War Horse Read Online Free PDF Page A

say anything to them, Joey. If you do they call you defeatist, or some such rubbish. I honestly think that some of them in there only want to win this war if the cavalry can win it.’
    He stood up, tucked his sketchbook under his arm and came over towards me and tickled me behind the ears. ‘You like that old son, don’t you? Below all that fire and brimstone you’re a soppy old date at heart. Come to think of it we have a lot in common you and I. First, we don’t much like it here and would rather be somewhere else. Second, we’ve neither of us ever been to war – never even heard a shot fired in anger, have we? I just hope I’m up to it when the time comes – that’s what worries me more than anything, Joey. Because I tell you, and I haven’t even told Jamie this –I’m frightened as hell, so you’d better have enough courage for the two of us.’
    A door banged across the yard and I heard the familiar sound of boots, crisp on the cobbles. It was Corporal Samuel Perkins passing along the lines of stables on his evening rounds, stopping at each one to check until at last he came to mine. ‘Good evening, sir,’ he said, saluting smartly. ‘Sketching again?’
    ‘Doing my best, Corporal,’ said Captain Nicholls. ‘Doing my best to do him justice. Is he not the finest mount in the entire squadron? I’ve never seen a horse so well put together as he is, have you?’
    ‘Oh he’s special enough to look at, sir,’ said the Corporal of Horse. Even his voice put my ears back, there was a thin, acid tone to it that I dreaded. ‘I grant you that, but looks aren’t everything, are they, sir? There’s always more to a horse than meets the eye, isn’t that right, sir? How shall I put it, sir?’
    ‘However you like, Corporal,’ said Captain Nicholls somewhat frostily, ‘but be careful what you say for that’s my horse you’re speaking about, so take care.’
    ‘Let’s say I feel he has a mind of his own. Yes, let’s put it that way. He’s good enough out on manoeuvres – a real stayer, one of the very best – but inside theschool, sir, he’s a devil, and a strong devil too. Never been properly schooled, sir, you can tell that. Farmhorse he is and farm trained. If he’s to make a cavalry horse, sir, he’ll have to learn to accept the disciplines. He has to learn to obey instantly and instinctively. You don’t want a prima donna under you when the bullets start flying.’
    ‘Fortunately, Corporal,’ said Captain Nicholls. ‘Fortunately this war will be fought out of doors and not indoors. I asked you to train Joey because I think you are the best man for the job – there’s no one better in the squadron. But perhaps you should ease up on him just a bit. You’ve got to remember where he came from. He’s a willing soul – he just needs a bit of gentle persuasion, that’s all. But keep it gentle, Corporal, keep it gentle. I don’t want him soured. This horse is going to carry me through the war and with any luck out the other side of it. He’s special to me Corporal, you know that. So make sure you look after him as if he was your own, won’t you? We leave for France in under a week now. If I had the time I’d be schooling him on myself, but I’m far too busy trying to turn troopers into mounted infantry. A horse may carry you through, Corporal, but he can’t do your fighting for you. And there’s someof them still think they’ll only be needing their sabres when they get out there. Some of them really believe that flashing their sabres around will frighten Jerry all the way home. I tell you they have got to learn to shoot straight – we’ll all have to learn to shoot straight if we want to win this war.’
    ‘Yes sir,’ said the corporal with a new respect in his voice. He was more meek and mild now than I had ever seen him.
    ‘And Corporal,’ said Captain Nicholls walking towards the stable door, ‘I’d be obliged if you’d feed Joey up somewhat, he’s lost a bit of