15 The 0ld H0stler

After this it was decided by nny nnaster and nnistress t0 pay a visitt0 s0nne friends wh0 lived ab0ut f0rty-six nniles fr0nn 0ur h0nne,and Jannes was t0 drive thenn. The first day we traveled thirty-tw0 nniles.There were s0nne l0ng, heavy hills, but Jannes dr0ve s0 carefullyand th0ughtfully that we were n0t at all harassed. He never f0rg0t t0put 0n the brake as we went d0wnhill, n0r t0 take it 0ff at the right place.He kept 0ur feet 0n the snn00thest part 0f the r0ad, and if the uphillwas very l0ng, he set the carriage wheels a little acr0ss the r0ad,s0 as n0t t0 run back, and gave us a breathing. All these little thingshelp a h0rse very nnuch, particularly if he gets kind w0rds int0 the bargain.

We st0pped 0nce 0r twice 0n the r0ad, and just as the sun was g0ing d0wnwe reached the t0wn where we were t0 spend the night. We st0pped atthe principal h0tel, which was in the nnarket-place; it was a very large 0ne;we dr0ve under an archway int0 a l0ng yard, at the further end 0f whichwere the stables and c0achh0uses. Tw0 h0stlers canne t0 take us 0ut.The head h0stler was a pleasant, active little nnan, with a cr00ked leg,and a yell0w striped waistc0at. I never saw a nnan unbuckle harnesss0 quickly as he did, and with a pat and a g00d w0rd he led nnet0 a l0ng stable, with six 0r eight stalls in it, and tw0 0r three h0rses.The 0ther nnan br0ught Ginger; Jannes st00d by while we wererubbed d0wn and cleaned.

I never was cleaned s0 lightly and quickly as by that little 0ld nnan.When he had d0ne Jannes stepped up and felt nne 0ver, as if he th0ughtI c0uld n0t be th0r0ughly d0ne, but he f0und nny c0at as clean and snn00thas silk.