UNITONE BlackBeauty AnnaSewell (anextractfromanabridgedversionoftheclassic,NewDawn Press,2006)

MODULEONE
III.TEXT
Readthepassageandanswerthequestionsthatfollow: Ourmasterwasakindman.Hegaveusgoodfoodandgoodlodging,andspoke gentlytous.Wewereallfondofhim. Iwasablackhorse,sohecalledmeDarkie.Allthehorseswouldcometohim,but I think we were his favourites. My mother always took him to the town on a marketdayinalittlegig. BeforeIwastwoyearsold,anincidenthappenedwhichIhaveneverforgotten.It was early in the spring. I and the other colts were in the field when we heard, quiteinthe distance,whatsounded like the cry of dogs. The oldest of the colts raisedhishead,prickedhisears,andsaid,"Therearethehounds!" "Theyhavefoundahare,"saidmymother,"andiftheycomethisway,weshall seethehunt." Andsoonallthedogsweretearingdownthefieldnexttoours.Theydidnotbark, norhowl,butkeptona"Yo!yo,0,o!yo,0,o!"atthetopoftheirvoices.After themcameanumberofmenonhorseback,allgallopingasfastastheycould.At theedgeofthefieldtheycametoastandstill;thedogsranabouteverywaywith theirnosestotheground. "Theyhavelostthescent,"saidanoldhorsewhowasstandingnearus,"perhaps theharewillgetoff."

Before long the dogs began their "Yo! yo, 0, o!" again, making straight for our meadow. Justthenaharewildwithfrightrushedby,andmadefortheplantation.Oncame the dogs, dashing across the field, followed by the huntsmen. Unable to get throughthefence,thehareturnedsharproundtomakefortheroad,butitwas toolate;thedogswereuponherwiththeirwildcries.Weheardashriek,andthat wastheendofher.Oneofthehuntsmenrodeupandwhippedoffthedogs,who wouldhavetornhertopieces.Hehelduptheharebytheleg,tornandbleeding, andallthegentlemenseemedwellpleased. IwassoastonishedatseeingallthisthatIhadn'tnoticedwhatwasgoingonby the stream. Now I saw that two fine horses were injured: one was struggling in thestream,andtheotherwasgroaninginpain.Oneoftheriderswasgettingout ofthewater,theotherlayquitestill.Ilearnedlaterthattheriderwhodiedwas youngGeorgeGordon,SquireGordon'sonlyson,afineandtallyoungman.The others rode away frantically to the doctor's, to the farrier's, and no doubt to SquireGordon's,tolethimknowabouthisson.WhenMr.Bond,thefarrier,came tolookatthehorsethatwasgroaningonthegrass,hefelthimallover,andshook his head; one of his legs was broken. Then someone ran to our master's house andcamebackwithagun;presentlytherewasaloudbangandadreadfulshriek, andthenallwasstill;thehorsemovednomore. Mymotherseemedmuchtroubled.Shesaidshehadknownthathorseforyears, andthathisnamewasRobRoy;hewasagoodboldhorse,andtherewasnovice inhim.Shewouldnevergotothatpartofthefieldafterwards.Afewdayslater, young Gordon was carried to the churchyard to be buried. What they did with RobRoyIneverknew;butitwasallforonelittlehare.