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| Blue |
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| Specks and Curly |
Ch 1
Hello, I’m Blue, a wild, spotted
Appaloosa mustang, and I live in the wild, wherever our lead mare leads us. A
place of freedom. I wasn’t always wild, you know. So here is the story of my
capture, escape, and once again free to live with my family, my herd.
I heard it like it happened
yesterday, I still do sometimes. The smell of men in the wind. The horrible
sounds of the human predators as they whirled their ropes over their heads.
There was nowhere to flee! My little foal Nasha crying loudly from a distance,
calling my back, Allis, the lead mare, was keeping her from me. Myself, being
dragged away to who knows where, my own cries echoing through the hills as if
from someone else. I jerked from the men, trying to escape, ten one of the men
spoke, “Mother, mother! Are you awake!?”
I shook myself
awake, “Oh, it’s you Specks you sure gave me a scare!” Specks is my second
foal, from after the capture, but now she has a foal of her own.
“Mamma, were you dreaming? You whinnied so loud!”
I shook my mane, “No, no you go back to sleep, I’m fine.”
She gave me a funny look then fell back asleep. Then I started thinking. I had
lied, I did dream, about a long time ago, when I lived with a herd, out in the
wilderness. I had a foal, named Nasha, and then the men came and took me far
away. But that was 3 years ago. Nasha must about 4 years old now, I thought.
Now, I was stuck in this tiny pen, on a dude ranch, broken cruelly, and either
forced to walk slowly in a line of bad tempered horses, with a man on my back,
or pulling a useless plow back and forth. I didn’t want that for Curly, Specks
first foal. I wanted all of us to be free. I knew my herd was out there, it had
to be. I often stood facing west, calling home.
Ch 2
The next
day was the same as the day before, and the day before that and the week before
that. In the morning, we got this weird sweet food that men call grain, for
breakfast. Then work at whatever they made me and Specks do. Then we were taken
back to the pen for more grain in the evening. End of day.
“Mamma! Are you
listening to me?”
“Yes, I’m sorry,
what were you saying?” I said turning from the fence and nuzzled her
apologetically.
It’s ok mamma,
listen I’ve been thinking, you have been acting super weird and I think I know
why. So I have come up with an idea. I want to escape with you, I want to leave
and Curly needs to live in freedom.”
“But isn’t Curly to young? It’s a long journey from what I
remember.” I said, looking at the petite Curly, who was chasing a butterfly.”
“Mom, she’ll be fine! I really think we need to get out of
this tiny fence.” She snorted, staring at my now skinny self to prove her
point. I looked down, and then looked over at Curly then back at Specks a bit
worriedly. Curly nickered at me, bobbing her head, with her ears forward.
“Let me think about it, tomorrow I’ll tell you.” Specks did
a little buck and trotted over to the corner with Curly. It took everything to
keep me from snorting indignantly at her smugness. Then I drifted off to sleep.
“Please, Please, PLEASE!?” This time I did snort. It was so
early in the morning!
“Oh all right, all RIGHT!” You two are ganging up on me so I
might as well.”
“WHOOPEE!!” they squealed, galloping round and round the pen
until I had to join Then a man yelled at us to stop. Weeks and weeks passed and
nothing happened. I was getting stressed. But then finally something did
happen. It was a day after long hard work, when at dusk suddenly…
Ch 3
Out of
nowhere, Indians came galloping from the woods, whooping and shouting on their
painted war ponies. There was gun fire, the most terrifying sound, like
thunder, and a fire was started. Men and horses were running everywhere, and we
were forgotten in the chaos. I could smell fear in the air, and the very strong
scent of smoke. Then a horse was slammed into the fence, splintering it to
pieces. I realized our escape, and trumpeted for Specks and Curly to follow me.
We galloped through the mess, scared for our lives. A bullet even grazed my
shoulder, but I didn’t feel it. I kicked my heels and we were gone, through the
main gate, which was usually so carefully guarded. This was probably my
favorite part. But…
Specks and
Curly’s instincts weren’t that sharp from an easy life. Sometimes it was hard
to find water and Curly often complained. When other times, we had plenty of
water and Curly frolicked ahead. A week later we came upon a forest. Forests
are great for water and good places to hide, but there are also cougars, and
good places for THEM to hide.
“Specks, I want you to keep a sharp eye on Curly, forests
are dangerous places for horses who don’t know them.”
“Okay and mamma? I really want to meet Nasha.”
“Yeah, I want you to too.”
Later we reached a river which wasn’t unusual, so we crossed
it. But halfway across, Specks screamed. Curly had lost hr footing and was being
washed downstream, toward me. “Help me!” Curly cried. I lunged forward bracing
myself, then crash! Curly had been swept into me. I had caught her! I helped
her the rest of the way across. “Thank you, that was scary, I love you so
much!” Curly said now curled up between Specks and I later that night. “Curly”,
I replied turning to her, “horses in a herd look after each other. They work
together, and protect each other. Remember that.” She looked at me with those
sweet eyes, “ I will.”
Trotting over hills,
through valleys, and near the end of the woods, we had a bad scare. We were
trotting along, when out of the blue, I smelled cougar above me. “Specks!
Curly! Get away from the tree, run!!” Curly reacted first, bolting away. But to
late, a cougar leaped out of the tree, and onto Specks back! She screamed the
cougar had clawed gashes into her beautiful coat. Bucking, and squealing, I
realized I had to help her. I reared, biting the howling cougar. He finally
realized he was no match for us, and slunk away. Specks stood shaking, while
Curly and I stood beside her.
We left the woods to the plains, and encountered other
hardships, such as stony ground and other things I don’t want to say. Finally I
smelled horses in the wind! I led then through the hills, confused because I
couldn’t see any horses. When I looked behind me, Curly wasn’t there! “Curly!
Where are you?” “In here! Come and see!” The voice came small, seeming to come
from in the hill behind us. I trotted over, to find Curly standing at the mouth
of a cave. Of course! The mustangs’ secret hideout! We trotted through the cave,
and the other side seemed like paradise. There was a waterfall, pouring into a
pool, and the best grass I’d ever seen. Since we were all tired, we fell
asleep.
Ch 4
Suddenly I leaped up and stared into the face of our herd
stallion, Lightning. Specks and Curl scrambled up behind me. I looked around,
and saw Allis, the lead mare, with a foal about Curly’s age. And behind them,
stood most gracefully, was Nasha! “Blue, is that you?” He said, sniffing me all
over, cringing at the faint smell of men. “Yes, it’s me, I’m back, and this is
Specks, my foal, and her foal, Curly.” He turned to the herd and then they all
came up to us. The two foals started playing with each other, and Allis, Specks
and I talked about the herd. Then I moved over to Nasha, who stood frozen in
place. “Nasha, do you remember me?” I asked nuzzling her. “Oh mamma! I do! Allis
has been so kind to me, but I remember you!”
“Oh Nasha! Just look at you! I stepped back to admire her,
and she lowered her head shyly. “Oh Nasha, we can be together again! I’m so
happy!” When I introduced Nasha to Specks, my heart was so full I thought it
would burst. I was so happy to be free again. So now I live free with my herd,
and always will be.
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