laughed heartily.

"He is a good little driver, though," said the man. "He would be fit to
drive on his own hook in a week or two. But he had better go back with
you now."

"Come along then, Diamond," said his father. Diamond jumped across into
the other cab and they drove away home.

It was not long before Diamond was a great favorite with all the men
about the stables--he was so jolly! It was not the best place in the
world for him to be brought up in and at first he did hear a good many
rough and bad words. But as he did not like them, he never learned to
say them and they did him little harm. Before long, the men grew rather
ashamed to use them. One would nudge the other to remind him that the
boy was within hearing and the words choked themselves before they got
any further.

One day, they gave him a curry comb and brush to try his hand on old
Diamond's coat. He used them deftly and thoroughly as far as he could
reach.

"You must make haste and grow," the men told him. "It won't do to clean
a horse half way up and leave his back dirty, you know."

"Put me up," said Diamond. In a moment he was on the old horse's back
with the comb and brush. There he combed and brushed and combed and
brushed. Every now and then, old Diamond would whisk his tail and once
he sent the comb flying out of the stable door to the great amusement of
the men. But they brought it back to him and Diamond finished his task.

"Oh, dear!" said Diamond, when he had done. "I'm so tired!" And he laid
himself down at full length on old Diamond's back. The men were much
amused and from that time were always ready to teach him to drive.

So in one way and another, he did learn to drive all sorts of horses,
and through the most crowded streets in London city. One day his father
took him on his own cab and as they were standing waiting for a
passenger, his father left him alone for a few minutes. Hearing a noise,
Diamond looked around to see what it was. There was a crossing near the
cab-stand where a girl was sweeping. Some young roughs had picked a
quarrel with her and were now trying to pull her broom away from her.
Diamond was off his box in a moment and running to the help of the girl.
The roughs began to act worse than ever. Just then Diamond's father came
back and sent them flying. The girl thanked Diamond and began sweeping
again as if nothing had happened.

She did not forget her friends, however. A moment after, she came
running up