Mr Smiles, in his Life of Rennie, tells us of a horse called Jack, who
showed himself to be fully as sensible as the two animals just
mentioned.
Jack's business was to draw the stone trucks along the tramway during
the erection of Waterloo Bridge. Near at hand was a beer-shop,
frequented by the navvies and carters. Jack's driver, named Tom, was an
honest fellow, and very kind to Jack, but too fond of spending more time
than he ought to have done in the beer-shop. Jack, though a restive
animal, got accustomed to Tom's habits, and waited patiently till an
overlooker startled him into activity. On one occasion, however, the
superintendent being absent, Tom took so long a spell at the ale that
Jack became restive, and the trace fastenings being long enough, the
animal put his head inside the beerhouse door, and seizing the
astonished Tom by the collar with his teeth, dragged him out to his duty
at the truck. Great in consequence became the fame of Jack amongst the
host of labourers.
Like famous Jack, do not hesitate to remind a friend of his duty, even
though you have to seize him by the collar and drag him away to perform
it.