University of Virginia Library

17. CHAPTER XVII.
STABLE WISDOM.

Almost with the first appearance of light, Meriwether
came and knocked at our chamber doors, so
earnestly that the whole household must have been
roused by the noise. Our horses could be heard
pawing the gravel at the front door, impatient of delay.
The sun was scarcely above the horizon before
we were all mounted and briskly pursuing our road,
followed by Carey, who seemed on the present occasion
to be peculiarly charged with professional importance.

The season was now advanced into the first week
of August: a time when, in this low country, the
morning air begins to grow sharp, and to require
something more than the ordinary summer clothing.
The dews had grown heavier; and the evaporation
produced that chilling cold which almost indicated
frost. There was, however, no trace of this abroad;
but every blade of grass, and every spray was thickly
begemmed with dewdrops. The tall and beautiful
mullen, which suggested one of the forms of the
stately candlebra—almost the first plant that puts
forth in the spring, and amongst the first to wither—
was now to be seen marshalled in groups over the
fallows, with its erect and half-dried spire hung round

with that matchless jewelry, which the magic hand
of night scatters over the progeny of earth. The
fantastic spiderwebs hung like fairy tissues over every
bush, and decked with their drapery every bank;
whilst their filaments, strung with watery beads, and
glittering in the level beams of the sun, rendered them
no longer snares for the unwary insects for which
they were spread. Our road through the woods was
occasionally waylaid by an obtrusive pinebranch
that, upon the slightest touch, shook its load of
vapour upon our shoulders, as we stooped beneath it.
The lowing of cows and the bleating of sheep struck
upon our ear from distant folds; and all the glad
birds of summer were twittering over the woodland
and open plain. The rabbit leaped timidly along the
sandy road before us, and squatted upon his seat, as
if loth to wet his coat amongst the low whortle-berry
and wild-indigo that covered the contiguous
soil.

Emerging from the forest, a gate introduced us to a
broad stubblefield, across whose level surface, at the
distance of a mile, we could discern the uprising of
several thin lines of smoke, that formed a light cloud
which almost rested on the earth; and, under this, a
cluster of huts were dimly visible. Near these, an
extensive farmyard surrounded a capacious barn together
with some fodder-houses and stacks of grain,
upon which were busily employed a number of
labourers who, we could see, were building up the
pile from a loaded wagon that stood close by.

As we advanced, a range of meadows opened to
our view, and stretched into the dim perspective, until

the eye could no longer distinguish their boundary.
Over this district, detached herds of horses were observable,
whisking their long tails as they grazed upon
the pasture, or curvetting over the spaces that
separated them from each other.

“There!” said Meriwether, kindling up at the
sight of this plain, “there is the reward I promised
you for your ride. I have nothing better to show you
at Swallow Barn. You see, on yonder meadow,
some of the most unquestioned nobility of Virginia.
Not a hoof strays on that pasture, that is not warmed
by as pure blood as belongs to any potentate in the
world.”

Carey rode up to us, at this speech, to observe, as
I supposed, the effect which his master's communication
might have upon me; for he put on a delighted
grin, and said somewhat officiously—

“I call them my children, master Littleton.”

“Truly then, Carey, you have a large family,”
said I.

“They are almost all on 'em, sir,” replied Carey,
“straight down from old Diomed, that old master
Hoomes had fotch out from England, across the water
more than twenty years ago. Sir Archy, master
Littleton, was a son of old Diomed, and I can't tell
you how many of his colts I've got. But, sir, you
may depend upon it, he was a great horse! And thar
was Duroc, master! You've hearn on him?—I've got
a heap of colts of Duroc's.—Bless your heart! he was
another of old Diomed's.”

“Carey is a true herald,” said Meriwether.
“Nearly all that you see have sprung from the Diomed

stock. It is upwards of forty years since Diomed
won the Derby in England: He was brought
to this country in his old age; and is as famous
amongst us, almost, as Christopher Columbus; for,
he may be said to have founded a new empire here.
Besides that stock, I have some of the Oscar breed;
one of the best of them is the gelding I ride: You
may know them, wherever you see them, by their
carriage and indomitable spirit.”

“I know nothing about it,” said I,—“but I have
heard a great deal said of the Godolphin Arabian.”—

“I can show you some of that breed, too,” replied
Meriwether,—“Wildair, who I believe was a grandson
of the Arabian.”—

“Old Wildair—mark you, master!” interrupted
Carey, very sagely,—“not Col. Symmes' Wildair.”

“Old Wildair, I mean,” rejoined Frank.—“He
was imported into Maryland, and taken back to
England before the Revolution:—but I have some
of his descendants.”

“And thar's Regulus's breed,” said Carey. “They
tell me he was genuine Arabian too.”

“I am not sure,” returned Meriwether, “that I
have any of that breed.—Carey affects to say that
there are some of them here.”—

“Bless your soul! master Frank,” interrupted the
old groom,—“did'nt I carry the Ace of Diamonds,
over here to the Bowling Green, that next summer
coming after the war, to—”

“Ride on and open the gate for us,” said Frank.—
“Set that old negro to talking of pedigrees, and his
tongue goes like a mill!”

We now entered upon the meadow, and soon came
up with several of the beautiful animals whose ancestry
had been the subject of this discussion. They
were generally in the wild and unshorn condition of
beasts that had never been subjected to the dominion
of man. It was apparent that the proprietor of the
stock kept them more for their nobleness of blood than
for any purpose of service. Some few of the older
steeds showed the care of the groom; but even these
were far from being in that sleek state of nurture
which we are apt to associate with the idea of beauty
in the horse. One, skilled in the points of symmetry,
would, doubtless, have found much to challenge his
admiration in their forms; but this excellence was,
for the most part, lost upon me. Still, however, unpractised
as I was, there was, in the movements of
these quadrupeds, a charm that I could not fail to recognize.
No sooner were we descried upon the field,
than the different troops, in the distance, were set in
motion, as if by some signal to which they were accustomed;
and they hurried tumultuously to the spot
where we stood, exerting their utmost speed, and
presenting a wonderfully animated spectacle. The
swift career of the horse, upon an open plain, is
always an interesting sight; but as we saw it now,
exhibited in squadrons, pursuing an unrestrained and
irregular flight, accompanied with wild and expressive
neighs and enlivened with all the frolicksome
antics that belong to high-mettled coursers,—it was
a scene of singularly gay and picturesque beauty.
The ludicrous earnestness, too, with which they

crowded upon us!—there was in it the natural grace
of youth, united with the muscular vigour of maturity.
One would rear playfully, as he thrust himself into the
compact assembly; another would advance at a
long, swinging trot, striking the ground at every step
with a robust and echoing stroke, and then, halt suddenly,
as if transfigured into a statue. Some would
kick at their comrades, and seize them with their
teeth in the wantonness of sport: others would leap,
in quick bounds, and make short circuits, at high
speed, around the mass, with heads and tails erect,
displaying the flexibility of their bodies in caracols of
curious nimbleness. The younger colts would impertinently
claim to be familiar with the horses we
rode; and were apt to receive, in return, a severe
blow for the intrusion. Altogether, it was a scene of
boisterous horse-play, well befitting the arrogant nature
of such a licentious, high-blooded, far-descended
and riotous young nobility.

It may be imagined that this was a sight of engrossing
interest to Meriwether. Both he and Carey
had dismounted, and were busy in their survey of the
group, all the while descanting upon the numberless
perfections of form that occurred to their view; and
occasionally interlarding their commendations with
the technical lore of genealogy, which, so far as I was
concerned, might as profitably have been delivered
in Greek.

The occasion of this rapid concentration of our
cavalry was soon explained. Meriwether was in
the habit of administering a weekly ration of salt to

these wandering hordes at this spot; and they, therefore,
were wont to betake themselves to the rendezvous,
with all the eagerness we had witnessed,
whenever any sign was afforded them that the customary
distribution was to be made. Care was now
taken that they should not be disappointed in their
reasonable expectations; and Carey was, accordingly,
despatched to the stable for the necessary supplies.

Having gratified our curiosity in this region, we
now visited the farm-yard. Within this enclosure,
a party of negroes were employed in treading out
grain. About a dozen horses were kept at full trot
around a circle of some ten or fifteen paces diameter,
which was strewed with the wheat in sheaf. These
were managed by some five or six little blacks, who
rode like monkey caricaturists of the games of the
circus, and who mingled with the labours of the place
that comic air of deviltry which communicated to
the whole employment something of the complexion
of a pastime. Whilst we remained here, as spectators
of this stirring and busy occupation, a dialogue
took place, which, as it made some important veterinary
disclosures, I will record for the benefit of all
those who take an interest in adding to the treasures
of pharmacy.

One of the horses had received an injury in a foreleg,
a day or two before; and was now confined in
the stable under the regimen of the overseer. The
animal was brought out for inspection, and the bandages,
which had been bound round the limb, were

removed in our presence. To a question as to the
cause of this injury, Carey replied—

“The mischeevous young devil wa'nt content with
the paster, but she must be loping over the fence into
the cornfield! It was a marcy she wa'nt foundered
outright, on the green corn; but she sprained her
pasten-joint, any how;—which she desarved for being
so obstropolous.”

A consultation was now held upon the case, at
which divers of the elder negroes assisted. But, in
general, every attempt by any of these to give an
opinion was frowned down by the authoritative and
self-sufficient Carey, who was somewhat tyrannical
in the assertion of his prerogative.

Frank Meriwether ventured to suggest that the injured
part should be bathed frequently with ice-water;
to which prescription our ancient groom pointedly
objected,—saying, that all the cretur wanted,
was to have her leg dressed, every night and morning,
with a wash that he could make, of vinegar and
dockweed, and half a dozen other ingredients, which,
he affirmed, would produce a cure, “in almost no
time.”

A conspicuous and, till now, somewhat restive
member of the council, was a broad-shouldered,
dwarfish, old negro, known by the name of uncle
Jeff, who had manifested several decided symptoms
of a design to make a speech; and now, in despite
of Carey's cross looks, gave his advice in the following
terms—

“One of the stonishingst things for a sprain that I

knows on, is this—” said he, stepping into the ring
and laying the fingers of his right hand upon the palm
of his left—“Bless your soul, Mas Frank! I have
tried it, often and often, on people,—but, in pertickler,
upon horses: oil of spike—” he continued, striking
his palm, at the enumeration of each ingredient;—
“oil of spike, campfire, a little castile soap, and the
best of whiskey, all put into a bottle and boiled half
away—It's mazing how it will cure a sprain! My
old 'oman was sick abed all last winter, with a sprain
on her knee; and she tried Doctor Stubbs, and the
leech doctor, and all the tother larned folks—but no
use, tell she tuck some my intment! She said herself
—if you believe me—thar was none on'em no touch
to my intment. It's mazing, Mas Frank! Oh,
oh!—”

“Sho!” ejaculated Carey, in a short, surly growl,
after hearing this wise morsel of experience to the
end, and looking as angry as a vexed bull-dog;
“Sho! Jeff, you tell me! Think I never seed a hos
with a sprained foot, all the way up to my time of
life? Stan off, man! I knows what I am about?”

Meriwether turned to me, with a look of jocular
resignation, and said, laughing—

“You see how it is! This old magnifico will allow
no man to have an opinion but himself. Rather
than disturb the peace, I must submit to his authority.
Well, Jeffry, my old fellow, as we can't convince
Mr. Carey, I suppose we had better not make
him angry. You know what an obstinate, cross-grained,
old bully, he is? I am afraid he will take us

both in hand, if we contradict him: so I'm for letting
him alone.”

“Consarn his picter!” said Jeff, in a low tone of
voice, accompanied by a laugh, in which all the
other negroes joined, as we broke up the consultation
and walked away