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over the top of his stall, he watched with interest the movement in and around the yard, accepting apples from the two Robinson children, eyeing the comings and goings during the day, observing the stableboys at their daily soccer game. He seemed to fit into the life of the Hall perfectly.
    For the place was alive, turbulent and bursting with characters of every kind. Jack Cobb heard some describe the Robinson stable as “a bit untidy,” but he enjoyed the place, looking forward to the daily ride with the first lot in the sharp morning air on the Downs, the light changing with the weather and the time of day. The clatter and chatter of the stable lads as they went about their work greatly interested him. These boys were shrewd, their comments on horses and owners often succinct and telling. After the first week, they treated him with ease, and he felt he had their confidence.
    Escorted by Ginger Jones and before long half the other stable lads at the Hall to the Horse and Hounds, the village pub, Jack learned a lot about the life of the neighborhood. He found that the nearby villages were known for special characteristics. Thus, Melton was famous as the cricket town and possessed a patch of grass carefully rolled and mowed in place of a village green. There everyone—men, women, boys, and girls—played cricket, and some went on to the county cricket team. Much Haddam was celebrated for its barmaid at the Crown, a rather blowsy blonde who explained the facts of life to the stableboys at the Hall in a most practical manner. Meon Valley was known for its footballers, who were rough and usually victorious; Kings Winn, located on a river, for its fishing as well as for its osier rods.
    The stable lads, Jack discovered, were country boys who had earned far more working in the aircraft factory at Farnborough, but they all loved horses and liked to be around the stables. Every one was an excellent rider, and a few entered the point-to-points at Musbery, the next town, where there was a small hunt. All were clever poachers, able to shoe a horse, diagnose an animal’s malady, or repair a saddle. They were invariably cheerful, usually whistling when mucking out the stables.
    Before many days the job of riding Quicksilver was assumed by George Atherton. Atherton raced the various horses in the stable, and Robinson had first call on his services.
    The work rides, seldom lasting more than forty-five minutes or an hour, were held twice daily and consisted of cantering, with occasional jumps, to get man and beast used to each other. Once or twice a week, when the weather was especially bad, there were longer sessions of roadwork. Robinson rode out each time, splitting the horses into groups depending on their condition and schedules. Thus one lot might sprint, another gallop, while a few worked over the hurdles.
    By ten o’clock the telephone started ringing with long-distance calls, some from the Continent or even the States. At ten-thirty Chester’s two secretaries arrived, and from then until early evening he was on the phone continually. Cobb liked his easy and relaxed way of handling owners, stable lads, the head groom, and the salesmen and furnishers who seemed to be around every day.
    In the mornings Jack watched George Atherton on the horse. They suited each other, and Cobb could see how Quicksilver enjoyed racing, head up, mane flowing. He was proud of the way Quicksilver responded, as Atherton went over some low hurdles and then galloped off into the mist over the Downs. Indeed, he was an animal to be proud of, strong, with sloping shoulders, full of poise and balance, in short a beautiful sight under his skillful rider. Jack Cobb was bothered, however, that the Robinsons had not given him a weekly bill for the work being done at the Hall.
    Robinson’s wife, Violet, worked as hard or harder than anyone. She was the one who kept the accounts, hired the lads, bought the forage, arranged food for visitors to the Hall, generally