I shall never forget the first train that ran by.  I was feeding quietly near the pales which separated the meadow from the railway, when I heard a strange sound at a distance, and before I knew whence it came—­with a rush and a clatter, and a puffing out of smoke—­a long black train of something flew by, and was gone almost before I could draw my breath.  I galloped to the further side of the meadow, and there I stood snorting with astonishment and fear.  In the course of the day many other trains went by, some more slowly; these drew up at the station close by, and sometimes made an awful shriek and groan before they stopped.  I thought it very dreadful, but the cows went on eating very quietly, and hardly raised their heads as the black, frightful thing came puffing and grinding past.  For the first few days I could not feed in peace; but as I found that this terrible creature never came into the field, or did me any harm, I began to disregard it, and very soon I cared as little about the passing of a train as the cows and sheep did.

Since then I have seen many horses much alarmed and restive at the sight or sound of a steam engine; but, thanks to my good master’s care, I am as fearless at railway stations as in my own stable.  Now if any one wants to break in a young horse well, that is the way.

My master often drove me in double harness, with my mother, because she was steady and could teach me how to go better than a strange horse.  She told me the better I behaved the better I should be treated, and that it was wisest always to do my best to please my master.  “I hope you will fall into good hands, but a horse never knows who may buy him, or who may drive him; it is all a chance for us; but still I say, do your best wherever it is, and keep up your good name.”

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CHAPTER IV

BIRTWICK PARK

It was early in May, when there came a man from Gordon’s, who took me away to the Hall.  My master said, “Good-bye, Darkie; be a good horse and always do your best.”  I could not say “good-bye,” so I put my nose in his hand; he patted me kindly, and I left my first home.  I will describe the stable into which I was taken; this was very roomy, with four good stalls; a large swinging window opened into the yard, making it pleasant and airy.

The first stall was a large square one, shut in behind with a wooden gate; the others were common stalls, good stalls, but not nearly so large.  It had a low rack for hay and a low manger for corn; it was called a box stall, because the horse that was put into it was not tied up, but left loose, to do as he liked.  It is a great thing to have a box stall.

Into this fine box the groom put me; it was clean, sweet, and airy.  I never was in a better box than that, and the sides were not so high but that I could see all that went on through the iron rails that were at the top.