的马出去了一整天，已经很累了，我能骑你的马吗？”
“我主人让我歇一歇马，”约翰说，“不过如果您觉得这样最好，那就骑吧，先生。”
“我很快就准备好，”医生说。
约翰站在我身旁，拍着我的脖子，我热得要命。医生带着鞭子出来了。
“您不需要用鞭子，先生，”约翰说，“黑骏马跑死也不会停下来。”
医生比约翰重，而且骑术不太好，不过我拼尽全力。乔在大门口等着，主人则在大宅门口等着。他一言不发。医生随他进了房间，乔把我带回马厩。
我的腿在瑟瑟发抖，全身上下没有一根毛是于的。汗水顺着腿流下来，我全身热得要命。可怜的乔！他小小年纪，懂得很少。他尽他所能，洗干净我的腿和胸，可是没有给我盖上暖和的布，他觉得我已经很热了，可能不会喜欢盖布。他喂了我一些冷水和一些食物，然后就走开了。
很快我开始发抖，冷得直哆嚏，浑身上下都痛。我真希望约翰在，但是，他得步行12公里，我只好试着睡觉。
过了很久，我听见约的在门口。我低低地呜咽了一声，他立刻来到我身旁。我没法儿告诉他我的感觉，但他似乎立刻就明白了。他给我盖了3块暖和的布，跑去取了些热水让我趁热喝下。
约翰看上去很生气。“傻小子！”他一遍又一遍地自言自语着。“一块布也不盖，估计水也是冷的。小孩子真不像话！”
我病得很厉害，每呼吸一下都觉得疼。约翰夜以继日地看护我，主人也常来看望我。
“我可怜的黑骏马！”一天他说。“我的好马，你救了你女主人的命。是啊，你救了她的命。”
我听见这个很高兴。约翰告诉主人说他从没见过哪匹马跑得这么快。
一个晚上，汤姆·格林，乔的爸爸，来帮约翰给我喂药，然后又多呆了会儿。起先两个男人都沉默着，然后汤姆说：“约翰，请对乔说句好话吧。这孩子心都碎了，他吃不下饭，也不笑了。他知道黑骏马生病是他的错，不过他尽力而为了。他说如果黑骏马死了，就不会有人再理他了。可他不是个坏孩子。”
短暂的沉默之后，约翰说：“我知道他不是故意的，但是我以这匹马为荣，我不能忍受就这么看着他死去。不过，明天我会对这孩子说句好话，如果黑骏马能好一点儿。”
我没再听到下面的谈话，因为药开始起作用，我昏昏欲睡了。早上，我觉得好多了。
这件事之后，乔学习进步很快，而且特别仔细。约翰开始把很多事交给他去办。一天，约翰外出了，主人想把一封信立刻送到5公里外的一位先生家里，他吩咐乔给我备鞍，把信送去。
信被送到了。归途中，我们穿过一片田野，在那儿我们看见一辆装满砖头的马车。沉重的车身压得轮子的一半陷入了松软的地里。马根本拉不动车。赶车的人不断地喊叫，抽打着马匹。
“别抽得那么狠，”乔冲赶车人喊着，“轮子一半儿陷下去了，动不了啦。我帮你卸下些砖来，让车轻一点。”
“你少管闲事！”那人恼怒地说。他正大发脾气，而且已醉得可以了。
乔让我转过身，我们朝着制砖人克雷先生的房子飞奔过去。乔敲了门。
门开了。“喂！小伙子，”克雷先生开口道。
“你田里有个人快把两匹马抽死了！”乔告诉他，气得声音发抖。“我叫他住手，可他不听。我提出帮他把车弄轻些，他也不干。我看他是醉了。您去一下吧，先生！”
“我会去的！”克雷先生说，他立刻就赶了过去。
我们到家后，乔对约翰讲了整个事情。
“你做得对，”约翰说。“很多人会擦身而过，觉得那不关他们的事。但是制止残暴的行为是每个人都应该做的事。”
晚饭前，主人派人来叫乔。那个醉汉被指控虐待马匹，乔被叫去向警察讲述经过。
“我很乐意去讲一讲，”乔说。
事后，我们听说那两匹可怜的马已累得精疲力竭，还被打得半死。那人有可能要进监狱。
乔过来友好地拍了拍我。“我们不允许残暴的行为，是吗，我的老朋友？”他说。
他看上去一下子长大了。
■ 8 Earlshall Park
I lived at Birtwick Park for three happy years，but then changes came．Our mistress was often ill and the doctor advised her to go and live in a warm country for two or three years．Everyone was very sorry，but the master immediately started making arrangements to leave England．
John did his work silently and sadly，and Joe didn't sing any more．Then we heard that the master had sold Ginger and me to an old friend of his，Lord Gray．Merrylegs was given to the neighbour，Mr Blomefield，and Joe was employed to look after him．John was offered several good jobs but he wanted to wait and look around．
'I want to train young horses，'he told the master．
'I cannot think of anyone more suitable for that work than you，John，'said the master．'If I can help you in any way，write to me．'
The next morning，John took Ginger and me to Earlshall Park where Lord Gray lived．There was a very fine house and lots of stables．John asked for Mr York，who was going to be our new driver．
Mr York was a good－looking man of about forty，with a voice that expected to be obeyed．He called a groom to take us to our boxes，then invited John to have a drink with him．We were taken to a pleasant stable and put in boxes next to one another，then we were groomed and fed．Half an hour later，John and Mr York came to see us．
Mr York looked at us carefully．'Is there anything you want to mention about them，Mr Manly？'he said．
'I don't believe there's a better pair of horses in the coun－try，'said John，'but they're not alike．The black one has the most perfect temper I've ever known．The other was badly treated before she came to us，but has grown better－tempered in the last three years．We've never used a bearing rein with either of them．'
'They'll wear one here，'said York．'Lady Gray follows the fashion，and if her horses are not reined up tight，she doesn't like it．'
'I'm sorry to hear that，'said John．He came to pat each of us for the last time．I held my face close to him，which was all I could do to say goodbye．And then he was gone，and I have never seen him since．
Lord Gray came to look at us the next day and seemed pleased．He heard what John had said about us．'Keep an eye on the mare，'he said to York．'Don't make the bearing rein too tight at first，and I'll mention it to my wife．'
In the afternoon，we were harnessed to the carriage and La－dy Gray came out and looked at us．She was a tall，