ck, for you are at the
top, and your horses seem rested."

"Yes," said the old man, with another contortion of his face, "they're
rested--leastways, one of 'em."

"Then what delays you--if not that British sluggishness which we in
public life find such a terrible handicap to our efforts in conducting
the war?"

"Ah!" said the old man. "But out of one you don't make two, guv'nor. Git
on the offside and you'll see it a bit steadier and a bit 'oler than you
'ave 'itherto."

Struck by his words, which were accompanied by a painful puckering of
the checks, Mr. Lavender moved round the van looking for some defect in
its machinery, and suddenly became aware that the off horse was lying on
the ground, with the traces cut. It lay on its side, and did not move.

"Oh!" cried Mr. Lavender; "oh!" And going up to the horse's head he
knelt down. The animal's eye was glazing.

"Oh!" he cried again, "poor horse! Don't die!" And tears dropped out of
his eyes on to the horse's cheek. The eye seemed to give him a look, and
became quite glazed.

"Dead!" said Mr Lavender in an awed whisper. "This is horrible! What
a thin horse--nothing but bones!" And his gaze haunted the ridge and
furrow of the horse's carcase, while the living horse looked round
and down at its dead fellow, from whose hollow face a ragged forelock
drooped in the dust.

"I must go and apologize to that old man," said Mr. Lavender aloud, "for
no doubt he is even more distressed than I am."

"Not 'e, guv'nor," said a voice, and looking beside him he saw the aged
driver standing beside him; "not 'e; for of all the crool jobs I ever
'ad--drivin' that 'orse these last three months 'as been the croolest.
There 'e lies and 'es aht of it; and that's where they'd all like to be.
Speed, done 'im in, savin' 'is country's 'time an' 'is country's oats;
that done 'im in. A good old 'orse, a willin' old 'orse, 'as broke 'is
'eart tryin' to do 'is bit on 'alf rations. There 'e lies; and I'm glad
'e does." And with the back of his hand the old fellow removed some
brown moisture which was trembling on his jaw. Mr. Lavender rose from
his knees.

"Dreadful!--monstrous!" he cried; "poor horse! Who is responsible for
this?"

"Why," said the old driver, "the gents as sees it steady and sees it
'ole from one side o' the van, same as you."

So smitten to the heart was Mr. Lavender by those words that he covered
his ears with his hands and almost ran from the scene, nor did he stop