As Smith's death had been so sudden, and no one was there to see it,
there was an inquest held. The landlord and hostler at the White Lion,
with several other people, gave evidence that he was intoxicated when he
started from the inn. The keeper of the toll-gate said he rode at a hard
gallop through the gate; and my shoe was picked up among the stones, so
that the case was quite plain to them, and I was cleared of all blame.
Everybody pitied Susan. She was nearly out of her mind; she kept saying
over and over again, Oh! he was so good--so good! It was all that
cursed drink; why will they sell that cursed drink? Oh Reuben, Reuben!
So she went on till after he was buried; and then, as she had no home or
relations, she, with her six little children, was obliged once more to
leave the pleasant home by the tall oak-trees, and go into that great
gloomy Union House.
27 Ruined and Going Downhill
As soon as my knees were sufficiently healed I was turned into a small
meadow for a month or two; no other creature was there; and though I
enjoyed the liberty and the sweet grass, yet I had been so long used to
society that I felt very lonely. Ginger and I had become fast friends,
and now I missed her company extremely. I often neighed when I heard
horses' feet passing in the road, but I seldom got an answer; till one
morning the gate was opened, and who should come in but dear old Ginger.
The man slipped off her halter, and left her there. With a joyful whinny
I trotted up to her; we were both glad to meet, but I soon found that it
was not for our pleasure that she was brought to be with me. Her story
would be too long to tell, but the end of it was that she had been
ruined by hard riding, and was now turned off to see what rest would do.
Lord George was young and would take no warning; he was a hard rider,
and would hunt whenever he could get the chance, quite careless of his
horse. Soon after I left the stable there was a steeplechase, and he
determined to ride. Though the groom told him she was a little strained,
and was not fit for the race, he did not believe it, and on the day of
the race urged Ginger to keep up with the foremost riders. With her high
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