But Henry don’t care how mad they get just so long as his horses ride easy.”

Henry appeared in the doorway holding Napoleon by the halter. His eyes were fixed on the heavy fiber mat which lay on the ramp. “Y’sure you got that mat tight? I don’t want any slipping.”

“It’s fast. We checked it twice,” one of the drivers said patiently.

“Alec, you better check it. Make sure.”

“Okay, Henry.”

“Now come up and take Napoleon down.”

“Yes, Henry.”

Moving up the ramp, Alec took the gray horse by the halter and rubbed his muzzle. “Hi, boy,” he said. “It’s good to see you.”

Henry stood on the other side of Napoleon. He wore his battered hat and his brow was wet with sweat. “You take him to the second paddock, then come back an’ help me with Satan.”

Alec smiled. “You take it easy now, Henry. You’re home. Everything is all right.”

Henry’s gray eyes, still so very worried, met his young friend’s for the first time. “I just don’t want him to hurt himself getting down.”

“He won’t and you know it. You never saw a horse so easy to load and unload as Satan.”

Henry’s gaze dropped. “Yeah,” he said. “But get along with you now.”

Fat and well groomed, but his back sagging with old age, Napoleon whinnied as Alec led him through the van’s door. His hoofs came down on the matting calmly and deliberately, his step like that of an old gentleman leaving his favorite club. He whinnied again when he saw the familiar paddocks and barns, and moved a little faster.

When Alec returned to the van, Henry had Satan in the doorway.

“Alec, you check that mat again. Napoleon might have loosened it some.”

Resignedly the two men stepped away from the ramp while Alec went over it again. “It’s fast, Henry,” he said finally.

Satan stood quietly at Henry’s side with only his large eyes showing any evidence of his excitement at being home. His fiery gaze followed Napoleon as the gray horse moved ponderously about the second paddock.

Henry was talking to Satan, moving him onto the ramp. The horse never hesitated. He walked as carefully, as deliberately, as had Napoleon.

Henry wiped his wrinkled brow when he had Satan safely on the ground, then he turned to the two men. “Slim,” he said, “you an’ Harry stick around a few more minutes before you go. I want you two up at the far end of the paddock when I set him loose. I want you to wave him down if he works up too much speed. Don’t let him run into the fence an’ hurt himself.”

“Sure, Henry,” one driver said, shrugging his shoulders. “We got time since you’re payin’ for it.”

When the men had left for the far end of the paddock, Henry turned to Alec. “You and I will stay at this end. We can’t be too careful, y’know.”

“No, we can’t,” Alec agreed.