Christmas and New Year are happy times for many people. But for cab (taxi) horses and drivers, it is a very busy time. They must work late every night. They wait in the cold and rain while people go to parties.
Jerry Barker had a very bad cough, but he still worked. One night, Jerry Barker and Black Beauty took two men to a house. The men told Jerry Barker to wait for them at eleven o'clock. Jerry Barker was there on time.
The weather was freezing. There was a lot of cold rain and wind. Jerry Barker waited for one hour, but the men did not come out. He waited for two hours. He was very cold and his cough was getting worse.
At one o'clock in the morning, the men finally came out. They did not say "sorry" to Jerry Barker. They were even angry about the price of the ride. When Jerry Barker and Black Beauty got home, Jerry Barker could hardly speak.
The next morning, Jerry Barker was very ill. He stayed in bed and the doctor came to see him. Polly Barker was very worried. Harry Barker looked after the horses, but he was very quiet and sad.
Governor Grant came to the stable to help. He told Harry Barker that Jerry Barker had bronchitis (a very bad sickness in the lungs that makes it hard to breathe). The doctor said Jerry Barker was lucky because he did not drink alcohol.
Governor Grant offered to help the family. He took Hotspur out to work every day. He gave half of the money to Polly Barker. This helped the family buy food for the horses while Jerry Barker was sick.
Jerry Barker slowly got better. But the doctor said Jerry Barker must stop driving a cab (taxi). The work was too hard for his health. The family did not know what to do for money.
One day, Polly Barker received a letter from Mrs. Fowler. Mrs. Fowler was Polly Barker's old mistress. She had a house in the country called Fairstowe. She wanted Jerry Barker to come and work for her.
Dolly Barker was very excited. She said, "We are going to live in a cottage! There is a garden and apple trees." Jerry Barker was going to be Mrs. Fowler's coachman. The family was very happy.
But this was sad news for Black Beauty. Jerry Barker had to sell the horses. Black Beauty was now older and tired. He was worried about his next owner. He knew he would miss Jerry Barker very much.
Governor Grant bought Hotspur. He also promised to find a good home for Black Beauty. On the last day, Polly Barker and the children came to say goodbye. They kissed Black Beauty and cried. Then, Black Beauty was led away.