Albert whistled softly and the horse turned his long neck and gazed at them with wise and quizzical eye. "Ain't he a big un?" cried Cherry, the note of irony dropping from his voice in spite of himself.
Billy Bluff, who had been curled under the manger, came across the loose-box and sniffed the little ostler friendly.
"'Ullo, Billy!" said the old man. "Do you sleep in here?"
"Won't sleep nowhere else," answered Albert. "And what's more, Four Pound won't sleep unless his pal's with him. They've always had this loose-box atween 'em from the start. Miss Boy used to sleep in here, too, when he was a foal." The youth dropped his swank, and became confidential and keen. "Wonderful close friends, them two, you wouldn't believe. Four Pound had a cracked heel last autumn, and I used to bandage him at nights. He didn't like the bandages, and every night after I'd rugged him up and left him, Billy'd take and unwind the lot. Didn't you, Billy?"
He shut the door.
"Who's goin' to ride him?" asked Cherry.
"Me or Monkey," said Albert. "'Taint settled yet. Will be this morning."
He led along toward the saddle-room.
"You got your work cut if you're goin' to beat her," said Cherry.
"No fear!" answered Albert. "Got the Sunday paper? What are they layin'?"