Read Online The Black Stallion and the Girl by Walter Farley - Free Book Online
Authors: Walter Farley
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to the horses and back again—“… well,
friends
.”
He didn’t answer. Suddenly he was angered by her words, her accusation. It was easy for her to say such things, he thought. She had no farm to run, no payroll to meet. She had freedom of movement without any commitments or responsibilities to others.
His face became tense and hard, and he knew this was the opportune time to tell her she had to go, to explain that with Henry feeling the way he did it just wouldn’t work out for her to stay.
With Henry feeling the way he did
. But why place all the blame on Henry? Alec realized that he had just been using Henry’s arguments in justifying his own actions to himself. Was Pam so wrong in what she’d said? Did he have such a need for success, for security, thathe had forgotten the most important thing in his life? Was he angered at her or at
himself
?
She had walked over to Black Sand’s stall and he followed her, still undecided as to what he should say and hating himself for his indecision. Always before he had been positive in his decisions and he had no use for those who wavered in making up their minds. Was this too part of his training—black was black and white was white, with no shading, no time for doubt or understanding or compassion?
Pam had entered the stall and was braiding a flower in Black Sand’s mane. Alec watched but said nothing. It made no difference to him if all the horses in the barn wore flowers, but how would Henry have taken it? There was no point in this girl’s ever having a luxurious home when she so obviously preferred a horse barn, he decided. Her whole life was united with manes and shining coats and whinnies. They were only horses and yet without them what would life be like for Pam? Or for that matter for himself.
She turned toward him while taking her hands from Black Sand. He caught the colt’s gleaming eyes and said, “Watch out, Pam.”
He was too late with his warning. The colt had caught her outstretched hand with his teeth, holding it between his great soft lips. Though it was done as a playful gesture, it could have deadly serious consequences.
Both Pam and Alec remained very quiet. They knew she could not remove her hand from the colt’s mouth unless he opened it of his own accord. She dare not make a wrong, hasty move. Any mistake mightcause him to sever all her fingers in one chomping bite of his razor-edged teeth.
Alec took a step closer. If he could get his own hand to the colt’s mouth and insert his fingers at the bars, Black Sand might open up. He looked at her, standing quietly, at the complete mercy of the horse she dominated while riding.
“Come, come,” she scolded Black Sand. “Let go. This is no time to play.” The colt sniffed deeply, then snorted through blown-out nostrils.
Alec moved still closer. The colt’s eyes followed him and he saw a wantonness in them that he didn’t like. Black Sand might take off Pam’s fingers just for the fun of it without actually meaning her any harm.
“Who will look after you better than I?” she asked the colt. “Who loves you more?”
Alec listened to her, hoping the colt would succumb to her charm. But he doubted it very much.
Alec raised his hand slowly, hoping to reach the colt’s mouth without angering him. The colt’s eyes gleamed brighter and Alec quickly dropped his hand. He could not do it. One wrong move from him, and the colt would sever Pam’s fingers from her hand. Better to do it her way.
“Leave him be,” she said, her voice maintaining its friendly, singing quality, for her words were meant for the colt as well as Alec. “It is only a game.”
Yet, despite the cheerful rhythm of her words, Alec heard her swallow noisily. His heart went out to her. He wanted to leap forward to wrest her hand from the colt’s mouth, but it was the last thing he should do. He could do nothing but watch and listen, wait and hope.
“I will not be able to take care of you,” she told the colt.
friends
.”
He didn’t answer. Suddenly he was angered by her words, her accusation. It was easy for her to say such things, he thought. She had no farm to run, no payroll to meet. She had freedom of movement without any commitments or responsibilities to others.
His face became tense and hard, and he knew this was the opportune time to tell her she had to go, to explain that with Henry feeling the way he did it just wouldn’t work out for her to stay.
With Henry feeling the way he did
. But why place all the blame on Henry? Alec realized that he had just been using Henry’s arguments in justifying his own actions to himself. Was Pam so wrong in what she’d said? Did he have such a need for success, for security, thathe had forgotten the most important thing in his life? Was he angered at her or at
himself
?
She had walked over to Black Sand’s stall and he followed her, still undecided as to what he should say and hating himself for his indecision. Always before he had been positive in his decisions and he had no use for those who wavered in making up their minds. Was this too part of his training—black was black and white was white, with no shading, no time for doubt or understanding or compassion?
Pam had entered the stall and was braiding a flower in Black Sand’s mane. Alec watched but said nothing. It made no difference to him if all the horses in the barn wore flowers, but how would Henry have taken it? There was no point in this girl’s ever having a luxurious home when she so obviously preferred a horse barn, he decided. Her whole life was united with manes and shining coats and whinnies. They were only horses and yet without them what would life be like for Pam? Or for that matter for himself.
She turned toward him while taking her hands from Black Sand. He caught the colt’s gleaming eyes and said, “Watch out, Pam.”
He was too late with his warning. The colt had caught her outstretched hand with his teeth, holding it between his great soft lips. Though it was done as a playful gesture, it could have deadly serious consequences.
Both Pam and Alec remained very quiet. They knew she could not remove her hand from the colt’s mouth unless he opened it of his own accord. She dare not make a wrong, hasty move. Any mistake mightcause him to sever all her fingers in one chomping bite of his razor-edged teeth.
Alec took a step closer. If he could get his own hand to the colt’s mouth and insert his fingers at the bars, Black Sand might open up. He looked at her, standing quietly, at the complete mercy of the horse she dominated while riding.
“Come, come,” she scolded Black Sand. “Let go. This is no time to play.” The colt sniffed deeply, then snorted through blown-out nostrils.
Alec moved still closer. The colt’s eyes followed him and he saw a wantonness in them that he didn’t like. Black Sand might take off Pam’s fingers just for the fun of it without actually meaning her any harm.
“Who will look after you better than I?” she asked the colt. “Who loves you more?”
Alec listened to her, hoping the colt would succumb to her charm. But he doubted it very much.
Alec raised his hand slowly, hoping to reach the colt’s mouth without angering him. The colt’s eyes gleamed brighter and Alec quickly dropped his hand. He could not do it. One wrong move from him, and the colt would sever Pam’s fingers from her hand. Better to do it her way.
“Leave him be,” she said, her voice maintaining its friendly, singing quality, for her words were meant for the colt as well as Alec. “It is only a game.”
Yet, despite the cheerful rhythm of her words, Alec heard her swallow noisily. His heart went out to her. He wanted to leap forward to wrest her hand from the colt’s mouth, but it was the last thing he should do. He could do nothing but watch and listen, wait and hope.
“I will not be able to take care of you,” she told the colt.
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