04-02-01-黑骏马 [8]
，and for the next few weeks he drove the carriage．We went in and out of town，through busy streets， and to the railway station， where the road was narrow and there were lots of other carriages hurrying to and from the station．
Then my master and mistress decided to visit some friends who lived about seventy-five kilometres from our home．'You can drive us，James，'said my master．
■ 5 暴风雨
秋天的一天，主人因生意上的事得到远处的镇子上去一趟。约翰给我套上车，我们三个就上路了。雨下得很大，风也非常强劲。当我们来到河边时，水已经快涨上了木桥，大片的田野都被水淹了。在路上地势低洼的地方，水几乎没过了我的膝盖。
我们到了镇上，主人办事用了好长时间。当我们往回赶时，已是快晚上了。风更紧了，当我们穿过一片树林时，我听见主人说：“我还没在这么大的暴风雨中外出过，约翰。”的确，我也这么想呢，狂风在树林间发出那么可怕的呼啸。
“我希望我们快点儿走出这片林子，”主人说。
“是啊，先生，”约翰附和说。“我们可不希望那些树枝砸到头上。”
他话音刚落，随着一阵树木折断的巨响，一棵大树砸过几棵小点儿的树，轰然倒地，横在我们前面的路上！我吓了一大跳，立刻收住脚，不过，我既没有转身，也没有跑开。约翰跳出来飞跑到我身边。
“现在怎么办，约翰？”主人说。
“我们没法儿从这棵树上过去，也绕不开，先生，”约翰说。“我们得到路口，绕远儿走那座木桥。会晚一点儿到家，不过马还不累。”
我们到木桥时，天将近全黑了。水已漫过了木桥的中段。河水上涨时，这是常有的事儿。但是我的蹄子一踏上桥，就觉得不对劲。我立刻收住了脚。
“走啊，黑骏马，”主人说，他用鞭子碰碰我。我没有走，他狠抽了我一下，但我还是不向前走。
“不对劲！”约翰说。他从车上跳下来四处打量。他试着牵着我向前走。“来啊，黑骏马，怎么了？”
我当然没法儿告诉他。但是我知道这桥不安全。
这时桥那头的屋子里跑出来一个人。“站住！站住！”他喊着。
“怎么回事？”我的主人喊道。
“桥中间断了，”那人说，“有一部分被水冲走了，要是你们过来，会掉进水里去的！”
“谢谢你，黑骏马！”约翰对我说，轻轻地牵着我顺着河边右首的路走。
天色更暗了，当我顺着另一条远得多的路小跑回家时，风小些了。两个男人静默了一阵，然后主人开口了。
“我们只差一点儿就淹死在河里了，约翰。”他说。“人们为自己考虑的时候挺聪明，可是，动物根本用不着考虑就能知道，这经常能救人一命，就像今晚救了我们！人们不知道他们的动物有多棒。本应和动物交朋友，可是他们没有。”
到家了，女主人跑出来迎接我们。“我担了好大的心！”她说，“你们都好吗？没出什么事吧？”
“差点儿！”主人说，“但是黑骏马比我们聪明，他使我们没被淹死！”
* * *
12月初的一个清早，主人拿着一封信来到马厩，表情严肃。
“早，约翰，”他说。“告诉我，詹姆斯工作认真吗？他听你吩咐吗？”
“是啊，先生，他一直这样。”约翰回答。
“你不在，他也不偷懒吗？”
“从不，先生。”
“如果赶马出去，他会停下来和朋友聊天，或是把马丢在外面而他去乱串门儿吗？”主人问。
“不，先生，”约翰说，“如果有人这么说詹姆斯，我可不信。我在马厩还没碰到过他这么令人愉快、诚实可靠的小伙子呢！”
主人微笑着看着正站在门边的詹姆斯。“詹姆斯，我很高兴约翰对你的看法和我的一致，”他说，“我太太的哥哥，柯立福德·威廉爵士来了封信，要我帮他找一名诚实可信的马夫。他现在的马夫年纪大了，需要找一个年轻人和他一道干，而且得准备有一天接他的班。你多大了？”
“19岁，先生，”詹姆斯说。
“真年轻。你说呢，约翰？”
“是啊，先生，”约翰说，“可是他又高又壮。虽然还没有多少赶车的经验，但是他动作轻，眼神好。”
“好吧，詹姆斯，”主人说，“晚饭的时候和你妈妈谈谈，然后告诉我你的想法。”
几天后商定詹姆斯在1个月或6个星期后去柯立福德府，所以接下来的几周由他赶车。我们进城出城，穿过拥挤的街道，去道路狭窄的火车站，那条路上还有很多别的马车匆匆忙忙地进站出站。
然后主人和太大决定去拜访住在距家大概75公里的一些朋友。主人说：“你可以为我们赶车，詹姆斯。”
■ 6 The fire
The first day we travelled about fifty kilometres， but James drove carefully and made sure that Ginger and I were always on the smoothest part of the road． It was evening when we reached the hotel where we were going to stay that night．It was in the Market Place and two stablemen came out to us．
The chief stableman was a pleasant old man， and he led me into a long stable with six or eight stalls in it，and two or three horses．The younger man brought in Ginger，and James watched while we were groomed．
'I thought I was quick，'James told the old stableman，'but you're quicker than anyone．'
'I've worked with horses since I was twelve years old， and I can tell you it's good to be able to work with a well-behaved，well-cared for animal like this，'said the stableman，patting my neck．'Who is your master？'
'Mr Gordon of Birtwick Park，'said James．
'I've heard of him，'said the stableman．'He's a good judge of horses， and the best rider in this part of the country．'
'He doesn't ride very often now，'said James，'not since the poor young master was killed．'
'I read about that in the newspaper，'said the stableman．'A fine horse was killed too，wasn't it？'
'Yes，an excellent horse，'said James．'He was the brother of this one，and just like him．'
'Terrible！'said the old man．'It was a bad place to jump，wasn't it？ A man's life and a horse's life are worth more than a hare—or they should be！'
Later that evening，the younger stableman brought in anoth-er horse， and a young man with a pipe in his mouth came into the stable to talk to him．
'Towler， go up and get some hay and put it down for this horse， will you？'said the stableman．'But put down your pipe first．'
'All right，'said the other man，and went up a ladder and through a little door． I heard him step across the floor over my head and push down some hay through a hole in the roof，into the new horse's feeding place．
James came in to look at us before he went to bed，and then the door was locked．
I don't know how long I slept， or what time it was when I woke up
Then my master and mistress decided to visit some friends who lived about seventy-five kilometres from our home．'You can drive us，James，'said my master．
■ 5 暴风雨
秋天的一天，主人因生意上的事得到远处的镇子上去一趟。约翰给我套上车，我们三个就上路了。雨下得很大，风也非常强劲。当我们来到河边时，水已经快涨上了木桥，大片的田野都被水淹了。在路上地势低洼的地方，水几乎没过了我的膝盖。
我们到了镇上，主人办事用了好长时间。当我们往回赶时，已是快晚上了。风更紧了，当我们穿过一片树林时，我听见主人说：“我还没在这么大的暴风雨中外出过，约翰。”的确，我也这么想呢，狂风在树林间发出那么可怕的呼啸。
“我希望我们快点儿走出这片林子，”主人说。
“是啊，先生，”约翰附和说。“我们可不希望那些树枝砸到头上。”
他话音刚落，随着一阵树木折断的巨响，一棵大树砸过几棵小点儿的树，轰然倒地，横在我们前面的路上！我吓了一大跳，立刻收住脚，不过，我既没有转身，也没有跑开。约翰跳出来飞跑到我身边。
“现在怎么办，约翰？”主人说。
“我们没法儿从这棵树上过去，也绕不开，先生，”约翰说。“我们得到路口，绕远儿走那座木桥。会晚一点儿到家，不过马还不累。”
我们到木桥时，天将近全黑了。水已漫过了木桥的中段。河水上涨时，这是常有的事儿。但是我的蹄子一踏上桥，就觉得不对劲。我立刻收住了脚。
“走啊，黑骏马，”主人说，他用鞭子碰碰我。我没有走，他狠抽了我一下，但我还是不向前走。
“不对劲！”约翰说。他从车上跳下来四处打量。他试着牵着我向前走。“来啊，黑骏马，怎么了？”
我当然没法儿告诉他。但是我知道这桥不安全。
这时桥那头的屋子里跑出来一个人。“站住！站住！”他喊着。
“怎么回事？”我的主人喊道。
“桥中间断了，”那人说，“有一部分被水冲走了，要是你们过来，会掉进水里去的！”
“谢谢你，黑骏马！”约翰对我说，轻轻地牵着我顺着河边右首的路走。
天色更暗了，当我顺着另一条远得多的路小跑回家时，风小些了。两个男人静默了一阵，然后主人开口了。
“我们只差一点儿就淹死在河里了，约翰。”他说。“人们为自己考虑的时候挺聪明，可是，动物根本用不着考虑就能知道，这经常能救人一命，就像今晚救了我们！人们不知道他们的动物有多棒。本应和动物交朋友，可是他们没有。”
到家了，女主人跑出来迎接我们。“我担了好大的心！”她说，“你们都好吗？没出什么事吧？”
“差点儿！”主人说，“但是黑骏马比我们聪明，他使我们没被淹死！”
* * *
12月初的一个清早，主人拿着一封信来到马厩，表情严肃。
“早，约翰，”他说。“告诉我，詹姆斯工作认真吗？他听你吩咐吗？”
“是啊，先生，他一直这样。”约翰回答。
“你不在，他也不偷懒吗？”
“从不，先生。”
“如果赶马出去，他会停下来和朋友聊天，或是把马丢在外面而他去乱串门儿吗？”主人问。
“不，先生，”约翰说，“如果有人这么说詹姆斯，我可不信。我在马厩还没碰到过他这么令人愉快、诚实可靠的小伙子呢！”
主人微笑着看着正站在门边的詹姆斯。“詹姆斯，我很高兴约翰对你的看法和我的一致，”他说，“我太太的哥哥，柯立福德·威廉爵士来了封信，要我帮他找一名诚实可信的马夫。他现在的马夫年纪大了，需要找一个年轻人和他一道干，而且得准备有一天接他的班。你多大了？”
“19岁，先生，”詹姆斯说。
“真年轻。你说呢，约翰？”
“是啊，先生，”约翰说，“可是他又高又壮。虽然还没有多少赶车的经验，但是他动作轻，眼神好。”
“好吧，詹姆斯，”主人说，“晚饭的时候和你妈妈谈谈，然后告诉我你的想法。”
几天后商定詹姆斯在1个月或6个星期后去柯立福德府，所以接下来的几周由他赶车。我们进城出城，穿过拥挤的街道，去道路狭窄的火车站，那条路上还有很多别的马车匆匆忙忙地进站出站。
然后主人和太大决定去拜访住在距家大概75公里的一些朋友。主人说：“你可以为我们赶车，詹姆斯。”
■ 6 The fire
The first day we travelled about fifty kilometres， but James drove carefully and made sure that Ginger and I were always on the smoothest part of the road． It was evening when we reached the hotel where we were going to stay that night．It was in the Market Place and two stablemen came out to us．
The chief stableman was a pleasant old man， and he led me into a long stable with six or eight stalls in it，and two or three horses．The younger man brought in Ginger，and James watched while we were groomed．
'I thought I was quick，'James told the old stableman，'but you're quicker than anyone．'
'I've worked with horses since I was twelve years old， and I can tell you it's good to be able to work with a well-behaved，well-cared for animal like this，'said the stableman，patting my neck．'Who is your master？'
'Mr Gordon of Birtwick Park，'said James．
'I've heard of him，'said the stableman．'He's a good judge of horses， and the best rider in this part of the country．'
'He doesn't ride very often now，'said James，'not since the poor young master was killed．'
'I read about that in the newspaper，'said the stableman．'A fine horse was killed too，wasn't it？'
'Yes，an excellent horse，'said James．'He was the brother of this one，and just like him．'
'Terrible！'said the old man．'It was a bad place to jump，wasn't it？ A man's life and a horse's life are worth more than a hare—or they should be！'
Later that evening，the younger stableman brought in anoth-er horse， and a young man with a pipe in his mouth came into the stable to talk to him．
'Towler， go up and get some hay and put it down for this horse， will you？'said the stableman．'But put down your pipe first．'
'All right，'said the other man，and went up a ladder and through a little door． I heard him step across the floor over my head and push down some hay through a hole in the roof，into the new horse's feeding place．
James came in to look at us before he went to bed，and then the door was locked．
I don't know how long I slept， or what time it was when I woke up