Page:Lieutenant and Others (1915) by Sapper.djvu/176

 remember that point-to-point when you both came such a crumpler at that big stake and binder? Perhaps you remember, old horse, perhaps you do; for who shall say just where an animal’s knowledge begins and ends? There’s no good your looking round like that. You haven’t seen him this morning, have you?—and you know something’s wrong, but you don’t know what. How should you? You don’t understand, and I do, Heaven knows—which is worse. In time perhaps the sugar will taste just as good out of my hand as far as you’re concerned. I hope it will, because—well, you heard the question, too—“Will you take over his horse?”

Yes, I must take you over until someone else can take you from me, if you come through this show alive. You don’t know much about that someone, do you, old chap? Do you remember that day when you made such a fool of yourself because a side saddle had been put on you for the first time, and your master with a sack round his waist was sitting on your back all askew, as you thought.