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stethoscope. At last he declared, “Sorry to say your horse has a touch of colic.”
    “Colic?” answered Cobb. “Now how could he have gotten that? Just three days ago, when he left Maryland, he was in perfect shape.”
    The vet looked at him coldly. “Can’t tell you, sir, but he has it now. Let’s see… in four hours be sure he takes two of these.” He handed an envelope over to Chester Robinson. “I’ll look in first thing in the morning. Meanwhile, don’t let him lie down. Keep him standing, better still walk him, lead him round no matter how exhausted he seems. If he doesn’t get better, I’ll give him some different medicine, but I’d like to see the colic pass naturally. Well, good night, gentlemen.”
    And he was off in his car, briskly bumping down the lane.
    The two men and the stableboy looked at each other. “The boy and I will handle this, Mr. Cobb,” said Chester Robinson. “We’ll see him through the night between us.”
    Cobb looked up quickly. “That’s kind and thoughtful, but he’s my horse. This is up to me. Ginger and I will take turns walking him. How about that, Ginger?”
    The boy agreed almost eagerly. One would have thought that walking a horse around all night was his idea of a good time. Reluctantly the trainer left for bed. The lights in the Hall went out, first on the ground floor, then on the second floor. Only the floodlight in the court remained.
    “An hour on and an hour off. One hour is about as much as I want at one time, Ginger.”
    “Very good, sir. But Mr. Cobb, this is what I’m hired for, and perhaps I’m a little more used to it than you are. Why not ride back on the bike and get some sleep? I can hold out the rest of the night. It’s getting on midnight now, and the vet will be back at seven. That’s only seven hours.”
    “Thanks, my boy, but no. The horse is mine, and I should take the responsibility for him. Just pile up some clean straw for me in the corner of an empty stall, and then carry on while I rest. I’ll spell you at one o’clock.”
    “Very good, sir. If he gives me any trouble, I’ll notify you at once. Come on, old boy….” Ginger led Quicksilver by the bridle onto the cobbled stones of the courtyard.
    Jack Cobb lay down to rest. He could hear the tired clop-clop of Quicksilver’s hooves, and, worried though he was, the sound seemed to put him to sleep. Next thing he knew, he woke up with a jerk. A dim light showed through the stable windows to the east across the Downs. Sleepily he looked at his watch. Almost five o’clock. That boy was still walking Quicksilver. Or had he given up?
    Then he listened and heard the clop-clop of the hooves. But even to his sleepy ears there was a different cadence in the walk of the animal.
    Evidently his stomach had relaxed after the several hours of tramping up and down the grass-grown cobblestones, and his stride was more normal. Cobb rose and went out.
    Through the distant dawn he made out Ginger, feet dragging, stumbling round and round the cobblestones. He went over and took the bridle from the boy’s hand.
    “You shouldn’t do that, sir. I’m all right, and your horse is coming along famously. I almost had to drag him at first.”
    “Good lad. Did you think to give him those pills the vet left?”
    “Yes, sir. Took them like an angel, he did. Must have known they would help. I’ll just turn him over to you for a few minutes.” He handed the bridle to Cobb and walked toward the Hall, stumbling as he went.

Six
    D OCTOR S ANDERS KNEW his job. After three days’ rest, all signs of the colic vanished and Quicksilver was his perky self again. Nevertheless, the doctor checked him each morning. In a week the horse began to take normal exercise with the rest of the string.
    Everyone from Chester Robinson on down liked Quicksilver. He gave no trouble, ate well and regularly, and nothing seemed to bother him as he gradually adapted to his new surroundings. Standing with his neck stretched out