He knew Satan was well able to take care of himself in the paddock but he couldn’t smile—not with Henry’s eyes, full of concern, boring into his own.

A few minutes later, Henry led the great champion through the paddock gate and set him free.

“You get down the fence a piece,” Henry told Alec. “Don’t let him hurt himself.”

Alec moved along the fence, watching Satan as he galloped up the field. The horse was stretching out but had full control of himself. Satan was smart enough not to run into any fence even though it was his first outdoor frolic in a long while. It would take only a few minutes for him to become accustomed to freedom again. Alec saw the two men at the far end of the pasture raise their hands, waving down Satan as he neared the fence. The horse turned and came back, snorting joyously at Napoleon in the next paddock.

Alec watched Satan in full gallop. As the horse neared, the boy raised his hand a little, more to pacify Henry than to keep the horse from running into the fence. Satan went past, galloped across to Henry, then went up the paddock again.

Alec’s eyes continued to follow him, but now he was comparing Satan with his sire.

His head is much heavier and larger than the Black’s. He pushes it out when he’s galloping, while the Black ’most always runs with a high head. Satan’s neck is shorter and more muscular. And his body is so heavy that it gives you the feeling of grossness. But when he stretches out, as he’s doing now, you forget his great bulk and see only the beauty of his coordination. He’s like the Black in many ways, but very different in others.

A short while later, when Satan had settled down and was moving quietly about the paddock, Henry let the drivers go. Now he stood beside Alec at the fence, just watching his horse.

“It’s not Satan I’m worried about,” Alec said after a while. “I know he’s glad to be back. But what are you going to be like—without a horse to get ready for next season’s races?”

“You don’t need to worry about me none.”

Alec tried to catch his friend’s eye. But Henry kept following Satan’s every movement.

“Are you going to be happy helping me around here?” Alec asked.

“Sure.”

“I’m not so sure,” Alec said. “You’re not much of a stock-farm man.”

“I got Satan to look after.”

“But it won’t be the same for you. You won’t be getting him ready for any races.”

“No, I won’t,” Henry said glumly. He glanced quickly toward the far pasture where the weanlings played, then back to Satan. “By this time next year I’ll start getting those fellows ready.”

“But in the meantime?” Alec asked.

Henry shifted his weight against the fence, then pushed himself upright with a thrust of his shoulder. “Would you think I was nuts if I told you I wanted to buy a horse to race next spring?”

Alec smiled. “No, I wouldn’t. It’s more what I expected you to say.” He paused, running his hand around the collar of his tight turtleneck sweater. “We’ve got the farm paid off, and all the bills for the new barns, the fencing, and the training track have been paid. Dad showed me the books the other night. We don’t owe anybody, and there’s enough money left over for running expenses and for buying another horse if you know of a good one, Henry.”

The trainer pushed back his hat. “No, I wasn’t figuring it that way, Alec. I don’t want to use the farm’s money.