“Why the big smile?” George asked when he saw Albert at band practice on Sunday. “It’s going well with Emily, is it?”
“You could say that,” smiled Albert, refusing to explain.
Monday morning at the pit, Joe introduced Albert to Henry, who was going to teach him how to drive a pony. Henry led him to the stables, where they signed out a pony from the horse-keeper.
“You must get used to this pony,” said Henry. “Because you’ll be working with him for the whole of his, or your, working life, whichever ends first.”
Albert was not sure he appreciated Henry’s dark sense of humour.
The horse-keeper wrote the details of the pony into the record book and handed it over to Henry.
“Take care of this pony,” said Henry. “And the pony will look after you. The sixth sense of a pony has saved many a d
