[00:00.67] Chapter 4.
[00:03.01] The fire.
[00:06.02] One cold day in December, the squire came to our stable with good news for James.
[00:14.42] The squire's brother-in-law needed a new coachman.
[00:19.63] He wanted a young lad that he could train up, and James was asked if he would like the job.
[00:28.34] I don't want to lose you, James, said the squire.
[00:34.66] But you're a good man, and you deserve this chance.
[00:44.24] James started his training at Bertwick Park.
[00:49.85] When the squire and his wife next visited friends, James had to drive them.
[00:55.95] It was a long journey with an overnight stop, and Ginger and I pulled the carriage.
[01:04.91] James drove us well, and on the first day we went 32 miles.
[01:13.79] That night we stopped in a large hotel in the marketplace of a town.
[01:20.95] After the squire and his wife had got out, Ginger and I pulled the carriage under an archway and into the long yard with stables and coach houses.
[01:32.69] Two ostlers came to help James.
[01:37.44] The head ostler took off my harness and rubbed the sweat from my coat.
[01:45.64] James waited with us until we were bedded down in a clean stable with a good corn feed.
[01:56.84] Later in the evening, the assistant ostler brought another horse into the stables.
[02:04.98] While he was grooming it, a man came to talk to him.
[02:10.38] I didn't like the man much, and the ostler said,
[02:16.85] Do me a favor, towler.
[02:20.61] Stop smoking that pipe and get me some hay from the hayloft.
[02:28.89] Dick Towler climbed up into the hayloft and brought down some hay.
[02:35.79] When the ostler had finished his work, the two men left the stables, and I finally fell asleep.
[02:47.16] In the middle of the night, something woke me.
[02:52.08] The air was thick and choking, and it stung my eyes.
[02:59.02] I could hardly breathe, and I could hear Ginger coughing.
[03:06.29] The trap door to the hayloft was open, and something strange was happening up there.
[03:17.44] There was a soft rushing noise and lots of crackles and snaps.
[03:25.64] By now the air was thick with smoke.
[03:29.89] It was very frightening, and I knew there was danger.
[03:36.85] Suddenly, the stable door burst open, and an ostler ran in carrying a lantern.
[03:45.80] He untied a horse and went to lead it out of the stable, but the horse was too scared to move.
[03:57.42] The ostler tried another horse, and when that horse wouldn't budge, he came to me.
[04:05.91] I wouldn't follow him either.
[04:09.65] Danger was all around me, but I was too terrified to move a step.
[04:20.09] Fresh air came rushing through the open stable door, and I breathed it thankfully.
[04:29.15] But with the air, the rushing sound grew fiercer.
[04:35.30] Through the bars of my empty hay rack, I saw a red light flickering on the wall.
[04:42.67] Fire!
[04:45.59] The cry came from outside, and now flames were licking around the trap door.
[04:52.99] I snorted and kicked the door, and just when I was really starting to panic, I heard a voice I knew.
[05:05.08] Steady, Beauty, easy does it.
[05:10.88] It was James, and his gentle voice was music to my ears.
[05:18.16] Calmly he patted me.
[05:22.11] Then he put on my bridle, and taking a scarf from around his neck, he tied it lightly over my eyes.
[05:33.00] Come on, boy, he said softly.
[05:39.96] I've never been so scared in my life, but I trusted James, and the scarf over my eyes stopped me from panicking because I couldn't see anything.
[05:55.54] Slowly I followed James out into the yard.
[06:01.10] He handed me to someone else, then darted back into the stable.
[06:09.28] James!
[06:12.68] I winied as he disappeared.
[06:18.33] James didn't turn back, but my shrill cry saved Ginger's life.
[06:26.10] After the fire was over, she told me that it was only hearing me outside that had given her the courage to follow James.
[06:39.10] The yard was noisy, and people were running around shouting to make themselves heard over the top of the roaring flames.
[06:52.08] Then, from inside the stable, came an awful crash.
[07:00.77] Where were James and Ginger?
[07:05.84] Seconds later they appeared from the burning building.
[07:12.31] Poor Ginger was coughing so badly she couldn't speak.
[07:20.26] The squire pushed his way through the crowd.
[07:25.51] James, my brave lad, he said, are you all right?
[07:34.07] James shook his head.
[07:37.13] He couldn't speak either.
[07:41.97] By now the fire was blazing through the stable roof.
[07:50.24] Stand back.
[07:52.98] Stand back for the fire engine.
[08:00.21] Two horses clattered into the yard, pulling a heavy engine.
[08:09.03] Several firemen leaped to the ground and pulled out a long hose.
[08:18.17] Come along, said the squire.
[08:22.19] Let's get these horses out of the way.
[08:27.14] The squire and James led Ginger and me out of the yard and into the marketplace.
[08:35.56] It was quiet there.
[08:38.59] Stars twinkled in the black night sky, and the air was crisp and cold.
[08:47.90] Take the horses to that hotel over there, said the squire, pointing to a large building.
[08:58.06] Order them anything you want.
[09:02.68] I have to go back to my wife now.
[09:10.25] The squire hurried away at the fastest walk I've ever seen.
[09:18.66] Then a terrible shrieking started.
[09:25.02] It sounded like a horse was in dreadful pain.
[09:32.35] The noise was so awful that Ginger and I stopped dead, but there was nothing we could do to help.
[09:44.34] The next morning the squire visited us.
[09:51.17] My wife is too upset to travel, he told James.
[10:00.12] We will continue with our journey tomorrow.
[10:07.93] James was a hero, and the squire was very pleased with him.
[10:15.87] But Dick Towler, the ostler's friend, was in deep trouble.
[10:25.69] The fire had started because he'd accidentally left his pipe in the hayloft.
[10:34.33] Ginger and I had had a lucky escape.
[10:39.11] Two horses had died in that burning stable.