ardly
making a sound on the soft road. For a good while neither master nor
John spoke, and then master began in a serious voice. I could not
understand much of what they said, but I found they thought, if I had
gone on as the master wanted me, most likely the bridge would have given
way under us, and horse, chaise, master, and man would have fallen into
the river; and as the current was flowing very strongly, and there was
no light and no help at hand, it was more than likely we should all have
been drowned. Master said, God had given men reason, by which they could
find out things for themselves; but he had given animals knowledge which
did not depend on reason, and which was much more prompt and perfect in
its way, and by which they had often saved the lives of men. John had
many stories to tell of dogs and horses, and the wonderful things they
had done; he thought people did not value their animals half enough nor
make friends of them as they ought to do. I am sure he makes friends of
them if ever a man did.

At last we came to the park gates and found the gardener looking out for
us. He said that mistress had been in a dreadful way ever since dark,
fearing some accident had happened, and that she had sent James off on
Justice, the roan cob, toward the wooden bridge to make inquiry after
us.

We saw a light at the hall-door and at the upper windows, and as we came
up mistress ran out, saying, "Are you really safe, my dear? Oh! I
have been so anxious, fancying all sorts of things. Have you had no
accident?"

"No, my dear; but if your Black Beauty had not been wiser than we were
we should all have been carried down the river at the wooden bridge."
I heard no more, as they went into the house, and John took me to the
stable. Oh, what a good supper he gave me that night, a good bran mash
and some crushed beans with my oats, and such a thick bed of straw! and
I was glad of it, for I was tired.

13 The Devil's Trade Mark

One day when John and I had been out on some business of our master's,
and were returning gently on a long, straight road, at some distance we
saw a boy trying to leap a pony over a gate; the pony would not take the
leap, and the boy cut him with the whip, but he only turned off on one
side. He whipped him again, but the pony turned off on the other side.
Then the boy got off and gave him a hard thrashing, and knocked him
about the head; then he got up again and tried to make him leap the
g