The Black Stallion

shouldn't have been done that way. It wouldn't happen again. Some way, Tom decided, he'd have to make it plain to Uncle Wilmer that he wanted no further help from him.
    Tom managed to get his hand on the colt's body, but as he reached for his head the colt swerved away from him, moving behind the Queen. Concerned and worried, Tom left the stall.

Setback!
6
    Early the following morning, Tom came downstairs to the kitchen to find his aunt and uncle already there.
    "Good morning, Tom," his aunt greeted him cheerfully. But her eyes were searching as they met his, and he knew that his uncle had told her what had happened the day before.
    Uncle Wilmer stood by the door, ready to go out. He didn't look at the boy as he repeated his wife's greeting. He shifted uneasily upon his feet, obviously waiting for Tom to join him.
    "You got a while till breakfast," Aunt Emma was saying. "I'm making pancakes this morning."
    "You comin'?" his uncle asked.
    Nodding, Tom followed him out the door, stopping only to douse his head in the water trough outside. He was wiping his face on the roller towel when Uncle Wilmer said, "It's a mighty nice morning, all right."
    The sky above held all of summer's brilliant blue and the fields, heavy with valley dew, sparkled in the sun's first rays. But Tom turned quickly from all this to the red-roofed barn and the stall door over which the Queen peered. She neighed loudly at sight of them.
    They walked across the lawn, Tom following his uncle. He wondered if it was necessary to tell him how he felt about the throwing of the colt. Certainly his uncle must know. It was apparent by his unusual silence of the evening before and even now. Uncle Wilmer's use of force had been instinctive, for he'd always done it that way.
    They were nearing the gate when Tom touched his uncle's arm. "It
is
a grand day," he said, smiling, when his uncle turned to look at him.
    "Heh?" Uncle Wilmer's eyes were puzzled and a little troubled as they met Tom's.
    "A nice day!" Tom shouted.
    Uncle Wilmer nodded his head vigorously. "I already said that," he replied. But there was a lightness to his eyes that hadn't been there before, and when they went through the gate he put his hand on Tom's shoulder.
    Uncle Wilmer was heading for the chicken house, but before leaving Tom he said, without turning to him, "I oughtn't to have done what I did yesterday. It's your colt and you do with him the way you think you ought…" He was still talking as he moved away from Tom.
    For a moment, Tom watched his uncle while the man walked toward the chicken house, his arm slung behind his back, his body bent forward. Tom realized the effort it had taken for his uncle to apologize. He knew too that his uncle meant it, and that there wouldn't be a repeat performance of what had happened yesterday. It had turned our the way he had hoped it would.
    Eagerly, Tom ran to the Queen. She neighed repeatedly as he stroked her head; she struck her forehoof against the door in her anxiety to be let out. The colt was hidden behind the mare, and Tom couldn't see him.
    He opened the door and stepped back, allowing the Queen to come outside. The colt followed closely behind her and when Tom saw him, the boy's face suddenly became pale, then distorted in pain and anguish. The colt's nose was swollen far out of proportion to the small head. The nose band, much too tight, had cut into tender skin!
    Sick at heart and furious with himself, Tom ran toward the colt who, frightened, avoided him. Unthinking, Tom made desperate efforts to grab the colt, but all to no avail. He knew he had to get the halter off immediately, so he kept running, trying to chase the colt into a corner of the paddock where he could get his hands upon him. But always there would be the quick twisting and turning of the slim legs and the colt would be away.
    Finally Tom's eyes lit on the open door of the box stall and then on the Queen. He ran inside the barn and to the grain box. Taking a container of oats, he poured it into the Queen's manger, calling loudly and banging the empty container against the side of the box.
    The Queen came through the door and moved quickly to her feed. Behind her followed the colt, staying close to his mother.
    Tom went into the stall again and closed the door. Without hesitation he approached the colt, who now stood between the mare and the side of the stall. Tom moved quickly, pushing the mare to one side to get to the colt. He had to get the tight halter off now.