10 A London cab horse

Jerry Barker was a small man,but well-made and quick in all his movements.He lived in London and was a cab driver.Jerry's wife,Polly,was a little woman with smooth dark hair and dark eyes.His son,Harry,was nearly twelve years old, and was a tall,good-tempered boy.His daughter,Dolly,was eight,and she looked just like her mother.

Jerry had his own cab and two horses,which he drove and groomed himself.His other horse was a tall,white animal called Captain.The next morning,Polly and Dolly came to see me.Harry had helped his father since early that morning and had already decided that I would be a good horse.Polly brought me a piece of apple and Dolly brought me some bread.

'We'll call him Jack,after the old one,'said Jerry.'Shall we,Polly?'

'Yes,'she said.'I like to keep a good name going.'

Captain went out in the cab all morning and I went out in the afternoon.Jerry took a lot of care to make sure that my col-lar and bridle were comfortable--and there was no bearing rein!

We went to the cab stand where the other cabs were waiting for passengers,and took our place at the back of the last cab.Several of the other drivers came to look at me.

'Too handsome,'saia one.'You'll find something wrong with him one morning.'

Then a man in a grey coat and grey hat came up.His name was Grant,and he looked a happy,sensible kind of man.He had been longer on the cab stand than any of the other men,so they let him through to have a look at me,and waited for his opinion.

He looked me all over very carefully,then said:

'He's the right kind for you,Jerry.I don't care what you paid for him,he'll be worth it.'

My first week as a cab horse was very hard.I was not used to London-the noise,the hurry,the crowds of horses,carts and carriages.But Jerry was a good driver and soon discovered that I was willing to work and do my best.He never used the whip on me,and we soon understood each other as well as a horse and man can do.Jerry kept his horses clean and gave us plenty of food and fresh water,and on Sundays we rested.

I never knew a better man than my new master.He was kind and good-tempered,like John Manly.Harry was clever at stable work and always wanted to do what he could.Polly and Dolly came in the morning to brush out the cab,and to wash the glass,while Jerry gave Captain and me a grooming.There was a lot of laughing and fun between them,which all helped to keep Captain and me happy. The family came early in the morning because Jerry did not like lateness.It always made him angry when people wanted him to drive hard because of their own lateness.

One day,two wild-looking young men called to him.

'Cabby!Hurry up,we're late for our train at Victoria.Get us there in time for the one o'clock train and we'll pay you double!'

'I will take you at the usual speed,gentlemen,'said Jerry.'Extra money doesn't pay for extra speed.'

Larry's cab was standing next to ours.He opened the door and said,'I'm your man,gentlemen!My horse will get you there all right.'And as he shut them in,with a smile at Jerry,he said,'He always refuses to go faster than a trot!'Then,whipping his horse hard,he went off as fast as he could.

Jerry patted me on the neck.'Extra money won't pay for that kind of thing,will it,Jack?'he said.

Although he was against hard driving to please careless peo-ple,he always went at a fair speed and was not against going faster if there was a good reason.

I remember one morning we were on the stand waiting for a passenger when a young man carrying a large suitcase went by.He stepped on a piece of apple which lay in the road,and fell down heavily.Jerry ran across the road and helped him up,then took him into a shop to sit him down.

Some time later,the young man,looking white and ill,came out again and called Jerry,so we went across the road.

'Can you take me to the South-Eastern Railway?'he said.'My fall has made me late,and it's very important that I don't miss the twelve o'clock train.I'll pay you extra if you can get me there in time.'

'We'll do our best,sir,'said Jerry,and helped him into the cab.

It was always difficult to drive fast in the city in the middle were used to it,and no one was faster at getting through the carriages and carts,all moving at different speeds,going this way and that way.In and out,in and out we went,as fast as a horse can do it.And we got to the station just as the big clock showed eight minutes to twelve.

'We're in time!'said the young man,happily.'Thank you,my friend,and your good horse,too.Take this extra money-'

'No,sir,said Jerry.'Thank you,but it isn't necessary.I'm glad we were in time-now hurry and catch your train.'

When we got back to the cab stand,the other men were laughing because Jerry had driven hard to the train.

'How much extra did he pay you,Jerry?'said one driver.

'Nothing,'said Jerry.'He offered me extra but I didn't take it.If Jack and I choose to have a quick run now and then,that's our business and not yours.'

'You'll never be a rich man then,'said Larry.

'Perhaps not,'said Jerry,'but I'll be a happy one!'

'And you,Larry,'added Mr Grant,'will die poor,because you spend too much money on new whips,beating your poor horse until it's exhausted-and then you have to buy another one.'

'well,I've never had good luck with my horses,'said Larry.

'And you never will,'said Mr Grant.'Good Luck is very careful who she travels with,and mostly chooses those who are kind and sensible.That's my experience,anyway.'

He turned round again to his newspaper,and the other men went back to their cabs.

* * *

Winter came early,with snow,rain or strong winds almost ev-ery day for weeks.Jerry sometimes went to a coffee-shop near the cab stand,and sometimes Dolly came with some hot soup that Polly had made for him.

One cold windy day,Dolly was waiting for Jerry to finish his soup when a gentleman came towards us.Jerry started to give the soup bowl back to Dolly and was just going to take off my warm cloth when the man said,'No,no,finish your soup,my friend.I can wait in the cab until you've finished.'Jerry thanked him,then came back to Dolly.

'That's a real gentleman'Dolly,'he said.'He has time and thought for the comfort of a poor cab driver.'

Jerry finished his soup,then we took the man to Clapham.After that,he took our cab several times,and often came to pat me.It was very unusual for anyone to notice a cab horse,and I was grateful.

Another day,the gentleman saw a cart with two horses standing in the street.The driver was not with them and I don't know how long they had been standing there.However,they decided to move on a few steps.

Suddenly,the cart driver ran out of a building and caught them.He seemed very angry and began to whip the horses hard,even beating them around the head.

Our gentleman saw him and walked quickly across.'Stop that at once,or I'll call the police!'he said.

The driver was drunk and he began to shout,but he stopped whipping the horses.Meanwhile,our gentleman wrote down the name and address that was on the side of the cart.

'Why do you want that?'shouted the driver.

Our gentleman didn't answer.He came back to the cab.'Many people have thanked me fof telling them how their horses have been used,'he told Jerry.

'I wish there were more gentlemen like you,sir,said Jerry.'They're needed in this city.'