“You and I can handle Satan an’ the Black while they’re here. No sense in payin’ wages when there’s no work to be done. Lenny can pick up some mounts at the Belmont meeting, an’ there’s work for Fred there, too. Both of ‘em can use the money, so there’s no sense in their just waitin’ around.”

They drove for many miles in silence, then Alec asked, “This blood test they’re going to take at the farm, Henry. Do you understand exactly what they’re going to do?”

“I’ve got a pretty good idea, Alec. From what the vet said, they intend to take blood samples from each racer; then they’ll pool the blood and put this combined sample into a healthy horse … one the vet will get.”

Alec shook his head. “Poor devil,” he said. “He’s the guinea pig.… Then we all just watch him to see if he comes down with swamp fever.”

“An’ if he doesn’t,” Henry said, “we know that none of the racers have swamp fever.”

“But if he does?” Alec asked.

“Then the vet knows someone’s got it,” Henry said grimly. “The whole business is repeated then, only this time the vet will probably bring in seven test horses—one for each of the racers. They’ll be tested individually until the vet has isolated the one … or maybe more … of the racers who’s carrying the disease.”

“But the blood test won’t be necessary for any horse that definitely shows any symptoms of the disease, as El Dorado did. Is that it, Henry?”

“Yes, that’s it. There wouldn’t be any reason for givin’ that horse the blood test, Alec. They’d know right away that he had swamp fever and he would have to be destroyed.” Henry paused. “But none of the racers have shown any symptoms yet … and I don’t think they’re going to.”

Alec was silent for a long while before asking, “How long will the blood test take, Henry?”

“They say at least forty days. So we’ll be here for quite a spell. The incubation period of swamp fever can be as long as twenty-eight days, the vet said; then they’ll wait maybe another two weeks for any symptoms to show up in the test horse.”

Two hours later they crossed the great open fields of a valley and entered the small village of Mountainview. Far to the north were wind-swept peaks, barren and jagged against the sky. But just to the west, and behind the village, was a low mountain range … a forest of spruce, pine and hemlock.

The only two-story building in the village was the inn, which Alec and Henry passed without stopping. They turned sharp left a short distance farther on, going onto a blacktop road that went toward the wooded mountain range. They drove for a mile across the open plain, then crossed a bridge over a wide river and continued on toward the range. The paved road ended a mile farther on, becoming dirt as it squeezed its way through the heavily wooded region.

“They’re certainly getting us away from everything,” Alec said, looking at the dense forest on either side of the van.

But the road continued to be level and smooth, and they were able to make good time. A mile and a half from where they had entered the woods the road veered to the left and wound up a slight incline. A short distance farther on, the trees gave way to a large tract of cleared land.

The road came in at the upper end of the clearing, and directly ahead of them was a long white barn. Behind the barn was a small fenced pasture, going back to meet the woods and a sharp rise in the ground. A stone house was there, nestled amid the pines. The rest of the clearing lay to the left of the road and it, too, was fenced for pasture; at this end it was widest, gradually narrowing as it found its way through the forest only to be lost from sight by a sharp curve a few hundred yards away.

The State Veterinarian stopped his car just past the barn doors and got out to talk to a man who met him. Finally he turned to the vans, waving them on to the barn.

Henry drove to the front of the barn and parked alongside the van occupied by Satan. “C’mon, Alec,” he said.

They got out and stood in front of their van, awaiting instructions from the veterinarian, while the other vans were parked. Behind the van came the cars carrying the newspapermen.

Henry said impatiently, “I’ll get the vet to let us put the Black in the barn first, Alec. Get him ready.”

When Henry left, Alec let down the back door of the van and went inside.