CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Working for a Cabman

Horse fairs are terribly frightening places for horses. People cannot understand this, because to them it is an exciting and fun place to visit, especially for children. But the horses there are to be sold and their biggest fear is that they will be sold to a terrible man, who will care for them poorly or work them to a quick death.

I had many visitors, who looked at me very carefully. But every time they saw my knees, they would immediately lose interest and walk away. One time, a man started looking at me and handling me very roughly, I knew he would be a cruel owner and I began to fear being sold to him. He offered twenty-three pounds to Mr Barry's agent, but this offer was rejected for being too low. And then I felt relieved.

Then, a little later, a kind-looking gentleman began to look at me. He looked at my knees and then looked in my eyes. He seemed to feel pity for me.

"OK, boy. Don't worry." He said touching my nose. Then turning to the agent he shouted, "I'll give you twenty-four pounds and ten shillings and that's a very fair price, so no arguing!"

"Alright, he's yours," the agent replied.

After taking me to a hotel, where I was fed and cleaned, the master put a saddle on my back and said with a smile, "OK, boy. We're going to London."

When we arrived in the city, I was surprised to see all of the streets there. I was used to seeing only one or two roads at a time, but here, there were thousands of them! It was evening, and all of the street lights were lit. We walked for about a half-an-hour until we stopped in front of a poor-looking house.

My new master shouted, "Hello, there! I'm home!" And then the front door opened and a woman and two children came running out to greet him. He asked the boy to open the stable doors and to light the stall. Everyone seemed excited. When I was taken to my stall, the whole family stood around me.

"Is he a nice horse?" The young girl asked her father.

"Very nice, Dolly. The nicest horse I could find. Go ahead and touch his nose."

"I'll feed him while you clean his coat," said the woman, picking up a bag of oats.

"I think that's just what he needs, Polly," replied my master.

And now my life seemed to be good again. I lay down in my clean stall and dreamed about how wonderful it will be to stay with this family.

This was probably the happiest family I had ever seen. My master's name was Jerry. He was a cab driver. His wife, Polly, was a plump woman with dark hair and dark eyes. She took very good care of the house and children. Their son, Harry, was a very well-behaved boy, and the same could be said of his sister, Dolly. The whole family took care of me and made me feel very loved.

Jerry did not work for a cab company. He worked for himself and owned his own cab. He had another horse, named Captain, who pulled the cab in the mornings. I always worked in the afternoons. Jerry always treated me very well. He never once made me wear the bearing rein. And I have to say, I often saw horses in the city wearing those terrible things. And whenever I saw this, I appreciated my master's kindness more and more.

I have to say that it was very difficult for me to drive at first, because of all the noise and people in London. I was used to the quiet countryside. But Jerry did his best to keep me calm that first week. And soon I lost all of my fears.

Jerry did not like to overwork his horses. Many drivers drove seven days a week, but we only drove six days, because he believed it was God's day and no one should work. And he never drove us quickly, even if the passenger demanded it. I can remember one time, when two young men approached our cab shouting, "Victoria Station! And if you can get us there before one o'clock, we'll pay you extra!"

My master simply said to them, "I can take you there, but I won't make my horse run."

Hearing this, another cab driver said to the young men, "He never runs his horses. Just take my cab. I'll get you there before one o'clock."

And so they jumped into his cab and he began to whip his horse into a terrible run.

Jerry just watched them go and said to me, "That poor horse. And it's just the middle of the day too."

(end of section)