"How did the colt stand it?" was the hired man's first query.
"Dandy is a jewel, Bob!" Master replied heartily, "a perfect saddle horse and with ambition and sense enough for a dozen horses."
And thus began my actual experience as a doctor's horse; and from that time on our names were continually associated together, first by the family and finally by the whole town and neighborhood.
I remember one small boy, coming in haste for the doctor, breathlessly announced that he had come for "Dick and Dandy."
I was soon trained to drive in a sulky, and grew to like it better than the saddle, only that I could not hear quite as well what the doctor said to me—in common conversation—as we traveled along.
The news of the epidemic brought Dr. Fred home some little time before he intended coming, but his coming brought no additional happiness to the stables, whether it did to the house or not.
He rushed about everything, spoke in a loud, confusing tone, issued one order only to countermand it by another, used profane language and—drank whisky.
"We've had our good time," Ross remarked significantly, and Julie gave an acquiescent snort.
Meanwhile a new blacksmith had bought out the old one in K—— and Dr. Dick was wondering if the former was a bungler. Ross did not get over his lameness, and Master had had his shoes removed and turned him out into the pasture.