Part 11 (1/2)

”Hold tight, my friend. You'll find out,” Henry said.

Five minutes later they came to a stop beside the track. Henry and Alec climbed out. A tall, broad-shouldered man stood beside Joe; his hat was shoved back off his forehead and Alec saw long streaks of gray running through his black hair. Somehow Jim Neville looked just as Alec had imagined he would. Joe introduced them.

After the introductions, Jim said, ”Frankly,” and his eyes squinted quizzically, ”it's only the newspaper man in me that gets me out here tonight, because as much faith as I have in my pal Joe here, I can't imagine any horse in racing-today anyway-that can match strides with Cyclone or Sun Raider!”

Henry smiled. ”Sure,” he said, ”I'd say the same thing if I hadn't seen the Black run!”

Jim Neville looked questioningly at Henry. ”Say, you're not by any chance the same Henry Dailey who rode Chang to victory in all those races about twenty years ago, are you?”

”Sure he is!” Alec said proudly.

Jim Neville pulled his hat down over his forehead. Alec could see that once again he was the reporter on the scent of a story. ”And you believe,” Jim said seriously, ”that you've got a horse here that can beat both Sun Raider and Cyclone?”

”Yep,” Henry answered. ”It's Alec's horse; I just help train him.”

Joe Russo spoke up. ”Why not show him the Black, Henry, and then we'll let him draw his own conclusions?”

”Good idea,” said Alec as he walked toward the back of the truck.

He led the Black out on the ramp. ”Say,” he heard Jim exclaim, ”he is a giant of a horse!” The stallion shook his head. He was full of life tonight for he knew well that he was going to run. His small, savagely beautiful head turned toward the group of men below him. He drew up, made a single effort to jump, which Alec curbed, and then stood quivering while the boy talked soothingly and patted him.

Jake came up and Henry introduced him to Joe and Jim. ”Say,” Jake smiled, ”this is growin' into quite a s.h.i.+ndig, isn't it?”

Jim walked carefully around the stallion.

”Watch out. He might kick, if you get too close,” warned Alec. ”He doesn't know you.”

”Don't worry! I won't get too close to this fellow,” Jim said. ”I'm beginning to see what you fellows mean,” he added. ”If he can run as well as he looks-”

Henry disappeared into the truck and came out leading Napoleon.

”Hey, what've you got here-another champion?” Jim threw back his head and howled.

”This is Napoleon.” Henry grinned.

”He has sort of a quieting effect on the Black, so we always bring him along,” Alec explained.

Jim Neville watched as Napoleon reached his nose up toward the stallion's. ”Maybe not such a bad idea, after all,” he said.

A few minutes later they boosted Alec into the saddle. The Black pawed the ground. Jim Neville got too close and the Black's teeth snapped as he tried to reach him. Henry held him back. It was plain to see he wasn't used to seeing so many people around at one time. He tossed his head up and down, his heavy mane falling over his forehead. Suddenly he rose on his hind legs, tearing the bridle out of Henry's grasp; his legs struck out, hitting Henry in the arm.

Alec pulled hard on the reins and jerked him to the side. ”Black!” he said. ”Down!” The men retreated quickly to a safe distance. Jake was rolling up Henry's sleeve, which was wet with blood.

”Did he get you bad, Henry?” Alec asked.

Jake and Henry were inspecting the wound. ”Nothing broke,” answered Jake. ”Just a bad cut; we'll go up to the First Aid Room and fix it!”

”No, we won't,” Henry said. ”I came down here to watch this workout and I'm going to see it. I'll take care of this later-you gotta take more'n a cut in this business.”

”He sure is a devil!” Jim Neville yelled from the other side of the Black.

”We got him excited, that's all,” answered Henry. ”First time he's done that to me.”

Again the stallion reared and Alec brought him down. ”Get him out on the track, kid,” Jake yelled.

The Black pranced nervously as they went through the gate. Once again Alec felt his body grow warm with excitement. He patted the crest on the stallion's neck. ”We're off, fella,” he said. Alec looked back at the small group of men behind him. They were all leaning on the fence, watching eagerly.

Joe Russo's voice drifted toward him. ”That kid's not going on any picnic,” he said.

Alec grasped the reins still tighter and leaned over until his head touched the stallion's. He knew full well the danger that was his every time he rode the Black, especially when he let him loose on the track. The stallion would never hurt him knowingly, but once he got his head he was no longer the Black that Alec knew-but once again a wild stallion that had never been clearly broken, and never would be!

Suddenly the Black bolted. His action s.h.i.+fted marvelously as his powerful legs swept over the ground. Fleet hoofbeats made a clattering roar in Alec's ears. The stallion's speed became greater and greater. Alec's body grew numb, the terrific speed made it hard for him to breathe. Once again the track became a blur, and he was conscious only of the endless white fence slipping by. His fingers grasped the stallion's mane and his head hung low beside his neck. His only thought was to remain on the Black's back and to stay alert. His breath came in short gasps, the white fence faded from his vision; desperately he tried to open his eyes, but his lids seemed held down by weights. Bells began to ring in his ears. Alec's fingers tightened on the Black's mane. He lost all track of time-then the world started turning upside down.

It seemed hours later that he felt arms reach around his waist. Then the next thing he knew, he found himself lying flat on his back beside the truck. He looked up at the men grouped around him. Henry knelt beside him, his white handkerchief stained with large dark spots bulging around his arm. Alec's eyes fell to his own hands. Strands of long, black hair were clenched between doubled fists. Questioningly he looked up at Henry.

”How-” he began.

”It's all right, kid. You wouldn't let go of him. Feel all right?”

”Kinda dizzy,” answered Alec. ”Where's the Black?”

”He's okay-we put him in the truck with Napoleon.”

”Did I fall off, Henry?” Alec asked.

Jake's high-pitched voice reached Alec's ears. ”Fall off?” he said. ”Boy, if that hoss was still running, you'd still be on him. Took all of us to get you off his back when he did stop, and then Henry was the only one of us who could get near him.”

”I'm glad I stuck on him,” Alec said. ”Y'know, Henry, we've never seen that horse run his fastest yet. I just couldn't seem to breathe that time.”

”Takes courage to ride him, kid,” Henry answered. ”I'm pretty proud of you, but let's try getting you to your feet. Better for you if you can walk around.”

Alec swayed a little as Henry and Jake lifted him up, but gradually the earth stopped turning around and his brain cleared. He breathed in the night air deeply.

Jim Neville came up. ”Kid,” he said, ”I've seen a lot of riding in my day, but never any to equal that!” Jim then turned to Henry. ”You were right, Mr. Dailey-he is the fastest horse we've ever seen. I can hardly believe what I saw with my own eyes but”-Jim held the face of a stopwatch up in front of Henry-”I can't deny this!” Then he turned brusquely to Joe Russo. ”And now, Joe, we both have a deadline to make, so let's get going.”

”Right, Jim.”

”Come around again-anytime you want,” Henry urged, ”and we'll let you see the grandest animal on four feet run without even charging admission.”

Jim Neville's eyes twinkled. ”A lot of people are going to see that horse in action if I have anything to say about it!” he said.

Alec felt the earth whirl around him again. ”Honest, Jim,” he said, ”do you think we could?”

”I'm not promising anything, kid,” replied Jim, ”but I'm going to start something or I miss my guess. Take a look at my column tomorrow. And now we do have to get going. Come on, Joe.”

”I'll go along with you and let you out,” said Jake.