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tongue play to stamp his feet impatiently. He pulled on the tie ropes, trying to turn his head to look
at his stomach
.
    Alec’s face turned pale. Here were the first symptoms of cramp colic! “
No, boy, no,
” he said. Tears came to his eyes, and he roughly brushed them away. He rubbed the Black’s muzzle. The stallion stomped again, harder this time. The pains had begun; they’d get more severe with every successive minute now.
    Alec turned away, opened the compartment door, and shouted, “It’s started!” He closed the door, not knowing if they’d heard him, and realizing it didn’t matter. The pilots were doing all they could to get to an airport. The rest was solely up to him. He got the bottle of medicine from the trunk and returned to the Black’s head. The pain was beginning to show in the stallion’s eyes. They were large and bright, the pupils dilating more and more.
    Alec was careful with the medicine. Seldom had it been necessary to give the Black any drugs, and never had it been easy. Talking to the stallion, he moved to the side of his head, letting the fingers of one hand creep up to the Black’s mouth. In his other hand he had the bottle, holding it low to keep the stallion from seeing it while he opened his mouth. He was bringing it up when the Black tossed his head, striking Alec’s hand and sending the bottle crashing against the floor. It was the only colic medicine Alec had.
    The Black struggled as the spasms increased in their violence. He plunged, and the tie ropes strained but held. He pawed furiously, and then tried to get down to roll, straining the ropes again. Through the heavy blankets covering him came large and ever-widening splotches of sweat.
    Alec ran to get more dry blankets and the liniment. Returning to the Black, he threw the blankets over the heaving body to induce more perspiration; then, unmindful of his own safety, he went inside the close stall and began rubbing liniment on the stallion’s stomach.
    The Black was beside himself with pain. He knew no master, no love or tolerance, nothing but the terrible spasms that racked his stomach. He sought to rid himself of them by violent action. His thin, delicate head was wrought with veins that were bulging, almost bursting with his heated blood. He snorted, gathering himself back on his haunches as if for a mighty leap. His body quivered, and froth showered from gaping mouth and nostrils.
    “
Black … oh, Black. I’m sorry, sorry.…
” But Alec’s words, repeated over and over in his terrible misery, went unheard. Pain had closed the stallion’s eyes and ears, blinding him, deafening him to all he knew and loved.
    Suddenly the Black flung himself forward, and the stall door latch gave way beneath his great strength and weight. The tie ropes held, but his halter broke at the buckle, and the leather hung loosely upon his head. He stood still for a moment, not realizing he was free.
    Alec ran to the door of the pilots’ compartment and, opening it, shouted, “
Get down, down! Now!
”
    He shut the door again, and turned to find the Black bolting forward in a mighty leap. His loose blankets caught on the stall door but his momentum carried him on, rending straps, buckles and fabric. The plane suddenly lurched beneath his heavy movements. He careened against the opposite side, and came away to throw himself on the floor, his naked body sweating and squirming.
    The plane bucked violently, lunging crazily to one side, then up and down. It stopped with a sudden jar, leveled off, then quickly slanted down.
    Alec knew fear, all-engulfing fear at the abrupt descent. His chest was tight, his mouth slack and gaping. If he didn’t do something, if he didn’t go to his horse now, he’d never go. He took a step, then another toward the Black.
    The stallion got to his feet and reared, striking his head against the top of the plane. He whirled as he came down, and threw himself on the floor again, his legs thrashing above