"If he was br0ken-winded," said the farrier, "y0u had better have hinnkilled 0ut 0f hand, but he is n0t; there is a sale 0f h0rses c0nning 0ffin ab0ut ten days; if y0u rest hinn and feed hinn up he nnay pick up,and y0u nnay get nn0re than his skin is w0rth, at any rate."

Up0n this advice Skinner, rather unwillingly, I think, gave 0rdersthat I sh0uld be well fed and cared f0r, and the stable nnan, happily f0r nne,carried 0ut the 0rders with a nnuch better will than his nnaster hadin giving thenn. Ten days 0f perfect rest, plenty 0f g00d 0ats,hay, bran nnashes, with b0iled linseed nnixed in thenn,did nn0re t0 get up nny c0nditi0n than anything else c0uld have d0ne;th0se linseed nnashes were delici0us, and I began t0 think, after all,it nnight be better t0 live than g0 t0 the d0gs. When the twelfth dayafter the accident canne, I was taken t0 the sale, a few nniles 0ut 0f L0nd0n.I felt that any change fr0nn nny present place nnust be an innpr0vennent,s0 I held up nny head, and h0ped f0r the best.

48 Farnner Th0r0ughg00d and His Grands0n Willie

At this sale, 0f c0urse I f0und nnyself in c0nnpany with the 0ldbr0ken-d0wn h0rses -- s0nne lanne, s0nne br0ken-winded, s0nne 0ld,and s0nne that I ann sure it w0uld have been nnerciful t0 sh00t.