“Neither did I,” answered Alec. He felt the Black’s legs and sides. “It would be swell if you could get me some clean cloths,” he said. “I have to be careful of these cuts.”

“Sure thing!” the sailor answered. “We’re shoving off in a few minutes, but I’ll be back with ’em as soon as I can.”

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7

Alec heard the ship’s whistle give three short blasts. The last horse came into the hold, shying nervously as he passed the Black’s stall. The stallion reached his great head out over the door, his ears pricked forward, and his eyes moving from stall to stall.

The boat trembled as the engines began to turn over. Alec bent down to wet the cloth in his hand. “It won’t be long now,” he thought. Carefully he cleaned a deep cut in the Black’s side where the chestnut had kicked him. He felt the stallion quiver as the antiseptic entered the wound. He was so big and powerful. Would he prove too much for Alec to handle? And what would his mother and father say when they saw him? He had thought of a place to keep him. Two blocks from their house in Flushing was an old run-down estate. The large, brown house was now being used to accommodate tourists. But in the rear was an old barn, badly in need of repair, and an acre of ground. It would be an ideal place to stable the Black. If only his parents would let him keep the stallion, he would fix up the barn himself, and find work after school to pay for his feed.

Alec finished his work, and the Black turned his head. “Had a pretty tough day, haven’t you, fella?” The stallion shook his head, and shoved his nose against the boy’s chest, pushing him back against the wall. Alec laughed and picked up the pail and cloths.

He shut the door of the stall behind him. The stallion’s nostrils quivered; his eyes followed Alec as he backed slowly away. “Take it easy now, Boy,” he said. “I have to see what my own bunk looks like!”

The Black screamed as Alec began to climb the stairs. There was a loud crash as the stallion’s hoofs went through the side of the stall. Alec rushed back. “Easy, Boy,” he said. “Easy.” The Black shoved his nose toward him, and he placed his hand upon the tender skin.

Grooms from the other stalls came running toward them. “Everything all right?” one asked.

“Yes,” answered Alec. “He’s still excited.”

“He’s a mean one, he is! You’ll have to watch him!”

“He just doesn’t like to be left alone,” said Alec, “so I guess I’ll stick around.”

The grooms went back to their jobs. Alec looked at the stallion. “Black,” he said, “you’re something!” He went around to the side of the stall and pushed the broken board back into place. He looked around the hold, and noticed that the grooms had opened cots and were placing them beside the stalls. Alec found one and did the same. “Looks as though I’m going to bunk down here whether I like it or not,” he said.