which the cargo and livestock were being brought. The reason for that was easy to see: just then two horses were being loaded, and one of them had been spooked. A wiry little man with blue tattoos on his arms that identified him as a member of the crew had his hands full trying to calm the animal down. Helen wondered whether the man was being forced to take on this un-seamanlike task as part of some punishment. He clearly had no experience with horses since he was handling the powerful black stallion with no skill whatsoever.
“Now come on, you black devil, I don’t have all the time in the world!” he bellowed at the animal, who remained uncooperative. In fact, the black horse dragged him forcefully backward, angrily flattening its ears as it did. He seemed determined not to set a single hoof on the dangerously wobbling ramp.
The second horse, which Helen could only vaguely make out behind him, seemed calmer, and its guide appeared far more in control. To her surprise, Helen saw that she was a petite girl in elegant traveling clothes. She waited impatiently with the stock brown mare’s lead in her hand. Since the stallion still did not show any signs of moving forward, the girl intervened.
“That’s not going to do anything; give him here!”
Helen observed in amazement as the young lady handed her mare over to one of the waiting émigrés and took the stallion from the sailor. Helen expected the horse to tear itself away; after all, the man could hardly hold on to it. Instead, the black horse calmed down immediately when the girl shortened its lead and started speaking gently to it.
“So, we’ll do it step by step, Madoc. I’ll go ahead; you follow me. And don’t you dare run me over!”
Helen held her breath as the stallion followed the young girl—tensely, but behaving impeccably. The girl complimented and petted him when he finally stood safely on board. The stallion drooled on her navy-blue velvet travel dress, though the girl didn’t seem to notice.
“What are you doing down there with the mare?” she called to the sailor below. “Igraine, don’t cause him trouble. Just come forward!”
Although she pranced a bit, the brown mare proved calmer than the young stallion. The sailor held her lead from its far end, making a face as though he were balancing a stick of dynamite. Regardless, he brought the horse on board, and Helen could now make her complaint. As the girl and the man led the animals directly past her cabin on their way belowdecks, she turned to the sailor.
“Though it’s probably not your fault, still someone must do something. We cannot possible stay here next to the stables. The stench is unbearable. And what if the animals break loose? Then our lives would be in danger!”
The sailor shrugged. “I can’t do anything about it, madam. Order of the cap’n. The critters’re coming with. And the cabin arrangement’s always the same: men traveling alone up front, families in the middle, women traveling alone in the back. Since you’re the only women traveling alone, you can’t trade with anyone. You’ll just have to get over it, madam.” The man hastened behind the mare, who appeared eager to follow the stallion and the young lady. The girl maneuvered first the black horse and then the brown into two neighboring stalls and tied them in tightly. When she emerged again, her blue velvet skirt was covered with straw.
“Stupid dress!” the girl cursed as she attempted to shake the dress clean. Then she gave up and turned to Helen.
“I’m sorry if the animals bother you, madam. But they can’t break free; the ramps are being taken down…which isn’t without its dangers. If the ship should sink, I’ll never get Igraine out of here! But the captain insists on it. The stalls should be cleaned every day. And the sheep won’t smell so strongly as soon as they’ve dried. Besides, you get used to—”
“I will never get used to living in a stall,” Helen remarked
“Now come on, you black devil, I don’t have all the time in the world!” he bellowed at the animal, who remained uncooperative. In fact, the black horse dragged him forcefully backward, angrily flattening its ears as it did. He seemed determined not to set a single hoof on the dangerously wobbling ramp.
The second horse, which Helen could only vaguely make out behind him, seemed calmer, and its guide appeared far more in control. To her surprise, Helen saw that she was a petite girl in elegant traveling clothes. She waited impatiently with the stock brown mare’s lead in her hand. Since the stallion still did not show any signs of moving forward, the girl intervened.
“That’s not going to do anything; give him here!”
Helen observed in amazement as the young lady handed her mare over to one of the waiting émigrés and took the stallion from the sailor. Helen expected the horse to tear itself away; after all, the man could hardly hold on to it. Instead, the black horse calmed down immediately when the girl shortened its lead and started speaking gently to it.
“So, we’ll do it step by step, Madoc. I’ll go ahead; you follow me. And don’t you dare run me over!”
Helen held her breath as the stallion followed the young girl—tensely, but behaving impeccably. The girl complimented and petted him when he finally stood safely on board. The stallion drooled on her navy-blue velvet travel dress, though the girl didn’t seem to notice.
“What are you doing down there with the mare?” she called to the sailor below. “Igraine, don’t cause him trouble. Just come forward!”
Although she pranced a bit, the brown mare proved calmer than the young stallion. The sailor held her lead from its far end, making a face as though he were balancing a stick of dynamite. Regardless, he brought the horse on board, and Helen could now make her complaint. As the girl and the man led the animals directly past her cabin on their way belowdecks, she turned to the sailor.
“Though it’s probably not your fault, still someone must do something. We cannot possible stay here next to the stables. The stench is unbearable. And what if the animals break loose? Then our lives would be in danger!”
The sailor shrugged. “I can’t do anything about it, madam. Order of the cap’n. The critters’re coming with. And the cabin arrangement’s always the same: men traveling alone up front, families in the middle, women traveling alone in the back. Since you’re the only women traveling alone, you can’t trade with anyone. You’ll just have to get over it, madam.” The man hastened behind the mare, who appeared eager to follow the stallion and the young lady. The girl maneuvered first the black horse and then the brown into two neighboring stalls and tied them in tightly. When she emerged again, her blue velvet skirt was covered with straw.
“Stupid dress!” the girl cursed as she attempted to shake the dress clean. Then she gave up and turned to Helen.
“I’m sorry if the animals bother you, madam. But they can’t break free; the ramps are being taken down…which isn’t without its dangers. If the ship should sink, I’ll never get Igraine out of here! But the captain insists on it. The stalls should be cleaned every day. And the sheep won’t smell so strongly as soon as they’ve dried. Besides, you get used to—”
“I will never get used to living in a stall,” Helen remarked
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