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IX . Reuben Smith In the spring the Earl’s family went to London , and York went with them . Ginger and I stayed at home . Reuben Smith looked after the stables while York was away . He was gentle and clever with horses , and everybody liked him . But he had one great fault : from time to time he drank too much . Old Max told me that he once lost his job because of it . But he promised never to drink again , and the Earl took him back . One April day Reuben drove a gentleman to the railway station in the town , and I pulled the carriage . Then he left the carriage at a workshop to be painted , and he took me to the White Lion inn . He planned to ride me home , so he brought a saddle with him . He told the groom to have me ready at four o’clock . One of the nails in my front shoe was loose . Reuben did not come until five , and then he said he would stay until six with some old friends . The groom told him about the nail . “ That will be all right until we get home , ” said Reuben . He spoke loudly and carelessly . This was not like him . He did not come back at six , or seven , or eight . It was nearly nine o’clock when he called for me , and his voice was loud and rough . We had hardly left the town when he began to gallop . He hit me with his whip , although I was going at full speed . It was very dark , and the road was rough and stony . My loose shoe came off . If Reuben had been sober , he would have noticed . But he was too drunk . Further on , the road was covered with large , sharp stones . With one shoe gone , I had to gallop over them . My hoof , the hard part of my foot , was cut and broken , and the pain was terrible . I stumbled and fell hard on both my knees . Reuben flew over my head and fell heavily on the road . I got up and limped to the side of the road . The moon rose , and I could see Reuben lying on the ground . He groaned once , and then he did not move . I stood and listened for help . It was a calm April night . A nightingale was singing , and an owl flew over the hedge . It made me think of summer nights long ago in Farmer Grey’s meadow . Near midnight I heard a horse far away . Nearer and nearer it came , and I knew it was Ginger’s step . I neighed loudly , and she answered me . She was pulling the dog - cart , and two men , Robert and Ned , jumped down and bent over Reuben . “ He’s dead , ” said Ned softly . “ His hands are cold . ” Then they saw my knees and my foot . “ Look at his hoof ! Reuben rode him over these stones without a shoe ! I’m afraid he was drinking again . His poor wife , Susan ! ” Ned took Reuben home in the dog - cart . Ginger stood as still as a stone while they lifted him in . Robert tied his handkerchief round my foot and led me home very slowly . It was more than three miles , and I limped the whole way in great pain .
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