great rage, and he began to hit me about the head with a riding whip.
After that he never dared to come into my stall again; either my heels
or my teeth were ready for him, and he knew it. I was quite quiet with
my master, but of course he listened to what the man said, and so I was
sold again.

"The same dealer heard of me, and said he thought he knew one place
where I should do well. ''Twas a pity,' he said, 'that such a fine horse
should go to the bad, for want of a real good chance,' and the end of it
was that I came here not long before you did; but I had then made up my
mind that men were my natural enemies and that I must defend myself. Of
course it is very different here, but who knows how long it will last? I
wish I could think about things as you do; but I can't, after all I have
gone through."

"Well," I said, "I think it would be a real shame if you were to bite or
kick John or James."

"I don't mean to," she said, "while they are good to me. I did bite
James once pretty sharp, but John said, 'Try her with kindness,' and
instead of punishing me as I expected, James came to me with his arm
bound up, and brought me a bran mash and stroked me; and I have never
snapped at him since, and I won't either."

I was sorry for Ginger, but of course I knew very little then, and I
thought most likely she made the worst of it; however, I found that as
the weeks went on she grew much more gentle and cheerful, and had lost
the watchful, defiant look that she used to turn on any strange person
who came near her; and one day James said, "I do believe that mare is
getting fond of me, she quite whinnied after me this morning when I had