The Black Stallion Legend Read Online Free PDF Page B

him through the open doorway. Alec’s hand slid to the halter, grasping it tightly in his great need to stay close to his horse. And he made no protests as the Black pulled him along faster once they were in the corridor, going he knew not where. Nor did he care.
    Several hours later Alec’s mind cleared somewhat and he found himself at the wheel of the pickup truck he used at the farm. He didn’t know how he’d gotten there or where he was going. His hands trembled on the wheel as he studied the winter road before him. There was an uncertainty about his movements and the truckskidded in the snow. It was as if he couldn’t remember how to do things, even drive.
    What was he doing there? What had happened to him?
    Half his mind was still with Pam and his thoughts paralyzed him. Alec shook his head, trying to see the road as distinctly as he saw Pam in his mind. She was standing before him, her head held high, smiling and so happy.
    His eyes were full of tears as he continued looking at her. She remained as he saw her, a girl who talked with her blue eyes, her tilted head. He looked at her without touching, his eyes dwelling on her face. His body shook. She was so warm and near, so very real to him that he could feel the taste of her upon his lips. He sought to hold her, and his foot pressed down on the accelerator.
    The truck slid off the road, its wheels spinning in the deep snow at the side where the snowplows had piled it. Alec banged his knee against the dashboard. The pain was excruciating. He rammed his foot hard on the accelerator and brought the truck back to the road, the wheels spinning wildly as they hit the slick pavement. He slowed down, knowing that while he would forever see Pam in his mind, he could not touch her,
ever touch her again
.
    The throbbing pain in his knee helped him see the road more clearly. It was empty of traffic. If he went slowly enough, he would not slide off it again, and he could keep going. But to where? Where was he going? What had happened to him? Shattered by shock, he knew only immense desolation.
    For the first time he looked into the rearviewmirror and saw his face as white as snow, his eyes stark and bloodshot. He saw also the two-horse trailer he pulled behind. His foot clamped down on the brake and he brought the truck to a stop.
    What had he done in those hours between the time he had stood beside the Black in the barn and now? Had he taken his horse with him?
    Leaving the truck, he went to the trailer and opened the escape door. Inside he found bags of feed and hay, and standing tied was the Black, who neighed warmly to him. Alec threw his arms around his horse and wept.
    How he had loaded the Black was of no importance to him. It was enough that he had taken the Black with him. Instinctively, whatever his state of mind, he had made the Black secure in the trailer. The middle partition had been removed, allowing the stallion to spread his legs and keep his balance. Six inches of wood shavings were beneath the straw bedding to protect his feet. His legs were free of wraps, so they would not swell and heat up to cause aggravation and stomping. He had hay in his sling but no water; that would come a few hours later. And he was tied with a rubber strap so he could move about and not feel so confined.
    All these things Alec had done without being aware of his movements. The truck he had taken, one of many at the farm, was powerful enough for him to have pulled the horse and trailer for several hours without being aware of it.
    Alec clasped his head in his hands. His fingers kneaded the sides, hoping to clear his mind and get rid of his numbness.
    Time to him now was static, like a jumped track with everything wiped clean but his love for Pam. He shut his eyes. What did it mean to have the past but not the present? He forced his eyes open. He had to go on, wherever the road led.
    Leaving the trailer, he stumbled through the snow to check the hitch on the truck, making sure it was