The Black Stallion and the Lost City by Steve Farley Page A

reared, standing straight up on his hind legs, a coal-black silhouette against the swirling waters of the river behind him. Alec heard the longing in the Black’s cry and instantly knew there was only one thing that could cause his horse to act this way. And there she was, a fantastic-looking white mare standing to one side of the falls on the opposite bank. Her snow-white coat was so brilliant and pale it appeared almost pink. Strangest of all, her eyes were a dazzling red, almost like rubies. Alec had never seen an albino horse before, but obviously he was looking at one now. She was one of the most strikingly beautiful creatures he had ever seen—and the most unusual.
    Alec burst into a sprint, his eyes fixed on the twohorses. The Black slammed his forehooves to the ground and repeated his fierce cry, hoping to attract the mare’s attention. Across the river, the albino beauty ignored him, paying the giant black stallion no more attention than she would a braying mule.
    In his frustration, the Black stomped and pawed the ground, dragging up great clods of grass and sending them flying out behind him. His cries instantly became more demanding, more a threat than a request. She finally raised her head to listen, and then, with a defiant scream and a flash of snow-white coat, she was gone, lost in the silver mist rising from the falls.
    Running as fast as he could, Alec closed to within a few yards of his horse. He called out again, but he knew it was no use. The stallion was beyond listening to anyone now, even Alec. Pawing the ground and uttering one last cry, the Black plunged headlong over the embankment and splashed down into the river. Alec reached the river’s edge just behind the stallion and, without even stopping to think, ran in after him.
    The Black squealed wildly as he jumped through the shallows. Heedless of Alec’s cries, the stallion thrashed his way toward the middle of the river, determined to cross it and reach the mare he’d seen on the opposite side.
    “Black,” Alec called again, scrambling throughthe hip-deep water. The tug of the current rushing downstream from the falls pulled on his legs. The river was little more than twenty feet from one side to the other, but it looked to be deep in the middle. Alec watched as the Black was swept into the deeper water and began to swim.
    Alec waded out into the river, making for a shallow place he thought might be easier to cross. Suddenly his foot slipped and he lost his balance, sprawling face-first into the water. Instantly he was moving, caught in a rushing channel that was so deep he could no longer touch bottom. “Black,” he cried, thrusting his head out of the water and twisting his neck around, looking for his horse but not seeing him.
    Suddenly Alec felt himself reeling and rolling. The current pulled him below the surface. He came up for air and struggled in the whirling streams of water. His cold, wet clothes weighed him down, making every kick and stroke a double effort.
    Battling the current was futile, so Alec let it pull him along, trying to keep his head out of the chilly water. He could hear Xeena calling and spun around to look behind him. She had followed him into the river and was standing in the shallows at the water’s edge, waving her arms and pointing to the opposite side. Alec looked to where she was gesturing and saw the Black had already reached the other shore and wasclimbing up the riverbank. The stallion collected himself, clearing his nostrils and snorting explosively.
    Floundering in midstream, Alec tried to call out to his horse but only managed to swallow a mouthful of river water. The water closed over him again as invisible hands seemed to drag him down to the bottom. His strong arms flayed the water as he tried to gain traction against the onslaught pulling him this way and that. Even his legs suddenly felt weak and useless as he beat lamely at the water. Finally he found the surface, gasping for air and coughing up