Late in the afternoon one Friday morning, Mr. Greene and his eldest son hitched me and another horse to a wooden cart. At first I was hesitant about pulling again, but then I remembered all the good things Mr. Greene had done for me. No, he wasn't the kind of man who would mistreat a horse like me or any animal.
He climbed into the seat with his son and clicked to us. Then we trotted into Colorado Springs, the nearest town. Mr. Greene and his boy picked up some items from the General Store, and we returned home.
One day while grazing in the pasture, I noticed something different. Something seemed fresher, newer, brighter. And then I realized it was spring. The snow had all melted, the trees were covered with delicate green buds, and robins constantly sung. Soon the grass would be green. The happy feeling of new life filled me, and I started to run and play.
That night in my stall, I was just falling to sleep when I smelled something. It was the aroma of smoke. Then the other horses started to smell it. They stirred uneasily in their stall, nickering anxiously. Then the smoke became visible. The collie dog whimpered, and the horses, including myself, started to whinny. I reared up and neighed. Mr. Greene and his three boys came to see what all the commotion was about.
By now there was a flame of fire. It started to spread across the floor. My stall was near the back, near the fire. I knew I would die if someone didn't act quick.
"Fire! Fire!" "The barn's on fire!"
The Greene family started to hustle up buckets of water from the trough and the well. They ran into the barn, throwing the water on the flames and then running back for more.
"Get the horses out!"
The men started unlatching the stall gates and shooing the horses out. Things quickly became confusing and frightening as horses galloped out of the barn, the dog barked continuously, and a part of the barn roof fell down into one of the occupied stalls. Finally, someone opened my stall gate and I bolted out and through the barn doors, as when I escaped from the stable in Denver. When no more could be done, everyone stood back and watched the fire as it utterly destroyed the barn.
YOU ARE READING
The Wild Mustang of Colorado
General FictionAfter being taken from his home in the wild, a wild horse must choose between going back to his herd or staying with his best friend. DISCLAIMER: I wrote this when I was 11 years old... you have been warned.
