Chapter 3

My eyes fluttered open, the hot sun burning on my back. My eyes squinted as I looked around the strange place. I could hear the two-legged shouting all around me. My eyes were wide, trying to catch everything.

The two-legged waved their hands to each other and the large wooden gates creaked open. Three or four men dragged in a large buckskin, whose eyes looked terrified. My eyes were suddenly wider then ever as I realized who the horse was. No! It couldn't be! I threw my head in the air, my head jerking. I must have not realized. They had tied me to a post. They led my father around but her dragged them in rage and fear. A sudden gun-shot rang threw the air and everything was suddenly still. A man with brown hair covering his face rode aboard a tall brown gelding. He said strange things from his mouth and they tied my father to two horizontal posts. He snorted and threw his head. He had tried to bite one of the two-legged who was standing near him, but it jumped away and out of reach. He looked in my direction, and the moment we met eyes, I saw the hate in them. My eyes got wide as I yanked at the rope, my head swinging. I jerked my head fiercely in my attempt to escape. He ignored me now as a strange, plump two-legged walked over to him with cutting tools. He tried to cut my fathers mane, but my father bite his hand. They tied my father up tight and put a strange bag around his muzzle. Every time the two-leggeds tried to get near my father, he would bite them or do something to hurt them.

The men put him in a very small box inside a corral, then but a strange object on his back and something in his mouth which hung on his neck. The men climbed atop of my father then opened a gate, releasing him into the corral. My father bucked and whirled and then men flew off his back one by one. When he had flung them all he made a lap around the corral, leaping towards the corral and scaring the men. Soon, he joined me in the corral, tied to a post on the other side. He fought the rope hard, but it didn't break, all it did was creak and groan.

That night my father stared at the sky, sadness in his eyes. I knew he wanted to return to the herd, I also did, but I doubted he would get out. Soon, my eyes closed and I laid on the ground, ready for sleep. Next thing I knew, my eyes were closed and I was in a deep sleep.

My eyes opened to see the heat radiating off the ground. I lifted my neck, which was stiff and hot from the sun, along with my back. I scrambled to my feet and stared around. My father had his forehead pushed against the post and smacked his lips. He was thirsty, I could tell. So was I. I looked around, dazed. Everything was dry and cracked.

The gates suddenly creaked open. Two men entered dragging a tanned man threw the doors. He was different from the men around here. They took him up to the man with brown hair on his upper cheek, who looked at him. Soon they brought the tanned man along the corral. He looked at my father with great interest. A man pushed his head away and tied him to a post outside the corral. He tried to get my father to look at him. Father snorted. The Indian copied him. My father turned away and snorted once more. The Indian laughed.

Soon nightfall was apon us. I heard strange noises of night birds, which woke me repeatedly. My father made startled noises as he awoke also. The Indian made noises of the night. He made the calls of night birds. He repeated this over and over and I couldn't sleep that whole night.

Morning came and I was weary and tired. I was weak and hadn't eaten ever since I was born. I was, what now 4 days old, maybe? My eyes drooped as I looked up. The sun had not quite risen and the sky was faint blue. Men were lined up and one blew a horn, the man with brown hair on his upper lip pacing before them. This interested me and I jerked up my head to get a better look.

The Man stared at my father and I, his eye flickering between us as the man behind him spoke and he sucked on a stick in his mouth, smoke flying out from it.. “How long has it been, Sargent?” He asked suddenly. “Sir?” The man asked, confused. “The mustang,” He said sharply. “How long has it been tied?” He said it more like a statement. “Three days, sir,” Said the Sargent. His voice unsteady. “Good,” The Man replied. “Fetch my crop and spurs.” He blew out smoke from his mouth then left, the men following.

The sun had now fully risen, The Man had ordered my father to have the strange objects on his back and neck again, then he himself leaped on my fathers back and released him. My father whirled around, bucking, rearing, and galloping as hard as he could. The Man pushed him hard. My father was no galloping blindly, breathing hard and thinking what to do. He suddenly knew. My father leaped and rolled on the ground, crushing The Man. He regained his footing, breathing hard and disappointed. The Man had remained on his back. My fathers legs shook beneath him. Everyone looked at the two in shock, including the Indian boy.The Man pushed hair away from his face and patted my father on the neck. “You see gentlemen,” He was saying. “Any horse can be broken.” He kicked my father in the ribs and made a slow lap around the corral, saying words to the men around the corral, then stopped at the Indian, spoke, kicked my father and continued. He continued to speak, then my father stopped. The Man leaned low, “Mustang?” He said. My father suddenly jump. He bite the reins and pulled them from The Mans hands, the saddle flew from his back and The Man flew threw the air. He flew out of the corral, some other men helping him up. My eyes were wide as I watched. The Mans face was crinkled with rage.Suddenly all the horses in the stables began to whinny and rear. The Man grabbed a metal object from one of the other men and pointed it at my father.

All of the sudden the Indian jump away from the post and hit the mans hands. A large bang happened as the object was pointed to the ground. Dirt flew and the Indian jumped on my fathers back. My dad raced away, all the men in his way jumping out of it. My father headed straight for a manurer pile, a man with a large rifle in his way. My father turned the corner, the Indian grabbed the gun and swung the man into the pile. My father now headed for the stable. He leaped on a box and into the stables. All the horses made way for him as he raced towards the gate. It was locked! The Indian pointed the gun at the lock and shot it, leaving my father to race threw it, the other horses following. Now they ran to the gates. They were closing, then stopped a few feet between them. The plump two-legged stood between them. My father slid to a halt before him. The two-legged looked up at him. My father grinned and nickered. The plump mans eyes got wide. My father flattened his head on the mans chest and pushed him threw the door, them leaped over him and ran out of the gates, all the other horses racing after him. Then... they were gone.

I whinnied loudly. Don’t leave me, I seemed to scream. Please... The man was in a rage. He stomped over to me. “You’re the last horse, are ya?” His face wrinkled with anger. He lifted his hand, the palm flat, and hit me in the cheek. I squealed and shied. The man walked away, into a cabin or whatever it was, and was gone. The soldier wandered about, fixing things that my father ruined, like the fence, and just walking. They didn’t know what to do. They had no horses, their leader was raging in his courters, and they were lost.

I stared about. A young girl walked out from The Colonels courters. She walked towards my post. I began to pull at the rope and lash out with front and back legs.The girl stopped about ten feet away. She had long, nearly white hair. She was tall and pretty. She sat on a barrel and watched me. I stared at the girl, motionless. My eyes wide, my heart pounding. The girl stared back at me, breathing slowly and calm, also, motionless.

Chapter 4

Charlie laid near the fort, the young colt alone and sad. How could I let this happen? He thought. I could have saved her. She could be here by my side right now, but she’s in there. And only the Lord knows what they’re doing to her. Charlies head jerked up as he heard noise coming within the fort. He heard men yelling and the pounding of hooves, along with whinnying.

“It’s him...” He growled. “The buckskin who chased me out...” He turned his head away. “And scared me for life.”

Charlie turned his head back to the fort and saw the plump man fall in the gateway. The buckskin leaped him, an Indian on his back. Many horses followed him, they raced around the man and spread out, taking their own paths to freedom. Charlie scanned every horses hide. Not one was as black as the night sky. He heard Eve whinny sadly. Charlie turned his head as he saw the buckskin get caught by Indians. Serves him right, He snorted. Charlie looked back at the fort then burst into a gallop. The gate was open! Charlie raced to the gate, a trail of dirt trailing behind him. As he closed in on the opening it began to close. No! He raced, his hooves pounding the ground hard.

Then, it banged shut and he heard Eves squeal as The Colonel hit her across the cheek inside the fort. “No!” Charlie squealed madly. He tried to turn and race away from the gate, but as he turned he fell on his side, dirt flying over him, a cloud covering him.

He laid there whinnying softly and sadly. Why couldn’t he go faster? Why couldn’t he save her? Was he getting punished from God for something he has done? If any one should be punished, Charlie believed it should be that devil buckskin. Charlie begged every night that one day