Approximately thirty yards away, Alec came to a halt. “You just have to take us both, Captain! I can’t leave him!” he yelled.

“He’s too wild. We couldn’t take him, we couldn’t handle him!” came the answer.

“I can handle him. Look at him now!”

The Black was still, his head turned toward the freighter as if he understood what actually was going on. Alec’s arm was around his neck. “He saved my life, Captain. I can’t leave him here alone. He’ll die!”

The captain turned, spoke with the men in the boat. Then he shouted, “There isn’t any possible way of getting that devil on board!” He paused. “How’re you going to get him out there?” The captain pointed to the ship.

“He can swim,” answered Alec. “He’ll follow me. I know he will.”

There was another discussion between captain and crew. When he turned, the captain’s heavily lined face was more grim than ever. He doffed his cap and ran a large hand through his gray hair. “Okay, son,” he said, “you win—but you’ll have to get him out there!”

Alec’s heart beat heavily and he gazed at the stallion. “Come on, Black,” he said. He walked forward a few steps. The Black hesitated and then followed. Again Alec moved ahead. Slowly they approached the group. Then the Black halted, his nostrils quivered and he reared.

“Get in the boat, Captain,” Alec shouted. “Move up to the bow. I’m going to get in the stern when you get her in the water.”

The captain ordered his men to shove off, and he and Pat climbed in; then they waited for Alec.

Alec turned to the Black. “This is our chance, Black,” he said. “Come on!” He could see the stallion was nervous; the horse had learned to trust him, but his natural instincts still warned him against the others. Soothingly Alec spoke to him. Slowly he backed away—the Black raised his head nervously, then followed. As the boy neared the boat, the stallion stopped. Alec kept backing up and climbed into the boat. “Row slowly,” he said, without turning his eyes away from the horse.

As they moved away from the beach Alec called, “Come on, Black!” The stallion pranced, his head and tail erect, his ears forward. He half-reared and then stepped into the water. Like a flash he was back on the beach, his foreleg pawing into the sand and sending it flying. His black eyes never left the boat as it moved slowly out into the water. He ran a short way down the beach, and then back again.

Alec realized the terrific fight that the stallion was waging with himself. He whistled. The Black stopped in his tracks and answered. Slowly the boat moved farther away.

Suddenly the stallion rose high into the air on his hind legs, and then plunged into the water. “Come on, Black,” shouted Alec. “Swim!”

The Black was in water up to his big chest now—then he was swimming and coming swiftly toward the boat.