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“ Well , my pretty one , ” he said , “ you are a lot happier than when you came to us . ” She put her nose up to him in a friendly way . “ It’s the Birtwick medicine , sir , ” said John , laughing . This was one of John’s jokes . His medicine was made of patience and gentleness , firmness and kindness , with half a pint of common sense . It could cure almost any bad - tempered horse . IV . The Bridge in the Storm One day late in the autumn my master had to go to a town on business . I pulled the dog - cart , a light carriage with two high wheels , and John went with him . There had been a lot of rain , and the wind was very strong . On the way we crossed a low wooden bridge over the river . The gatekeeper on the far side said that the river was rising fast . He was afraid it was going to be a bad night . My master’s business took a long time , so we started for home late in the afternoon . By then the wind was much stronger . We were going along the edge of a wood , and the great branches were moving like thin sticks . “ I wish we were out of this wood , ” said my master . Just then there was a loud crack . A great oak tree crashed down across the road in front of us . I was frightened , and I stopped and stood still . But I did not turn round or run away . I was not brought up to do that . “ We can’t get past it , sir , ” said John . “ We’ll have to go back and take the long way round . ” By the time we reached the bridge , it was nearly dark . We could just see that the water was over the middle of it . This sometimes happened when the river was high , so my master drove on . But the moment my feet touched the bridge , I felt sure that something was wrong . I stopped dead . “ Go on , Beauty , ” said my master , and he touched me with the whip . I did not move . He hit me harder . I jumped , but I did not dare to go forward . “ There’s something wrong , sir , ” said John . He got down and tried to lead me . “ Come on , Beauty , what’s the matter ? ” Of course I could not tell him . But I knew that the bridge was not safe . Just then the gatekeeper on the other side ran out of his house . He was waving a burning torch like a madman . “ Stop ! Stop ! ” he shouted . “ The bridge is broken in the middle ! If you come on , you’ll fall into the river ! ” “ Thank God ! ” said my master . “ You Beauty ! ” said John . He gently turned me round onto another road by the river .
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