Henry thought a minute. Then he said, “I’ll drop a line to a friend of mine in the Jockey Club. Maybe he can help us—some way.”

“Gee, Henry, I hope so!”

“We have all winter to try and find out,” Henry said. “Maybe they can trace him from the town or somethin’. He looks like too valuable a horse not to be registered in a Stud Book somewhere!” He walked toward the door. “Have to be gettin’ back now or the Missus’ll be comin’ down for me!” He stopped and put a hand in his pocket. He took out a piece of paper. “Wrote down what we need for the Black to eat, Alec,” he said. “After you get finished, you can go down to the feed store and get ’em. We can’t have the big boy eating all of Napoleon’s grain, you know.” He paused and his hand went once again inside his pocket. “Seein’ that we’re goin’ to work together, it’s only fair that I share some of the expenses, Alec, so I want to pay for this.”

“You don’t have to do that, Henry. Dad’s going to give me a regular allowance for the work I do around the house.”

Henry smiled. “Sure,” he came back, “and we’re going to need all the money we can get—it takes money to make a champion, y’know. And we can’t skimp on the Black’s food. That’s why we’re going to have to work together just like partners. C’mon now, take this money and beat it down to the store.” Henry shoved the money into the boy’s hand.

Alec looked from the old jockey to the stallion. “Okay, partner,” he said, smiling.

The next morning Alec went back to school. Whiff Sample and Bill Lee fell in beside him as he left the building at 12:30.

“What’s all this about you bein’ in a shipwreck and everything?” Whiff asked excitedly.

“Yeah, it was in the paper yesterday morning, and you even came home with a horse,” Bill finished.

“It’s the truth,” Alec answered. “And if you don’t believe me, come on along and I’ll show him to you. I’m going over to the stable now.”

“We sure will,” they answered together.

When they reached the barn, Alec saw Henry. “Hello,” he yelled.

“So you brought along some spectators, heh, Alec?”

Whiff’s and Bill’s eyes were turned toward the field where the Black grazed in a corner. “Gosh,” they said.

The Black raised his head when he heard Alec’s voice. His ears pricked forward and he whistled. Alec whistled back. Suddenly the horse broke toward them. Whiff and Bill hung back with Henry, as Alec walked toward the fence.

The Black hesitated when he saw the newcomers. He screamed and trotted back down the field. Henry didn’t have to urge Whiff and Bill to move out of sight. They ran into the barn—their eyes wide with excitement. “Did you see him!” gasped Bill.

“Boy, he’s the biggest horse I ever did see and what a mean look!” answered Whiff. They watched from the window of the barn.