Son of the Black Stallion by Walter Farley Read Free Book Online Page A

his horses, wants more horses … all he can get, just as long as they’re fast. He wants ’em because he fears them, is afraid one of ’em might beathis own. I know from what I’ve seen, Alec, that it’s been his ambition for years to have the fastest horses in the world. With his Shooting Star he came into his own, an’ now he has his gray colt and figures there’s no stoppin’ him.” Henry turned to Alec. “When I was a kid an’ lived in the rangelands, I saw men like Boldt; and my father saw lots more and had rough dealin’s with a good many of ’em. They stop at nothin’, Alec. Nothin’. Boldt hired me because he knew I’d just come back from Arabia with you and Mr. Volence, and he figured I could tell him a lot about those four Arabian horses Abu Ishak had given Volence. He was afraid of those horses, Alec, and he thought he could get to Volence through me.”
    Alec well remembered the horses Abu Ishak had given Mr. Volence, their friend, who had made possible their trip to Arabia in search of the Black. “They were fine horses,” Alec said quietly, “but they couldn’t run on the same track with the Black. Even Volence knew that.”
    “Sure,” grunted Henry, “but by breeding ’em to some of his good stock down in Kentucky, Volence hoped to get something. I suspect the first foals have already come along by this time. But getting back to Boldt, he tried for months to get me to talk about Volence’s Arabians ’n’ even Abu Ishak. I kept my mouth shut and played dumb ’til there came a time when old Boldt would pass me by without noddin’ his head. And that’s the way it went. Later I heard he went and tried to buy the horses from Volence, and when Volence wouldn’t sell, Boldt swore he’d get even.”
    “Nice guy,” muttered Alec sarcastically. He thought a minute, then added, “I wonder what Boldt would do if he learned about the Black’s colt being here?”
    “That’s what we’ve got to keep from him as long as possible, Alec. With his money and pull he could make things uncomfortable some way. The horses Volence brought back are peanuts compared to what your little baby there in back is worth to Boldt. He told me once’t that it was his supreme ambition to own a wild desert stallion like the Black. But he can’t get to him, an’ he knows it. If he learns the Black’s son is here … well, Alec, we’ve just got to keep it from him as long as we can. Then when the time comes, we’ll figure out what to do.”
    “Yes,” Alec said, “no sense worrying about it now.”
    They had reached the truck route running parallel to the Parkway leading to Flushing, and in less than half an hour they’d arrive home. Alec wondered if his father had taken Sebastian to Flushing, then decided that it all depended on how seriously Sebastian was hurt. If his father thought the puppy’s injuries were critical, he’d find a veterinary in New York instead of making the trip home.
    Henry said, “You thought of a name for the colt, Alec?”
    “For months I’ve been thinking about it, Henry.”
    “Then you’ve picked one out. What’s it to be?”
    “Satan,” Alec replied, turning to his friend.
    “Satan,” Henry repeated. “Uh-huh. Satan.” He paused, then continued, “Abu called the Black Shêtân, back in Arabia. Shêtân means devil in Arabic. So his son is to be named Satan. Is that it, Alec?”
    Alec’s eyes were bright as he nodded. “It’s a good name, Henry, isn’t it? He’s so full of fire.”
    “Yeah, Alec, I guess it is,” Henry replied, his gaze turning back to the road. Those black, sinister eyes of the colt haunted him like the devil himself. He attempted to shrug the feeling off. There might be nothing to it, he told himself. Nothing that couldn’t be whipped in time. But he wanted to be around from the very beginning to keep his hand on this colt, for there was no telling what might happen later if he were allowed to get out of control early in the game. It