Post by tintin on Jun 7, 2013 11:40:22 GMT 1
This is a very little and rather old book, published some time between 1902 and 1911. My copy is a prize given by the London County Council to a Charles Blacker of St Michaels Infants School for Good Conduct and Progress in 1911
Terry is a lovely bay horse and the frontispiece has a colour picture of him looking up from the water trough in his field which is totally delightful. The illustrator is E Stuart Hardy and there are black and white drawings throughout the book, which is one of its most attractive features.
Poor Terry! He is almost totally elbowed aside in his own book.
The book is mainly about Bob, the son of farmer Brown. We first meet Bob at the age of 12 and he is a very mischevious boy, but good hearted. It is some way into the story before we meet Terry. Lord Drayton the local squire has bought Terry who is a not very well behaved colt awaiting breaking. The stable staff are apprehensive of the horse and keep putting it off. However, through his natural bravery Bob gets on Terry in the field when no one is looking and is able to ride him. However, he does get concussion for his pains, but is rewarded with a sovereign from the squire. He also gets to ride Terry, but when the horse's training is complete he is transferred to Lord Drayton's London establishment.
The story shifts to when Bob is 14. The South African War has broken out. This war became too big for the Regular Army and the reserves were called on. The huge nature of South Africa meant that mounted troops were most needed. The Yeomanry, the part time cavalry, were sent, but soon they needed fresh men from civilian life. Lord Drayton raises a squadron as part of this effort. Bob wishes to join, but his ma says no. He runs away to Lord Drayton's London house. After a lengthy correspondence he gets to go to the war as the squadron commander's trumpeter.
Bob is to choose a horse from Lord Drayton's stable and, of course it is Terry that is chosen. The two leave on a troopship with their squadron.
In their first combat Lord Drayton's horse is killed, Lord Drayton has a serious thigh wound and Bob is wounded in the arm. Bob will not leave his commander and sounds his bugle to fetch help. Unfortunately the Boers are nearer, but the squadron arrives in time. There follows a really shocking scene. Terry receives a Boer bullet in the head and is left on the veldt in the precipitous retreat.
This is the worst part of the book. Although it is good on how upset everyone is at having to leave him in the precipitous retreat the book just says baldly that he returned to his place after three days.
Now it is possible that a man with a head wound can be believed dead and be OK - due to the large number of blood vessels near the surface even the most pathetic wound to the head produces loads of blood, also blow to the head may very well render man or horse unconcious.
Terry's faithfulness in returning to his place is also believable, but his epic journey wounded and probably thirsty, possibly bloody and plagued with flies, deserves more attention than a sort of "look, there he's back". This contrasts with a relatively lengthy discussion of a meeting of officers to discuss whether Bob should be let in the army which could profitably have been ditched or sut back.
All three return to the UK (although it is only through the introduction we know Terry gets back). Terry does n't even feature in the home coming celebration.
Although the heroism of men and horses are celebrated the implication of the book is that men and horses would have been better off staying at home and if you go to the war you will likely get sick or wounded. Lord Drayton is pretty ill.
A nice story sketchily told, illustrations really win it its average status.
The author did two other books, "Hal of the Fells" which I am afraid I know nothing about, and a story about an infantry drummer (with a very unfortunate title). I think she might have been better staying with "the feet"
Terry is a lovely bay horse and the frontispiece has a colour picture of him looking up from the water trough in his field which is totally delightful. The illustrator is E Stuart Hardy and there are black and white drawings throughout the book, which is one of its most attractive features.
Poor Terry! He is almost totally elbowed aside in his own book.
The book is mainly about Bob, the son of farmer Brown. We first meet Bob at the age of 12 and he is a very mischevious boy, but good hearted. It is some way into the story before we meet Terry. Lord Drayton the local squire has bought Terry who is a not very well behaved colt awaiting breaking. The stable staff are apprehensive of the horse and keep putting it off. However, through his natural bravery Bob gets on Terry in the field when no one is looking and is able to ride him. However, he does get concussion for his pains, but is rewarded with a sovereign from the squire. He also gets to ride Terry, but when the horse's training is complete he is transferred to Lord Drayton's London establishment.
The story shifts to when Bob is 14. The South African War has broken out. This war became too big for the Regular Army and the reserves were called on. The huge nature of South Africa meant that mounted troops were most needed. The Yeomanry, the part time cavalry, were sent, but soon they needed fresh men from civilian life. Lord Drayton raises a squadron as part of this effort. Bob wishes to join, but his ma says no. He runs away to Lord Drayton's London house. After a lengthy correspondence he gets to go to the war as the squadron commander's trumpeter.
Bob is to choose a horse from Lord Drayton's stable and, of course it is Terry that is chosen. The two leave on a troopship with their squadron.
In their first combat Lord Drayton's horse is killed, Lord Drayton has a serious thigh wound and Bob is wounded in the arm. Bob will not leave his commander and sounds his bugle to fetch help. Unfortunately the Boers are nearer, but the squadron arrives in time. There follows a really shocking scene. Terry receives a Boer bullet in the head and is left on the veldt in the precipitous retreat.
This is the worst part of the book. Although it is good on how upset everyone is at having to leave him in the precipitous retreat the book just says baldly that he returned to his place after three days.
Now it is possible that a man with a head wound can be believed dead and be OK - due to the large number of blood vessels near the surface even the most pathetic wound to the head produces loads of blood, also blow to the head may very well render man or horse unconcious.
Terry's faithfulness in returning to his place is also believable, but his epic journey wounded and probably thirsty, possibly bloody and plagued with flies, deserves more attention than a sort of "look, there he's back". This contrasts with a relatively lengthy discussion of a meeting of officers to discuss whether Bob should be let in the army which could profitably have been ditched or sut back.
All three return to the UK (although it is only through the introduction we know Terry gets back). Terry does n't even feature in the home coming celebration.
Although the heroism of men and horses are celebrated the implication of the book is that men and horses would have been better off staying at home and if you go to the war you will likely get sick or wounded. Lord Drayton is pretty ill.
A nice story sketchily told, illustrations really win it its average status.
The author did two other books, "Hal of the Fells" which I am afraid I know nothing about, and a story about an infantry drummer (with a very unfortunate title). I think she might have been better staying with "the feet"