Ted, with a hangover, hobbles off to work the fields. As he reaches the gate, the goose snaps at his heels. Ted dismisses him with a stare and heads for the stables.
Albert walks Joey around the yard on the rope. It all seems to be going well. Mrs. Narracott looks on. Albert is clearly proud of his progress and then the rope is given to Christina to also walk Joey.
Albert's friend, Andrew Easton, sits on a rock with an apple in hand to watch the training. Christina sets Joey in a spot and tells him to wait. "Whoa. I want you to stay there, Joey. Stay. That's it. Good boy. That's it, you've got it." Of course when Christina and Albert walks away, Joey follows.A game of 'Grandma's footsteps' ensues as Albert patiently places Joey then walks away.
"Hey, look at him, Albie. He's playing 'Grandma's Footsteps.'" Andrew said, smiling.
Christina patiently leads Joey back to his starting position. "Right, come on, Joey. Back you go. Come on. Back you go. You're all right. That's it. Good boy. Right. You've gotta stay there, understand?"
Christinaina walks away again.
"That's it. Good boy. You've got it. Good boy." Finally Joey stays put.
Andrew smiles, impressed. "Good boy. Good." Andrew whispered then to Christinatina and Albert he said "Now call him. Whistle."
"Come now, Joey. Come on." Albert whistles like an owl. Joey stands completely still. "You can come now, Joey." He whistles again. Joey remains still.
"Don't think he fancies your owls."
Albert walks back to Joey, frustrated. "No, I read it in a story. It's how the Indians used to summon their horses." He gently strokes Joey's nose."Now, Joey, when I whistle, you've gotta come, understand?" Albert stayed stroking Joey.
"My Ted had a dog who stayed when you called him. He used to run up behind you when you weren't looking, and uh..."
Andrew was cut off by Albert"He's not a dog. He's just puzzling it through." then without the boys knowing Chistina walked back a bit more furthus and did the whistle while Albert was still stroking Joey. Joey leaps from Albert and ran over to Christinatina who he knocks down accidently but hugs him when she gets back up.
"Brilliant. Look at you." Andrew said looking at the girl and horse as the girl giggled.
With the basis established, Albert begins to train Joey to react to the owl whistle without his prompting. It's not all easy going - sometimes Albert makes progress, sometimes not.
Mrs. Narracott fills a bucket at the pump, then promptly spills it when Joey trots past her in response to an owl whistle. She calls off, frustrated. "Christinatina!" but she smiles.
Ted heads out to the fields with a rake on his shoulder. There's an owl call and Joey trots past him in the background. Ted sees Christinatina being knocked down by Joey but is happy when she get back up and giggles while she and Albert stroke Joey on his nose affectionately. Ted walks on, his expression inscrutable.
Joey trots up a path, pursuing another owl call. After several more calls, he still can't spot Albert nor, until he cranes his neck up and sees Albert sitting in a nearby tree with Christinatina hanging up-side down from it. She and Albert laughs.
Lyons is there with his son, David, and his unlikable cronies. He holds a meager handful of cash. Ted and Mrs. Narracott look chastened. The mood is sombre.
"There's only fifteen here." Lyons stated.
"The rest will come." Ted Told.
"You know by rights I could take this farm back today, don't you? And I'm a great believer in my rights." Christinatina who was standing off in the corner, rolled her eyes at Lyons statement.
"It will come."
"If you drank less beer and bought fewer horses you might be able to look your landlord in the eye, Narracott." Lyons begins loading up his ledger into his bag.
"I said I'll pay you. We got to plant the bottom field."
"Bottom field's rock hard. Only stones down there."
"No, we're going to plow it. Just give me `til the autumn. I'll pay every penny I owe you. With interest."
"How you going to plow it? Not with that fancy animal of yours?" Lyons questioned.
"He'll do it." Ted nodded.
"You'll not get that one in a harness, let alone pulling a plow. Even drunk on a Tuesday night, you know that. And I can't wait for the money - there's a war coming." Keep on saying that Lyons and it will happen, Christinatina thought, does he want it to happen.
Ted stands up from his chair, resolute. "I promise you that field will be plowed. We'll plant it with turnips. And the money will be yours when harvest comes."
Christinatina interjects,pretending to be desperate. "Please, sir. Please."
Lyons takes his time. He looks at them - Christinatina, Ted and Mrs. Narracott, almost beaten. "Very well - if that fancy plows that field I'll give you till October to set things straight."
Lyons heads for the door, but Albert stands in his way. "What if he doesn't?"
"I'll take the horse on the day he fails. And I'll take your father's farm and give it to working men who can hold their pints and hold their heads high in decent company." Lyons tries to move past, but Albert grabs his arm.
"No, please. Sir, you can't do that."
"Now, now, now, lad. What - are you bladdered as well?! Ted Narracott - I got you down in my book!"
Albert knows he has to back down. Lyons walks past him and leaves with David and his cronies.
Ted stands in the kitchen immobile with upset.
Ted throws open the stable door, jerks the harness from the wall, throws open Joey's stall and starts to lunge at the horse. Christinatina and Albert runs in to try to stop him. "You can't harness him."
"He's got to be collared." Ted starts to grapple with Joey desperately flailing in an attempt to get the harness onto Joey. Joey is completely confused and frightened.
"No, you can't. Look, you're scaring him, Ted. You're scaring him." Christinatina begged.
"He...He can't take a plow!" Albert said, desperate
Joey tries to push Ted out of the way, Ted frustrated by this hits Joey hard with the harness. "He's got to plow!"
"He won't be able to do it - he's too young - he's not even been backed yet..." Albert panicked.
Joey rears up and kicks Ted. Who falls to the ground. "Ted!" shrieked Mrs. Narracott.
Christinatina grabs Joey's bridle. Joey wrestles with her. "It's alright, boy. It's alright. It's alright. It's alright."
Ted is mad with anger and frustration - and in pain. He staggers to his feet and leaves. Albert calms Joey down. Mrs. Narracott returns the harness to its hook. "I knew this would happen soon as I laid eyes on him..." But then she notices Ted has returned. He has a gun.
"Ted. No. Ted, no!"
"He's worth nothing to me! If he won't take the collar, he's not worth a damn thing!" Ted shouted
"Ted?" Albert grabs the rifle, but Ted shoves him away.
"Move aside." Ted raises the rifle, but Albert wrestles for it again.
"Ted. Stop." Furious with frustration Ted throws Albert to the ground and takes aim at the horse.
Mrs. Narracott quickly pulls the gun aside. "You shoot that horse we have nothing." Ted whips the gun back towards Joey to find Christinatina standing between them - right in front of the gun's barrel. For a second they think Christinatina will be inadvertently shot. "NO!" screamed.
Ted pauses his finger just in time then Albert moves in front of his sister who stayed by Joey and gently holds the barrel of the gun then Speaks calmly. "You were right what you said, Ted. 'He'll do it,' you told Lyons, 'He'll plow that field.' And he will! You'll see. He'll show you. We'll show you. We'll get it done."
Ted looks at him, frozen. Mrs. Narracott eases the gun away from him - "Let go. Let go." - and hands it to Albert, telling him and Christinatina - "Go back to the house." As she and Albert leaves, Ted takes out his flask. But Mrs. Narracott takes it from him gently. He doesn't resist. "Here, here. Some days are best forgotten. Today ain't one of them. Come on."
They exit the stable together, leaving Joey in his stall.