I wasn't sure how long I'd been at Birtwick Park, for horses don't keep track of time the way humans do.
But it had been long enough for everything about the place to feel familiar.
I was used to my life there, and to the horses and people.
I never expected anything to change.
Then one day the squire came to the stable.
John Manly had just ridden me out for some exercise.
Now he was grooming me while James fetched some oats from the shed where the horses' feed was stored.
When the squire came over, his face was serious. He was holding a letter.
John immediately noticed the squire's serious face.
He quickly led me into my stall and shut the door behind me.
Then he turned to face the squire.
"Good morning, sir," he said. "What can I do for you?"
"Good morning, John." The squire's voice was as serious as his face.
"I need to ask you something. Do you have any complaints about young James?"
James himself had just emerged from the feed shed.
He stood there in the doorway looking surprised.
But John was quick to answer. "Complaints, sir?" he said. "Absolutely not."
"Is he a hard worker?" the squire asked.
"Or does he get lazy when your back is turned?"
"He works as hard as I do," John said.
"I've never known him to be lazy about anything."
"That's good." The squire glanced at the letter he was holding.
"But now I have another question for you.
When he goes out with the horses to exercise them or to deliver a message, does he do only what he's supposed to be doing?
Or do you think he might sometimes stop to talk with his friends?"
"I have no reason to suspect that," John said, frowning.
"And if anybody has been saying that sort of thing about James, I want to know who it is.
James is the most honest young man I know, and the hardest worker too.
He's gentle and clever with the horses, and I never worry about leaving him in charge when I have to go somewhere.
If anyone wants to say otherwise, send him to me!"
The squire's serious look disappeared. He chuckled and glanced over at James.
"Come on out, young man," he said to him.
"I'm glad to hear that John's opinion of you is the same as my own.
Now let me tell you why I needed to hear it."
James came out to the yard. He looked nervous.
"What is it, sir?" he asked. "Has someone been saying bad things about me?"
"Not at all, my boy," the squire assured him. "I'm sorry to worry you.
But I needed to make sure I got John's honest opinion.
You see, my brother-in-law just wrote to me."
He held up the letter.
Then he explained that his brother-in-law was looking for a groom.
"His old coachman has been with him for thirty years," he went on.
"He wants a young man to work with him for a few years and take over when he retires.
It would be a good job, with a fair salary and a nice place to live."
"Oh," John said slowly. "I see.
Well, I'll miss James if he takes the job, sir.
But nobody deserves a good opportunity more than he does."
"I agree," the squire said. "So do you think he can do the job?"
"Yes, I do," John replied. "He doesn't have much experience in driving yet.
But he can do everything else there is to do around the stable, and do it well.
Your brother-in-law would be lucky to have him."
I was listening along with the other horses.
At first I didn't understand all of what the men were saying.
But Merrylegs, who understands humans better than any of us, figured it out.
James was going to be leaving us in about a month to work at another stable.
In the meantime he needed practice driving the carriage as much as he could.
For the next few weeks, the carriage went out more than ever before.
Normally the squire only used it when his wife was going somewhere with him.
But now Ginger and I were hitched to the carriage for every errand, no matter how small.
At first John rode along to give instructions while James drove.
After a while James was allowed to take us out by himself.
His driving got better all the time.
Finally the squire decided it was time for the final test.
He and his wife wanted to pay a visit to some friends who lived about fifty miles away.
It would be a two-day trip, and James would drive them there and back.