The Island Stallion by Walter Farley

Author:Walter Farley [Farley, Walter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-80490-7
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2011-08-16T16:00:00+00:00

SUCKING DEATH

11

For a few minutes all fear left the red stallion and fighting fury took its place. His hindquarters were in the pit, but he still held on to the rim with his pounding forelegs. He was fighting the battle of his life for his life, and his body swelled with untamed fierceness.

But the pit was an enemy far more formidable than the burly Piebald, more deadly than any living creature. And as the red stallion beat the earth with his forelegs, the pit slowly, steadily pulled his hindquarters deeper and deeper into its soft, yielding bosom.

Steve had remained by the crane but had risen to his knees. His body was limp, his senses numb, and only his eyes seemed at all alive as he watched the scene before him. Flame’s fight for his life was unreal and the fury of it didn’t wholly penetrate the boy’s dazed mind for a few seconds. But when it did, and he became aware of the sinking hindquarters, the terrible, pounding forelegs of the stallion, fear passed from him to be replaced by a frenzy such as he’d never felt before.

Steve moved quickly, wildly about the pit, not knowing what to do for the horse and wasting valuable time. Then he slipped on the steep grade descending to the rim of the pit, and brought himself to a stop by falling to the ground and digging his heels and hands into the loose dirt. His own narrow escape from the pit drove the frenzy out of his mind and he was able to think clearly.

Sitting on the ground, his heels still braced in the dirt, he looked at the raging horse. If only Flame would stop fighting so hard! If only he would keep his body still and his forelegs rigid on the rim, he wouldn’t sink so fast!

Steve was filled with anxiety for the stallion; he had an overpowering desire to help. But what could he do? Where would he start? There was that chain hanging over the pit. A moment later Steve moved toward the crane’s supporting pole with a swiftness that only comes in moments of great stress, when actions are never remembered in detail.

Reaching the pole with long, quick strides, he bent down, picking up the rope that he had dropped during his fall. Then he returned to the pit, moving closer to the stallion than he’d been before.

The horse’s forefeet had stopped thrashing and now moved only when his hoofs slipped on the loose dirt of the pit’s rim. His arrogant head, with teeth bared, was turned toward the boy, but Steve was unmindful of it. His attention was fixed on Flame’s hindquarters. Momentarily the stallion had stopped sinking. If he continued to remain still there might be time to save him.

The boy studied the chain dangling a few feet above and a little to the rear of the stallion. He had to get his rope through the iron band at the end. For a matter of seconds

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