The Black Stallion

called after him. "That's all I did, Jimmy!"
    But after that Jimmy ignored Tom completely, and when he had anything to say to him he would direct his remarks to George. Moreover, Jimmy took over all the work with the blood bay colt, and Tom didn't drive any more. It was then, too, that Jimmy started chewing gum again and worked hard from early morning until dark. The stomach pains came again, both at the track and at home. But Jimmy kept working.
    It was Saturday and the day before Christmas when Phillip Cox arrived at the track with another yearling he'd bought. A few hours later Cox and his trainer took the new dark bay colt, wearing bridle, harness and lines, but pulling no cart, onto the track.
    There had been no snow and the weather was still mild, so George and Tom stood outside their shed while Jimmy sat in the tack room. They could see his face pressed hard against the closed window, watching the new colt as intently as they were.
    George said, "That's the baby they've been expectin'. He hasn't had much breaking, and they're aimin' on doing it before going to Florida, I guess."
    Tom watched while Cox held the long lines behind the colt and his trainer had the bridle. Anyone could see that the dark bay was nervous and fidgety. He didn't quite know what was expected of him.
    The colt stopped, refusing to go forward, and Tom said, "They shouldn't rush him. He doesn't know what it's all about yet."
    Phillip Cox snapped the whip in his hand but did not touch the colt.
    George muttered, "I heard Cox say he'd worked with a lot of colts. You'd never know it to look at him now."
    Phillip Cox snapped the whip again, but the sound of it only made the colt more nervous and he shifted uneasily without moving forward.
    "Why doesn't the trainer take the lines?" Tom asked. "He ought to know how to go about it better than Cox."
    "He does," George returned. "But Cox is his boss, an' maybe the guy don't want to lose his job."
    The dark bay colt half-reared; his trainer brought him down and started talking to him and stroking him. But Phillip Cox only snapped his whip again, and more sweat broke out on the colt's body. The trainer turned to Phillip Cox, his eyes worried, but he said nothing to his employer.
    The colt reared again, higher this time, and when he came down he felt the sharp sting of the whip on his haunches. Startled, he rose again and his dark body was wet with lathered sweat.
    Phillip Cox's whip was raised again to strike the colt when Tom shouted and ran toward them; behind him he could hear George's footsteps.
    The colt never stopped at the height of his rearing this time; he went over backwards, his fear of the whip causing him to lose his balance. When he went down he stayed down, and felt the cut of the whip—once, twice—on his hindquarters.
    Tom threw himself on Phillip Cox's back. But even as he did he felt the man being torn from his arms, and Tom landed heavily on the ground. Rolling, he turned over quickly to find that Jimmy Creech was clawing and tearing with maniacal fury at the tall, heavy body of Phillip Cox.
    There was nothing fair about Jimmy's tactics. He lunged, gouged and kicked Cox, who sought to get hold of his crazed opponent. Jimmy had him down and together they rolled on the hard ground of the track. For two or three minutes no one stopped them, and then they all moved upon the fighting mass of arms and legs. When they got them apart, both faces were bloody and torn. They pulled them away from each other and half-carried them to their sheds.
    George and Tom got Jimmy into the tack room and set his battered, beaten body down on the cot. But his eyes still blazed and he made several attempts to get to his feet before lying back. After a while he opened his eyes again and found Tom watching him. He smiled grimly and nodded his head. "Did it, Tom," he mumbled through swollen lips. "And I'd do it again. He's a—"
    "He'll be all right," George said quietly, bringing a basin of hot water. "He got no more than he gave Cox. An' Jimmy's body is hard… hard as they come."
    But a little later, Jimmy's face became agonized in pain. Quickly Tom went to him. "What hurts, Jimmy? What is it?"
    The words were hard in coming, and Jimmy fought to make himself heard, "Stomach, Tom. My stomach. Doctor."
    It was then that Jimmy Creech went home to stay.

Let the Speed Come!
15
    Dr. Morton told George and Tom that Jimmy wouldn't get well unless he stayed home in bed and had nursing care. Only with complete