The Black broke into a long, loping gait and ran toward Alec, as he walked into the field. “Better get back, Alec,” yelled Henry. “If he doesn’t slow up, he’ll hit you.”

The stallion thundered down upon the boy. Five yards away he swerved, barely missing him. He ran to the fence, turned and once again ran toward him. He swerved as he had done before. “Better get out of there, Alec,” Henry warned.

“He just wants to play, Henry,” Alec yelled over his shoulder. “We did this all the time on the island! It’s like a game of tag.”

“Yeah,” Henry called, “some fun!” He watched as Alec ran after the Black until he got him into a corner. The stallion reared and pawed the ground. He ran to one side, then to the other. Alec slowly approached him, both hands spread apart. The Black snorted, his long mane falling over his eyes. Suddenly Alec ran toward him. The stallion whirled and broke for the side. Alec reached out and slapped him on the hindquarters. The Black ran to the center of the field, then turned and looked back, shaking his head.

“What a pair!” Henry said to himself.

The stallion charged back at the boy, again swerving when he was almost on top of him. For ten minutes Henry watched the strangest game he had ever witnessed. And slowly he began to understand the strange understanding that had grown between this wild stallion and the boy.

A few minutes later Alec came up to him. His shirt was wet with sweat and his blue eyes glistened with excitement. “Do you see, Henry,” he exclaimed, “he just wanted to play! Look at him, Henry—did you ever see anything so great in all your life?”

The Black had broken into a gallop and was running around the field. His mane flew back in the wind, and as he neared them his powerful strides shook the ground. He swept past. Henry didn’t say anything until the stallion had come to a stop at the other end of the field, had whirled and looked back at them. Henry’s own eyes were bright, too. “No,” he said, “I’ve never seen anything like him—not even Chang.

“I wrote to my friend in the Jockey Club,” he continued after a moment’s silence. “I explained the situation and asked if there wasn’t some way we could check up on the Black’s pedigree. He should be registered somewhere.”

“How long before he’ll answer you, Henry?”

“Should be sometime this week, telling us what to do, anyway.”

“I hope so,” Alec said. “It can’t be too soon for me.”

“Me, either.… Guess we’d better bring him in now; he’s been out long enough. Then we’ll make the fence a little higher in spots, so we won’t be chasing him through the park like we did yesterday.”

The boy whistled and the Black came running toward him. Alec grabbed him by the halter and rubbed his nose. He was leading him toward the barn when he heard someone shout, “Hey, Alec, keep away! Don’t bring him in here! We’re here!” The stallion snorted.