Beauty," he said one day, "my good horse, you saved your mistress' life,
Beauty; yes, you saved her life." I was very glad to hear that, for it
seems the doctor had said if we had been a little longer it would have
been too late. John told my master he never saw a horse go so fast in
his life. It seems as if the horse knew what was the matter. Of course I
did, though John thought not; at least I knew as much as this--that John
and I must go at the top of our speed, and that it was for the sake of
the mistress.




CHAPTER VIII


THE PARTING

I had lived in this happy place three years, but sad changes were about
to come over us. We heard that our mistress was ill. The doctor was
often at the house, and the master looked grave and anxious. Then we
heard that she must go to a warm country for two or three years. The
news fell upon the household like the tolling of a death-bell. Everybody
was sorry. The master arranged for breaking up his establishment and
leaving England. We used to hear it talked about in our stable; indeed,
nothing else was talked about. John went about his work silent and sad,
and Joe scarcely whistled. There was a great deal of coming and going;
Ginger and I had full work.

The first of the party who went were Miss Jessie and Flora with their
governess. They came to bid us good-bye. They hugged poor Merrylegs