- Max Regnery: [Max has called Red and Jake into his office after the stable fires] What happened?
- Jake: I dunno. Honest.
- Max Regnery: Red?
- Red O'Malley: I wasn't here.
- Max Regnery: You weren't here?
- Red O'Malley: I didn't know you went into town.
- Max Regnery: Didn't you tell Red?
- Jake: I didn't know he was going anywhere!
- [Max rolls his eyes]
- Red O'Malley: I told you!
- Jake: When?
- Max Regnery: Where'd you get off to, anyway?
- Red O'Malley: Comanche needed exercise.
- Max Regnery: So you just took off? Like before. You put people's lives at risk, the horses, NOT TO MENTION THE REST OF THE PROPERTY!
- [the Saddle Club listens in as Max continues to yell at Red through his office]
- Max Regnery: I trusted you, Red. I gave you a second chance when no one else would. You promised me you changed, that it wouldn't happen again!
- Red O'Malley: I have changed! It wasn't like that!
- Max Regnery: [shaking his head in disappointment] I'm really disappointed in you, Red. You let me down.
- Red O'Malley: Well, you don't have to worry about that! I quit!
- [Red slams the door outside Max's office, and The Saddle Club watches as Red storms out]
- Stephanie 'Stevie' Lake: What are you doing, Jake? There must be heaps to do around the place now that Red's gone.
- Jake: Yeah, I was just thinking about that. It's sad, you know, that Red's gone. I'm feeling a bit guilty.
- Lisa Atwood: Why?
- Jake: Oh, shoulda been more of a help to him, you know? I was goofing off all the time, not doing what he told me.
- Carole Hanson: Yeah, he was real cross with you the other day.
- Stephanie 'Stevie' Lake: When you were playing music for Veronica and Kristi, instead of bringing the hay in.
- Jake: Yeah, it was a bad move for me, too. By the time I got the stuff out, it was drenched by the rain. It was twice as heavy.
- Carole Hanson: You didn't bring it in before the rain?
- Jake: No. Well, I said I did, but I didn't.
- Stephanie 'Stevie' Lake: Jake, hay can catch fire as it dries out in a warm place.
- Mrs. Reg: [after firefighters put out a barn fire] Thank goodness they got all the horses out. How's Delilah?
- Dr. Judy Barker: She's very lucky. The blanket prevented any burns. She's still in shock, so keep an eye on her. If she goes off her feed, let me know.
- Max Regnery: [referring to Barq's burn spot on his left leg] And Barq?
- Dr. Judy Barker: Oh, it's not deep. I'll give him an antibiotic shot just to be on the safe side. These girls deserve a medal, reacting as quickly as they did. Do you know how the fire started?
- Max Regnery: Fire chief's looking into it.
- [to Red and Jake]
- Max Regnery: You two, in my office, now.
- Kristi Cavanaugh: I've never seen a barn fire before. I was totally freaked.
- Veronica di Angelo: I don't know how it could've gotten started.
- Kristi Cavanaugh: You don't think it was the light we left on the hay bale, do you?
- Veronica di Angelo: No. No, I don't.
- Jake: [sighs] Max thinks Red's responsible.
- Kristi Cavanaugh: Red? How?
- Jake: I don't know. He said something about this being Red's second chance or something.
- Veronica di Angelo: What does that mean, that's he's done it before?
- Kristi Cavanaugh: Red didn't do anything, but I think we might.
- Veronica di Angelo: If Max finds out about that light, he'll ban us from Pine Hollow forever. Think about that, Kirsti.
- Kristi Cavanaugh: We can't let Red take the blame.
- Jake: Well, he just quit. He's going anyway.
- Kristi Cavanaugh: Oh, no.
- [stands up, but Veronica restains her]
- Red O'Malley: [Lisa shows him an old newspaper regarding a fire he was involved in] How did you find this?
- Lisa Atwood: Deborah and I looked it up in the newspaper's archives. You trained at Greenwood Stables, then you quit for no reason... around the same time the barn burnt down. That's what Max meant when he said he gave you a second chance, right?
- Red O'Malley: He gave me a chance when no one would... and I let him down.
- Lisa Atwood: What happened at Greenwood?
- Red O'Malley: I was practically part of the family. I worked there. I lived there. I was training for the nationals. We were close to being selected when I blew it in one of the trials. I wasn't concentrating. My trainer was really mad, and we had a huge fight. It was my job to check the stables and make sure everything was okay for the night... but I took off.
- Lisa Atwood: But you didn't start it.
- Red O'Malley: It doesn't matter. It was my responsibility, and I just took off. Guess some things never change, huh?
- Lisa Atwood: But it was an accident! Why did you leave?
- Red O'Malley: [exhales] We didn't get all the horses out in time. They were so badly burnt, we had to put two of them down. One was mine.
- Lisa Atwood: [on the verge of crying] Oh, Red.
- Red O'Malley: Joker was the most incredible horse. We had this bond, you know? Like we completely trusted each other. He would've done anything for me and... and look what I did to him. Maybe I'm a jinx, huh?
- Mrs. Reg: Why dredge up something from way back in the past?
- Max Regnery: Then why did he quit at the moment I pointed out this was the second fire he'd been involved in?
- Mrs. Reg: Oh, Max, I'm surprised at you, I really am. What do you tell your students, day in and day out, about getting the best out of a horse, and more so for people, surely? Isn't it trust? Build trust and confidence, and the horse will be your servant and your friend?
- Max Regnery: No, he should've been here, Mum
- Mrs. Reg: You didn't listen to his side of the story.
- Max Regnery: Oh...
- [door opens]
- Lisa Atwood: Jake has something he wants to tell you.
- Mrs. Reg: You're really leaving?
- Red O'Malley: What choice do I have?
- Mrs. Reg: I know you didn't start that fire, Red.
- Red O'Malley: How do you know?
- Mrs. Reg: Because there's not much I don't see. And in you, I see a dedicated stable hand, who'd-who'd rather hurt himself than hurt a horse. And you're conscientious.
- Red O'Malley: But according to Max, I'm irresponsible. And if he's gonna think the worst of me and bring up a mistake from the past, I can't work here.
- Mrs. Reg: Oh, Red.
- [Red continues walking until Jake spots him]
- Jake: Red. Um, I was thinking I should go with you.
- Red O'Malley: What?
- Jake: Well... I don't know. You got me this job. I mean, you're me mate.
- Red O'Malley: Jake, this has nothing to do with you. Plus, you like it here... but thanks.