The Black Stallion Legend

For more than forty years,
Yearling has been the leading name
in classic and award-winning literature
for young readers.

Yearling books feature children’s
favorite authors and characters,
providing dynamic stories of adventure,
humor, history, mystery, and fantasy.

Trust Yearling paperbacks to entertain,
inspire, and promote the love of reading
in all children.

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 © 1983 by Walter Farley

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law. For information address Random House Books for Young Readers.

Yearling and the jumping horse design are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Visit us on the Web! www.randomhouse.com/kids

Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at www.randomhouse.com/teachers

eISBN: 978-0-307-80500-3

Reprinted by arrangement with Random House Books for Young Readers

v3.1

For Rosemary

CONTENTS

Cover

Other Books by This Author

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Map

  1. Winter Rider

  2. Post Time!

  3. The Merry Christmas Handicap

  4. The Loss

  5. The Mourning

  6. Westward, Ever Westward

  7. As It Was in the Beginning

  8. As It Is Now

  9. The Wild One

10. Boy Hunter

11. Black Fire

12. The Loco Brothers

13. “Go, Black, Go!”

14. Fire Below

15. Chosen People

16. River Run

17. Hopeless People

18. The Blue Star

19. Earthfire!

20. The Beginning of the End?

21. Sanctuary

22. “There Is Only Death Outside”

23. World Without End

24. Aftermath

About the Author

WINTER RIDER
1

Alec Ramsay jogged around the racecourse infield, his body very lean and taut beneath a heavy woolen sweat suit. The temperature was below freezing and the racing strip alongside him was flanked by ice and snow. A frigid wind blew down the stretch and he lowered his hooded head against it.

Alec thought of himself as an outdoorsman and stayed indoors only when necessary. He jogged all year long to keep in shape, to keep his wind.