#JC  ,MY ,BR1K+ ,9

  ,I 0 N[ 2G9N+ 6GR[ H&"S2 MY COAT _H
GR[N F9E & S(T1 & 0 B"R BLACK4 ,I _H "O
:ITE FOOT &A PRETTY :ITE /> ON MY =EH1D4
,I 0 ?"\ V H&"S2 MY MA/] WD N SELL ME
TILL ,I 0 F\R YE>S OLD2 HE SD LADS "\ N
6"W L M51 & COLTS "\ N 6"W L HORSES TILL
!Y 7 Q GR[N UP4
  ,:5 ,I 0 F\R YE>S OLD ,SQUIRE ,GORDON
CAME 6LOOK AT ME4 ,HE EXAM9$ MY EYES1 MY
M\?1 & MY LEGS2 HE FELT !M ALL D[N2 & !N
,I _H 6WALK & TROT & GALLOP 2F HM4 ,HE
SEEM$ 6L ME1 & SD1 8,:5 HE HAS BE5 WELL
BROK5 9 HE W D V WELL40 ,MY MA/] SD HE
WD BR1K ME 9 HMF1 Z HE %D N L ME 6BE
F"R5$ OR HURT1 & HE LO/ NO "T AB X1 =!
NEXT "D HE 2GAN4
  ,E "O MAY N "K :AT BR1K+ 9 IS1 "!=E ,I
W DESCRIBE X4 ,X M1NS 6T1* A HORSE 6WE>
A SA4LE & BRIDLE1 & 6C>RY ON 8 BACK A
MAN1 WOMAN OR *2 6G J ! WAY !Y WI%1 & 6G
QUIETLY4 ,2SS ? HE HAS 6LE>N 6WE> A
COLL>1 A CRUPP]1 &A BREE*+1 & 6/& / :ILE
!Y >E PUT ON2 !N 6H A C>T OR A *AISE
             ,MY ,BR1K+ ,9
FIX$ 2H1 S T HE _C WALK OR TROT )\T
DRA7+ X AF HM2 & HE M/ G FA/ OR SL[1 J Z
8 DRIV] WI%ES4 ,HE M/ N"E />T AT :AT HE
SEES1 NOR SP1K 6O!R HORSES1 NOR BITE1
NOR KICK1 NOR H ANY W ( 8 [N2 B ALW D 8
MA/]'S W1 EV5 ?\< HE MAY 2 V TIR$ OR
HUNGRY2 B ! WOR/ ( ALL IS1 :5 8 H>;S IS
ONCE ON1 HE MAY NEI JUMP = JOY NOR LIE
D[N = WE>I;S4 ,S Y SEE ? BR1K+ 9 IS A
GRT ?+4
  ,I _H ( C\RSE L;G BE5 US$ 6A HALT] &A
H1D/ALL1 & 6BE L$ AB 9 ! FIELDS & LANES
QUIETLY1 B N[ ,I 0 6H A BIT & BRIDLE2 MY
MA/] GAVE ME "S OATS Z USUAL1 & AF A GD
D1L ( COAX+ HE GOT ! BIT 96MY M\?1 &!
BRIDLE FIX$1 B X 0 A NA/Y ?+6 ,^? :O H
N"E _H A BIT 9 _! M\?S _C ?9K H[ BAD X
FEELS2 A GRT PIECE ( COLD H>D /EEL Z
?ICK Z A MAN'S F+] 6BE PU%$ 96"O'S M\?1
2T "O'S TEE?1 & OV] "O'S T;GUE1 )! 5DS
-+ \ AT ! CORN] ( YR M\?1 & HELD FA/ "!
0/RAPS OV] YR H1D1 "U YR ?ROAT1 R.D YR
NOSE1 & "U YR *92 S T NO WAY 9 ! _W C Y
GET RID (! NA/Y H>D ?+2 X IS V BAD6 YES1
             ,MY ,BR1K+ ,9
V BAD6 AT L1/ ,I ?"\ S2 B ,I KNEW MY "M
ALW WORE "O :5 %E W5T \1 & ALL HORSES
DID :5 !Y 7 GR[N UP2 & S1 :AT )! NICE
OATS1 & :AT ) MY MA/]'S PATS1 K9D ^WS1 &
G5TLE WAYS1 ,I GOT 6WE> MY BIT & BRIDLE4
  ,NEXT CAME ! SA4LE1 B T 0 N HALF S
BAD2 MY MA/] PUT X ON MY BACK V G5TLY1
:ILE OLD ,DANIEL HELD MY H1D2 HE !N MADE
! GIR?S FA/ "U MY BODY1 PATT+ & TALK+
6ME ALL ! "T2 !N ,I _H A FEW OATS1 !N A
LL L1D+ AB2 & ? HE DID E "D TILL ,I 2GAN
6LOOK =! OATS &! SA4LE4 ,AT L5G?1 "O
MORN+1 MY MA/] GOT ON MY BACK & RODE ME
R.D ! M1D[ ON ! S(T GRASS4 ,X C]TA9LY
DID FEEL QUE]2 B ,I M/ SAY ,I FELT R
PR\D 6C>RY MY MA/]1 & Z HE 3T9U$ 6RIDE
ME A LL E "D ,I SOON 2CAME A3U/OM$ 6X4
  ,! NEXT UNPL1SANT BUSI;S 0 PUTT+ ON !
IRON %OES2 T TOO 0 V H>D AT F/4 ,MY MA/]
W5T ) ME 6! SMI?'S =GE1 6SEE T ,I 0 N
HURT OR GOT ANY F"R4 ,! BLACKSMI? TOOK
MY FEET 9 8 H&1 "O AF ! O!R1 & CUT AWAY
"S (! HO(4 ,X DID N PA9 ME1 S ,I /OOD /
ON ?REE LEGS TILL HE _H D"O !M ALL4 ,!N
             ,MY ,BR1K+ ,9
HE TOOK A PIECE ( IRON ! %APE ( MY FOOT1
& CLAPP$ X ON1 & DROVE "S NAILS "? ! %OE
Q 96MY HO(1 S T ! %OE 0 FIRMLY ON4 ,MY
FEET FELT V /IFF & H1VY1 B 9 "T ,I GOT
US$ 6X4
  ,& N[ HAV+ GOT S F>1 MY MA/] W5T ON
6BR1K ME 6H>;S2 "! 7 M NEW ?+S 6WE>4
,F/1 A /IFF H1VY COLL> J ON MY NECK1 &A
BRIDLE ) GRT SIDE-PIECES AG/ MY EYES
CALL$ BL9K]S1 & BL9K]S 9DE$ !Y W]E1 = ,I
CD N SEE ON EI SIDE1 B ONLY /RAI<T 9
FRONT ( ME2 NEXT1 "! 0 A SMALL SA4LE )A
NA/Y /IFF /RAP T W5T "R "U MY TAIL2 T 0
! CRUPP]4 ,I HAT$ ! CRUPP]2 6H MY L;G
TAIL D\#D UP & POK$ "? T /RAP 0 ALM Z
BAD Z ! BIT4 ,I N"E FELT M L KICK+1 B (
C\RSE ,I CD N KICK S* A GD MA/]1 & S 9
"T ,I GOT US$ 6"EY?+1 & CD D MY "W Z
WELL Z MY "M4





             ,MY ,BR1K+ ,9
,I M/ N =GET 6M5;N "O "P ( MY TRA9+1
: ,I H ALW 3SID]$ A V GRT ADVANTAGE4
,MY MA/] S5T ME =A =TNI<T 6A NEI<BOR+
  F>M]'S1
:O _H A M1D[ : 0 SKIRT$ ON "O SIDE 0!
  RAILWAY4
,"H 7 "S %EEP & C[S1 & ,I 0 TURN$ 9 AM;G
  !M4

  ,I % N"E =GET ! F/ TRA9 T RAN BY4 ,I 0
FE$+ QUIETLY NE> ! PALES : SEP>AT$ !
M1D[ F ! RAILWAY1 :5 ,I HE>D A /RANGE
S.D AT A 4T.E1 & 2F ,I KNEW :;E X CAME
-- )A RU% &A CLATT]1 &A PU6+ \ ( SMOKE
--A L;G BLACK TRA9 ( "S?+ FLEW BY1 & 0
G"O ALM 2F ,I CD DRAW MY BR1?4 ,I TURN$
& GALLOP$ 6! FUR!R SIDE (! M1D[ Z FA/ Z
,I CD G1 & "! ,I /OOD SNORT+ ) A/ONI%;T
& FE>4 ,9 ! C\RSE (! "D _M O!R TRA9S W5T
BY1 "S M SL[LY2 ^! DREW UP AT ! /,N
CLOSE BY1 & "S"TS MADE AN AW;L %RIEK &
GROAN 2F !Y /OPP$4 ,I ?"\ X V DR1D;L1 B
! C[S W5T ON EAT+ V QUIETLY1 & H>DLY
RAIS$ _! H1DS Z ! BLACK F"R;L ?+ CAME
             ,MY ,BR1K+ ,9
PU6+ & GR9D+ PA/4
  ,=! F/ FEW "DS ,I CD N FE$ 9 P1CE2 B Z
,I F.D T ? T]RI# CR1TURE N"E CAME 96!
FIELD1 OR DID ME ANY H>M1 ,I 2GAN
64REG>D X1 & V SOON ,I C>$ Z LL AB !
PASS+ (A TRA9 Z ! C[S & %EEP DID4
  ,S9CE !N ,I H SE5 _M HORSES M* AL>M$ &
RE/IVE AT ! SI<T OR S.D (A /1M 5G9E2 B
?ANKS 6MY GD MA/]'S C>E1 ,I AM Z FE>.S
AT RAILWAY /,NS Z 9 MY [N /A#4
  ,N[ IF ANY "O WANTS 6BR1K 9 A "Y HORSE
WELL1 T IS ! WAY4
  ,MY MA/] (T5 DROVE ME 9 D\# H>;S ) MY
"M1 2C %E 0 /1DY & CD T1* ME H[ 6G BETT]
?AN A /RANGE HORSE4 ,%E TOLD ME ! BETT]
,I 2HAV$ ! BETT] ,I %D 2 TR1T$1 & T X 0
WISE/ ALW 6D MY BE/ 6PL1SE MY MA/]2 8B10
SD %E1 8"! >E A GRT _M K9DS ( M52 "! >E
GD ?"\;L M5 L \R MA/]1 T ANY HORSE MAY 2
PR\D 6S]VE2 & "! >E BAD1 CRUEL M51 :O
N"E "\ 6H A HORSE OR DOG 6CALL _! [N4
,2SS1 "! >E A GRT _M FOOLI% M51 VA91
IGNORANT1 & C>E.S1 :O N"E TR\# !MVS
6?9K2 ^! SPOIL M HORSES ?AN ALL1 J =
             ,MY ,BR1K+ ,9
WANT ( S5SE2 !Y DON'T M1N X1 B !Y D X =
ALL T4 ,I HOPE Y W FALL 96GD H&S2 B A
HORSE N"E "KS :O MAY BUY HM1 OR :O MAY
DRIVE HM2 X IS ALL A *.E = U2 B / ,I
SAY1 D YR BE/ :]"E X IS1 & KEEP UP YR GD
"N40