Chapter 2.
A Fair Start In early May, a man took me to my new home at Squire Gordon's.
The barn I was taken to was very roomy.
I was placed in the first box, since the other three stalls were smaller.
It was called a loose box because the horse that was put into it was not tied up.
The man gave me some nice oats, patted me, spoke kindly, and went away.
I looked in the stall next to mine where a little fat gray pony stood and said, "'How do you do?
What's your name?'
He turned around as far as his rope would allow and said, "'My name is Marylegs.
Are you going to live next door to me?'
"'Yes,' I said.'
Well then, he said, I hope you have a good temper.
I do not like anyone next door who bites.
Just then, a tall chestnut mare, a beautiful brown horse, spoke to me.
So, you're the colt that's made me leave my home.
I'm sorry, I said, but I had nothing to do with that.
A man brought me here.
I've never had a fight before, and I don't want to start one now.
Well, she said, we shall see.
I said nothing back to her.
In the afternoon, the mare went out and Mary Legs told me all about her.
Ginger has a bad habit of biting.
One day she bit James in the arm.
Miss Flora and Miss Jessie, the ones who ride me and love me so much, used to bring me apples and carrots.
Now I hope they will come again if you don't bite.
I told Merrylegs I never bit, and I couldn't think of why Ginger would do such a thing.
Well, She says she bites because no one was ever kind to her, but the men here treat her well.
She might be fine now.
Mary Legs continued.
'I am twelve years old and I can tell you that there is not a better place for a horse than right here.
John has been here fourteen years and is the best trainer around, and you'll never see a kinder boy than James.
So don't worry.
It's all Jenter's fault that she did not stay in that box.'
In the cottage near the stables lived John Manley, our coachman.
My first morning there, the squire saw me and told John to take me for a run.
At first, John rode me slowly, then at a trot, and then at a fine gallop.
When we met up with the squire and his wife, our master asked, "'Well, John, how does he go?'
He's quick as a deer with the lightest touch of the reins he goes.
We went near where they were shooting rabbits.
At the sound of guns, he was steady.
It's my guess that he was not frightened or hit when he was young.
The next day, the squire took me for a run.
When we returned, he said he never met a more pleasant animal.
"'What shall we call him?' he asked his wife.
I don't know, she said.
He is really quite a beauty and he has such a sweet face and fine, intelligent eyes.
How do you like the name Black Beauty?
I think that's a wonderful name, the squire said.
John took me back to the stable, telling James of my new name.
If I had my choice, James said, I would have called him Rob Roy.
I have never seen two horses so much alike.
That's no wonder, John said.
Didn't you know that Farmer Gray's old duchess was the mother of both of them?
I had never heard that before.
I now knew that Rob Roy, the horse that was killed at that hunt, was my brother.
No wonder my mother was so upset.
A few days after this, I went out with Ginger in the carriage.
I was happy to learn that she worked hard at her job.
She did her fair share, making our trips very enjoyable.
Merrylegs and I soon became great friends.
He was such a cheerful, good-tempered pony.
Miss Jessie and Miss Flora would ride him in the orchard and play games.
Our master had two other horses.
Justice was used mainly for riding.
The other horse was named Sir Oliver, and he was the master's favorite.
We chatted occasionally, but I never got to know these horses as well as I did Ginger.
