Black Beauty Page #6

---

Did you hear that, lads?

Well, he's a regular dandy.

A bit like meself.

Why shouldn't you be?

Don't worry.

No worry, old Black, old Jack, old boy.

It's all right.

Jerry's hands.

The quiet of them...

...gave me confidence.

We spent our days

at one cab stand or another...

...collecting passengers.

It was a hard life.

The streets are hard on a horse's feet.

The cab is hard on a horse's back.

But I was lucky.

I had Jerry. We were in it together.

- Morning.

- Morning, Dinah.

Cabby!

There you go, Jerry.

Cabby!

- You all right, dear?

- Yes, I'm all right.

Let's get these up quickly.

You'll get run over.

Look sharp!

Put on the steam and get us to Victoria

by 10:
00.

We'll take you, but at the regular pace.

It'll mean a shilling extra.

At the regular pace.

I'm your man. I'll get you there in time.

It's against his conscience to work

his horse into a sweat, but not mine.

Make way.

Coming through!

Get up. Get up!

Easy, easy, peasy, little gee-gee.

You all right, Dinah?

I'm still in one piece, Jerry.

Bonkers, all of them.

Coming through!

Dinah Brown's mother...

...she's in a bad way.

Poor Dinah.

She can't even go to her.

The place is in the country...

...and there are no trains on Sunday.

The horse is tired, Polly. I'm tired.

It's our one day of rest.

But oughtn't we treat folks...

...the way we like to be treated?

You're giving me my Sunday sermon

early today.

I know if my mother was dying...

A lighter cart would make

a wonderful difference to the horse.

Look!

Here comes butcher Dawes now

to lend you his light trap.

You're a clever woman.

All right.

Fix me some bread and cheese

and I'll get ready.

Feel free to tie your horse with the cows.

The meadow belongs to us,

not to the estate.

I'd rather set him loose. It'd be a real treat

for him to have a turnout.

Kind to me, kind to the horse...

Run inside and see your mother.

You're a tough one, Jerry.

How can a person ever repay you?

Here we go.

Here we go.

Grass!

Not a cobblestone in sight.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

Now, where's that biscuit?

Running made me very happy.

Why shouldn't Jerry be happy too?

I want that!

Give it to me!

Give it here!

Right.

Thanks.

The visit to the country refreshed me.

But I found I couldn't stop thinking of her.

Then as if by magic...

...there she was.

My beautiful Ginger.

Oh, God, she was skin and bones.

What had they done to her?

She was almost too weak

to know who I was.

It's me, Ginger.

It's me.

The brightness was gone

from her beautiful eyes.

Her face, once so full of spirit,

was now full of suffering.

I tried to comfort her.

I wanted her to know she wasn't alone.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes