"It seems a deal," I said. "I could walk it in much less time."
"Well, yes, Master Grant," said Ike, rubbing his nose; "it do seem a
deal, five hours--two mile an hour; but a horse is a boss, and you can't
make nothing else out of him till he's dead. I've been to market with
him hunderds upon hunderds of times, and he says it's five hours' work,
and he takes five hours to do it in; no more, and no less. P'r'a'ps I
might get him up sooner if I used the whip; but how would you like any
one to use a whip on you when you was picking apples or counting baskets
of strawbys into a wan?"
"Not at all," I said, laughing.
"Well, then, what call is there to use it on a boss? He knows what he
can do, and he doos it."
"Has Mr Brownsmith had him long?"
"Has Old Brownsmith had him long?" he said correctively. "Oh, yes!
ages. I don't know how long. He had him and he was a old boss when I
come, and that's years ago. He's done nothing but go uppards and
down'ards all his life, and he must know how long it takes by now,
mustn't he?"
"Yes, I suppose so," I said.
"Of course he do, my lad. He knows just where his orf forefoot ought to
be at one o'clock, and his near hind-foot at two. Why, he goes like
clockwork. I just winds him up once with a bit o' corn and a drink o'
water, starts him, and there's his old legs go tick-tack, tick-tack, and
his head swinging like a pendulow. Use 'is secon' natur', and all I've
got to do is to tie up the reins to the fore ladder and go to sleep if I
like, for he knows his way as well as a Christian. 'Leven o'clock I
starts; four o'clock he gets to the market; and if it wasn't for
thieves, and some one to look after the baskets, that old hoss could go
and do the marketing all hisself."
It was all wonderfully fresh and enjoyable to me, that ride along the
quiet country road, with another market cart jolting on about a hundred
yards ahead, and another one as far behind, while no doubt there were
plenty more, but they did not get any closer together, and no one seemed
to hurry or trouble in the least.
We trudged on together for some distance, and then Ike made a couple of
seats for us under the ladder by folding up sacks, on one of which I
sat, on the other he. Very uncomfortable seats I should call them now;
most enjoyable I thought them then, and with no other drawback than a
switch now and then from the horse's long tail, an attention perfectly
unnecessary, for at that time of night there were no flies.