The Black Stallion

replied more quickly than Tom thought he would.
    "A race record of two o three at the Reading Fair," George said.
    "No!" Jimmy half-shouted. "Then she broke the world's record for two-year-olds!"
    "Yes, she
did"
George answered quietly.
    "Then the filly was the one Miss Elsie's been waitin' for," Jimmy said thoughtfully.
    Tom was looking out the window again, hoping Jimmy would stop there. Everything George had said so far was the truth. Princess Guy
had
broken the world's record at the Reading Fair. It was after that that she had been beaten by Bonfire in a
new
world's record of 1:59- Yes, Princess Guy was the one that Miss Elsie had been waiting for. But Jimmy hadn't heard her say, "It's too bad for me, Tom, that your colt came along the same year. Princess Guy is still the one I'd wanted. She's faster than Mr. Guy, and that's all I could ask. It's no disgrace for her to be beaten by Bonfire… it's
his
year. But maybe next season will be
ours"
she'd added hopefully.
    "What race record did you give Bonfire at the fairs, Tom?" When the boy didn't seem to hear him, Jimmy repeated his question.
    "He won in two nineteen
… at the fairs"
Tom said.
    "Port Royal Fair," George added quickly.
    "You shoulda let him out more," Jimmy said. "He can go a lot faster than that… maybe even give the black filly some sort of a race. But she sure must have gone!" Jimmy added, shaking his head. "Just imagine
any
two-year-old going in two o three!"
    Jimmy was silent after that, and Tom and George didn't speak either, for they had no wish to keep Jimmy on the subject of records.
    They were well out of Pittsburgh and only a few miles from the town of Coronet when they came to the road leading across the fields to the stables.
    "Turn here, George," Jimmy said. "I just want to take a peek at him."
    Tom stopped breathing, while George's knuckles on the steering wheel turned white.
    "Mrs. Davis probably has supper all ready for you," George said. "Besides, the doc said—"
    "Mrs. Davis is workin' for me, and she'll wait," Jimmy interrupted, a little angry. "An' Doc Morton said for me to take it easy, nothin' more. He didn't say I couldn't take a look at my colt!"
    Still, George did not slow the car to make the turn. "It's too late," he said. "I got to get home… so has Tom."
    "Who's going to feed and bed down the colt then?" Jimmy asked, and he was more angry now. "You got to take care of him, haven't you? Well, I'll just go along with you
now
."
    Tom saw the reddening of Jimmy's face. "Sure," he said, "you might just as well go along with us, then you can stay home and relax knowing everything is okay with Bonfire." Tom turned to meet George's surprised look. "It's late and Miss Elsie or the
others
won't be around to bother Jimmy."
    "No one's goin' to bother me, Tom," Jimmy half-shouted. "You two treat me like y'would a baby!"
    George was slowing the car, then he made the turn. No one spoke after that until they were within sight of the long gray sheds.
    "Boy, it's good to see them again," Jimmy said, smiling. "That sight is better for me than any medicine in the world."
    Tom's eyes were on the sheds, too. He hoped desperately that all the visitors to Bonfire's stall had gone. It was after five o'clock; they should be gone. If they had, things might work out all right. If they hadn't… well, he wouldn't think about that.
    They approached the road that ran down between the sheds. Tom saw no cars at the far end, not even Miss Elsie's jeep. So she'd gone home for the day. George, too, was watching closely for any sign of visitors.
    Then they turned into the row, and down at the end in front of their shed were the parked cars! But now there was no turning back.
    Jimmy saw the cars, and then the people leaving Bonfire's shed.
    "What are all those people doin' here?" He was surprised, but not excited. He just wanted to know.
    "They must have come to see Princess Guy," George said quickly without turning to Jimmy.
    Jimmy's gaze went to Miss Elsie's shed which they were passing. "Why aren't they there, then?"
    "Miss Elsie's gone home, so I guess we're just getting the overflow," George returned. "After all, we got a good-looking colt, Jimmy."
    Tom didn't know how George could think so fast, for he wasn't able to think at all.
    George stopped the car a good distance from their shed.
    "What you stoppin' here for?" Jimmy asked.
    Opening the door on his side, George said, "I thought I'd go first and get rid of those people. You an' Tom wait