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  ,! "N (! COA*MAN 0 ,JOHN ,MANLY2 HE _H
A WIFE & "O LL *1 & !Y LIV$ 9 !
COA*MAN'S COTTAGE1 V NE> ! /A#S4
  ,! NEXT MORN+ HE TOOK ME 96! Y>D &
GAVE ME A GD GROOM+1 & J Z ,I 0 GO+ 96MY
BOX1 ) MY COAT S(T & B"R1 ! SQUIRE CAME
9 6LOOK AT ME1 & SEEM$ PL1S$4 8,JOHN10
HE SD1 8,I M1NT 6H TRI$ ! NEW HORSE ?
MORN+1 B ,I H O!R BUSI;S4 ,Y MAY Z WELL
TAKE HM >.D AF BR1KFA/2 G 0! -MON &!
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W %[ 8 PACES40
  8,I W1 SIR10 SD ,JOHN4 ,AF BR1KFA/ HE
CAME & FITT$ ME )A BRIDLE4 ,HE 0 V
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MY H1D -=TABLY2 !N HE BR"\ A SA4LE1 B X
0 N BROAD 5 = MY BACK2 HE SAW X 9 A
M9UTE & W5T = ANO!R1 : FITT$ NICELY4 ,HE
RODE ME F/ SL[LY1 !N A TROT1 !N A CANT]1
& :5 WE 7 ON ! -MON HE GAVE ME A LI<T
T\* ) 8 :IP1 & WE _H A SPL5DID GALLOP4


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8,HO1 HO6 MY BOY10 HE SD1 Z HE PULL$ ME
  UP1 8Y WD L
6FOLL[ ! H.DS1 ,I ?9K40

  ,Z WE CAME BACK "? ! P>K WE MET !
,SQUIRE & ,MRS4 ,GORDON WALK+2 !Y /OPP$1
& ,JOHN JUMP$ (F4
  8,WELL1 ,JOHN1 H[ DOES HE G80
  8,F/-RATE1 SIR10 ANSW]$ ,JOHN2 8HE IS
Z FLEET Z A DE]1 & HAS A F9E _S TOO2 B !
LI<TE/ T\* (! RE9 W GUIDE HM4 ,D[N AT !
5D (! -MON WE MET "O ( ^? TRAVEL+ C>TS
HUNG ALL OV] ) BASKETS1 RUGS1 & S* L2 Y
"K1 SIR1 _M HORSES W N PASS ^? C>TS
QUIETLY2 HE J TOOK A GD LOOK AT X1 & !N
W5T ON Z QUIET & PL1SANT Z CD BE4 ,!Y 7
%OOT+ RA2ITS NE> ! ,HI<WOOD1 &A GUN W5T
(F CLOSE BY2 HE PULL$ UP A LL & LOOK$1 B
DID N /IR A /EP 6"R OR LEFT4 ,I J HELD !
RE9 /1DY & DID N HURRY HM1 & X'S MY
OP9ION HE HAS N BE5 F"R5$ OR ILL-US$
:ILE HE 0 "Y40
  8,T'S WELL10 SD ! SQUIRE1 8,I W TRY HM
MYF TM40
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  ,! NEXT "D ,I 0 BR"\ UP = MY MA/]4 ,I
REMEMB]$ MY "M'S C\NSEL & MY GD OLD
MA/]'S1 & ,I TRI$ 6D EXACTLY :AT HE
WANT$ ME 6D4 ,I F.D HE 0 A V GD RID]1 &
?"\;L = 8 HORSE TOO4 ,:5 HE CAME HOME !
LADY 0 AT ! HALL DOOR Z HE RODE UP4
  8,WELL1 MY DE>10 %E SD1 8H[ D Y L HM80

8,HE IS EXACTLY :AT ,JOHN SD10 HE
  REPLI$2 8A PL1SANT] CR1TURE
,I N"E WI% 6M.T4 ,:AT % WE CALL HM80

  8,WD Y L ,EBONY80 SD %E2 8HE IS Z
BLACK Z EBONY40
  8,NO1 N ,EBONY40
  8,W Y CALL HM ,BLACKBIRD1 L YR UNCLE'S
OLD HORSE80
  8,NO1 HE IS F> H&"SR ?AN OLD
,BLACKBIRD "E WAS40
  8,YES10 %E SD1 8HE IS RE,Y Q A B1UTY1
& HE HAS S* A SWEET1 GD-TEMP]$ FACE1 &
S* A F9E1 9TELLIG5T EYE -- :AT D Y SAY
6CALL+ HM ,BLACK ,B1UTY80

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8,BLACK ,B1UTY -- :Y1 YES1 ,I ?9K T IS A
  V GD "N4
,IF Y L X % 2 8 "N20 & S X WAS4

  ,:5 ,JOHN W5T 96! /A# HE TOLD ,JAMES T
MA/] & MI/RESS _H *OS5 A GD1 S5SI#
,5GLI% "N = ME1 T M1NT "S?+2 N L ,M>5GO1
OR ,PEGASUS1 OR ,ABDALLAH4 ,!Y BO?
LAU<$1 & ,JAMES SD1 8,IF X 0 N = BR++
BACK ! PA/1 ,I %D H "ND HM ,ROB ,ROY1 =
,I N"E SAW TWO HORSES M ALIKE40

8,T'S NO WOND]10 SD ,JOHN2 8DIDN'T Y "K
  T ,F>M] ,GREY'S
OLD ,DU*ESS 0 ! "M ( !M BO?80

  ,I _H N"E HE>D T 2F2 & S POOR ,ROB
,ROY :O 0 KILL$ AT T HUNT 0 MY BRO!R6 ,I
DID N WOND] T MY "M 0 S TR\#D4 ,X SEEMS
T HORSES H NO REL,NS2 AT L1/ !Y N"E "K
EA* O!R AF !Y >E SOLD4
  ,JOHN SEEM$ V PR\D ( ME2 HE US$ 6MAKE
MY MANE & TAIL ALM Z SMOO? Z A LADY'S
HAIR1 & HE WD TALK 6ME A GRT D1L2 (
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C\RSE ,I DID N "U/& ALL HE SD1 B ,I
LE>N$ M & M 6"K :AT HE M1NT1 & :AT HE
WANT$ ME 6D4 ,I GREW V FOND ( HM1 HE 0 S
G5TLE & K9D2 HE SEEM$ 6"K J H[ A HORSE
FEELS1 & :5 HE CL1N$ ME HE KNEW ! T5D]
PLACES &! TICKLI% PLACES2 :5 HE BRU%$ MY
H1D HE W5T Z C>E;LLY OV] MY EYES Z IF !Y
7 8 [N1 & N"E /IRR$ UP ANY ILL-TEMP]4
  ,JAMES ,H[>D1 ! /A# BOY1 0 J Z G5TLE &
PL1SANT 9 8 WAY1 S ,I ?"\ MYF WELL (F4
,"! 0 ANO!R MAN :O HELP$ 9 ! Y>D1 B HE
_H V LL 6D ) ,G+] & ME4
  ,A FEW "DS AF ? ,I _H 6G \ ) ,G+] 9 !
C>RIAGE4 ,I WOND]$ H[ WE %D GET ON TGR2
B EXCEPT LAY+ H] E>S BACK :5 ,I 0 L$ UP
6H]1 %E 2HAV$ V WELL4 ,%E DID H] "W
H"O/LY1
& DID H] FULL %>E1 & ,I N"E WI% 6H A
BETT] "PN] 9 D\# H>;S4 ,:5 WE CAME 6A
HILL1 9/1D ( SLACK5+ H] PACE1 %E WD ?R[
H] WEI<T "R 96! COLL>1 & PULL AWAY
/RAI<T UP4 ,WE _H BO? ! SAME SORT (
C\RAGE AT \R "W1 & ,JOHN _H (T5] 6HOLD U
9 ?AN 6URGE U =W>D2 HE N"E _H 6USE ! :IP
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) EI ( U2 !N \R PACES 7 M* ! SAME1 & ,I
F.D X V EASY 6KEEP /EP ) H] :5 TROTT+1 :
MADE X PL1SANT1 & MA/] ALW LIK$ X :5 WE
KEPT /EP WELL1 & S DID ,JOHN4 ,AF WE _H
BE5 \ TWO OR ?REE "TS TGR WE GREW Q FRLY
& SOCIA#1 : MADE ME FEEL V M* AT HOME4
  ,Z = ,M]RYLEGS1 HE & ,I SOON 2CAME GRT
FRS2 HE 0 S* A *E];L1 PLUCKY1 GD-TEMP]$
LL FELL[ T HE 0 A FAVORITE ) E "O1 &
ESPECI,Y ) ,MISS ,JESSIE & ,FLORA1 :O
US$ 6RIDE HM AB 9 ! OR*>D1 & H F9E GAMES
) HM & _! LL DOG ,FRISKY4
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ANO!R /A#4 ,"O 0 ,JU/ICE1 A ROAN COB1
US$ = RID+ OR =! LU7AGE C>T2 ! O!R 0 AN
OLD BR[N HUNT]1 "ND ,SIR ,OLIV]2 HE 0
PA/ "W N[1 B 0 A GRT FAVORITE )! MA/]1
:O GAVE HM ! RUN (! P>K2 HE "S"TS DID A
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"Y LADIES :5 !Y RODE \ ) _! "F1 = HE 0 V
G5TLE & CD 2 TRU/$ )A * Z WELL Z
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GD-TEMP]$ HORSE1 & WE "S"TS _H A LL *AT
9 ! PA4OCK1 B ( C\RSE ,I CD N 2 S
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9TIMATE ) HM Z ) ,G+]1 :O /OOD 9 ! SAME
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