Son of the Black Stallion

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THE BLACK STALLION SERIES BY WALTER FARLEY

THE BLACK STALLION
THE BLACK STALLION RETURNS
SON OF THE BLACK STALLION
THE ISLAND STALLION
THE BLACK STALLION AND SATAN
THE BLACK STALLION’S BLOOD BAY COLT
THE ISLAND STALLION’S FURY
THE BLACK STALLION’S FILLY
THE BLACK STALLION REVOLTS
THE BLACK STALLION’S SULKY COLT
THE ISLAND STALLION RACES
THE BLACK STALLION’S COURAGE
THE BLACK STALLION MYSTERY
THE HORSE-TAMER
THE BLACK STALLION AND FLAME
MAN O’ WAR
THE BLACK STALLION CHALLENGED!
THE BLACK STALLION’S GHOST
THE BLACK STALLION AND THE GIRL
THE BLACK STALLION LEGEND
THE YOUNG BLACK STALLION (with Steven Farley)

Published by Yearling, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books a division of Random House, Inc., New York

Text copyright © 1947 by Walter Farley
Text copyright renewed 1975 by Walter Farley

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eISBN: 978-0-307-80494-5

Reprinted by arrangement with Random House Books for Young Readers

v3.1

For Mabel L. Robinson
and all the boys and girls
whose letters of encouragement and suggestions
made possible this book

CONTENTS

Cover

Other Books by This Author

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

  1. Desert Born

  2. The Letter

  3. Sinister Eyes

  4. Satan

  5. Bill of Sale

  6. Satan Runs Free

  7. Smoldering Fury

  8. Throwback!

  9. January 2nd

10. Killer!

11. Peter Boldt

12. The Fight

13. Lowered Head

14. Training Begins

15. Fanning Sticks

16. The Sanford

17. Accused!

18. Mrs. Ramsay

19. Race Day

20. The Hopeful

About the Author

DESERT BORN
1

For days the Bedouin band had ridden across the white sands of the Rub‘ al Khali, the Great Central Desert of Arabia, and the steady pounding of the horses’ hoofs left a rising cloud of sand behind them. The white-robed figures rode in no particular formation, their long guns resting easily across their thighs, their hands lying only lightly upon them. For the danger of a surprise raid by desert bands had passed … ahead lay Addis, on the Red Sea, their destination.

There were twenty of them, sitting still and straight in their saddles as their horses moved effortlessly across the sand. Each steed’s head was held high, his hot coat shining in the sun, and each pulled slightly on his bit as though impatient to break out of the slow canter to which he had been held for so many days. The men, too, were as impatient as the blacks, bays and chestnuts they rode. Ê … yes! It had taken them ten days to cross the Great Desert from the mountain stronghold of their sheikh, Abu Ja‘ Kub ben Ishak, who led them.