Henry paused as he carefully turned a corner. Then he continued, “Y’know, Alec, horses are kind of like the sea, you’ll find out—once you get used to ’em and learn to love ’em, you can’t ever give them up. That’s Jake and that’s me. Jake’s only the watchman around here now, but he loves it. There are horses training around here most of the year, and the track’ll be opening up pretty soon, so he’s content.” Henry brought the truck to a stop beside the track.

“Are you sure no one’s around, Henry?” Alec asked.

“Sure,” answered Henry. “There are only a few horses in training and Jake’s keeping an eye on them, so we practically have the place to ourselves.”

Henry had pulled up beside an unloading ramp. They jumped out and went around to open the back doors. The horses whinnied as Alec climbed in beside them. The stallion threw back his head and tried to break free.

Alec grasped him by the halter. “Whoa, fella, take it easy,” he said. He backed the Black out onto the ramp and then down to the ground.

Henry followed with Napoleon. “It’ll be a good thing to have Napoleon around where the Black can see him,” he said. “Now you’d better walk the Black up and down a few times to get him loosened up.”

“Okay,” Alec said.

A few minutes later, when he walked the Black back toward the truck, he heard old Jake’s high-pitched voice again and saw the little white-haired man talking to Henry. “Bejabbers, Henry,” he was saying, “don’t tell me that gray imitation of a hoss there is the champion that I’m riskin’ my job for!”

Henry laughed. “Bejabbers yourself, Jake,” he said. “Don’t jump to conclusions so fast. You haven’t seen this gray devil run yet.”

“I’m too old a hand around here, my lad, for you to make me believe this critter can do anything but go around that track in a walk—bejabbers, I am,” Jake replied.

Alec couldn’t help laughing. Jake heard him and turned. Then he saw the Black, and his mouth opened wide. Slowly he walked toward the stallion. The Black reared a little, but Alec quieted him down. Jake went around him, his eyes covering every inch of the Black.

Henry came up. “Well, Jake,” he said, after a minute of silence, “what do you think of him?”

Jake looked up at him. “You sure were right, Henry. You’ve got a real horse here.”

“Worth risking your job for?” Henry smiled.

“Worth risking my job for,” the old man answered, nodding his head. “Haven’t seen a horse like him”—he continued—“since Chang.”

“That’s just what I told Alec,” Henry said. He winked at Alec. “Jake,” he said, “meet the owner of this black stallion, Alec Ramsay—Alec, this is Jake.”

Alec grasped the old man’s hand in a warm clasp, and was surprised at the strength in Jake’s fingers. “Glad to know you, son,” Jake said.

“And I’m glad to know you, sir,” answered Alec. “It was awfully nice of you to let us in here. Henry and I certainly appreciate it.”