The Black Stallion

“The stall was still standing. Alex heard a shrill whistle rise above the storm. He rushed to the door, lifted the heavy bar, and swung it open. For a second the mighty hooves stopped pounding and there was silence. Alec backed slowly away. Then he saw the Black, his head held high, his nostrils blown out with excitement. Suddenly he snorted and plunged straight for the rail and Alec. Alec was paralyzed, he couldn't move. One hand was on the rail, which was broken at this point, leaving nothing between him and the open water. The Black swerved as he came near him, and the boy realized that the stallion was making for the hole. The horse’s shoulder grazed him as he swerved, and Alec went flying into space. He felt the water close over his head.”

The foundations of trust between Alec and the Black are sparked when the horse knocks Alec into the ocean and Alec realizes he would have gone down with the Drake. In response, he grabs the lead rope dragged behind by the Black, who pulls him for hours until they find land. Thus, he saves the Black’s life, and, within a few hours, the Black saves his.

“Darkness came rapidly. Suddenly Alec felt the stillness of the island—no birds, no animals, no sounds. It was as if he and the Black were the only living creatures in the world. Millions of stars shone overhead and seemed so close. The moon rose high and round; its reflection cast upon the pool. The Black looked up from his grazing. He, too, seemed to watch the moon. Alec whistled—low, then louder and fading. A moment of silence. Then the stallion’s shrill whistle pierced the night. Alec saw the Black look in his direction and then continue searching for grass. He smiled and crawled into his shelter. The day's work had made him tired and he was soon asleep.”

As Alec recognizes that he and the Black are alone, he begins to learn more about the Black’s ways of communicating. The horse’s whistles indicate that he sees Alec and knows he is present on the island. In turn, Alec feels safe and comfortable enough with the stallion to sleep, while the horse forages for food.

“Suddenly the stallion bolted, almost throwing him to the ground. He picked up speed with amazing swiftness. Faster and faster he went. Alec hung low over his neck, his breath coming in gasps. Down the beach the stallion thundered. Tears from the wind rolled down Alec’s cheeks. Three-quarters of the way, he tried to check the Black’s speed. He pulled back on the flowing main. ‘Whoa, Black,’ he yelled, but his words were whipped away in the wind. Swiftly the stallion neared the end of the beach and Alec thought that his breathtaking ride of yesterday was to be repeated. He pulled back harder on the mane. Suddenly the Black’s pace lessened. Alec flung one arm around the stallion's neck. The Black shifted into his fast trot, which gradually became slower and slower, until Alec had him under control. Overjoyed he turned him, and rode him over the hill to the spring. Together they drank the cool, refreshing water.”

Alec and the Black continue to learn about each other while stranded on a remote island after their ship sinks, and the Black continually tests Alec’s worthiness to ride. The wild nature of the Black’s continues to test Alec’s tame inclinations as they build trust between them, and the mutual understanding comes to fruition as the Black finally lets Alec lead them to the spring.

“Alec flung his arms around the Black's neck and buried his head in the long mane. ‘We're leaving together, Black—together,’ he said. Soothingly he talked to the stallion, steadying him. After a few minutes he descended the hill and the horse hesitatingly followed. He reared as they approached the sailors, his legs pawing in the air. The men scrambled into the boat; only Pat and the captain stood their ground. Fearfully they watched the Black as he strode toward them. He drew back; his black eyes glance nervously from Alec to the group of men. Alec patted him, coaxed him. His action was beautiful, and every few steps he would jump swiftly to one side. Approximately thirty yards away, Alec came to a halt. ‘You just have to take us both, Captain! I can't leave him!’ he yelled. ‘He's too wild. We couldn't take him, we couldn't handle him!’ came the answer. ‘I can handle him. Look at him now!’ The Black was still, his head turned toward the freighter as if he understood what was actually going on. Alec’s arm was around his neck. ‘He saved my life, Captain. I can't leave him here alone. He'll die!’”

The mythical features of the Black come into focus and when the sailors see the Black, they instantly know everything Alec said is true. When Alec manages to take the horse to the ship and bring him aboard, it marks the second time he saves the life of the Black.

“The captain and Pat at first attempted to get him interested in the boat and the voyage, but at last they gave up. The friendship between the boy and the stallion was something too much for them to understand. The captain's hand rose to his chin as he and Pat watched Alec inside the stall. ‘Y’know, Pat,’ he said, ‘it's almost uncanny the way those two get along—wild beast like that, a killer, and yet gentle as a kitten when the boy’s around.’ Pat nodded. ‘Yes, sir,’ he said, ‘one of the strangest things I've ever seen. I wonder where it’ll take them?’”

Farley uses this exchange between the puzzled captain and sailor to demonstrate the unbreakable bond between the horse and boy. Alec’s lack of interest in the boat and its journey to South America contrasts sharply with his curiosity about sailing when he was on the Drake. Alec is obsessively focused on the horse alone and this dedication continues for the remainder of the narrative.

“Alec led the Black to the other end of the dock. A group of horses were gathered in one quarter waiting their turn to be loaded. Dock hands rushed back and forth. A mixture of cattle and fruit smells filled the air. The Black reared, and the other horses shrilled in fright as they saw him. Alec took the stallion to a far corner. His ears were pitched forward, his eyes glared masterfully over the others. ‘Reminds you of the old days, doesn't it, fella?’ said Alec. He smiled, wondered what his mother and dad would say when they saw the Black. He was glad now they had moved out from the city last year to Flushing, one of New York's suburbs. He was sure he would be able to find a place near his home where he could keep the Black, providing his mother and dad would let him!”

Alec’s excitement and eagerness to introduce the Black to his parents illustrates the growth he still must experience as a young man. The reaction the Black receives from the other horses foreshadows the response Alec will receive from his parents, who are less than excited as Alec to see the Black.

“Alec started toward the officer. Suddenly the Black’s scream stopped him in his tracks. He turned and saw that one of the inspectors had crossed the hold and was opening the stallion’s door. ‘Watch out!’ shouted Alec, but he was too late. The Black reared and struck out with his front feet, striking the man and sending him flying against the door. Alec rushed to the stall and flung himself between the stallion and the inspector. Desperately he grabbed the halter. The Black's eyes never left the man on the floor. The inspector, sputtering angrily, climbed to his feet. Alec felt relieved; if he was angry, he couldn't be hurt very badly. His trouser was ripped where the Black had struck him, but there were no other signs of injury. The other inspectors came running. ‘What's the matter here?’ asked the officer in charge. ‘This horse attacked me, sir!’ said the man. ‘He's a dangerous animal.’”

The untamed, violent nature of the Black is a constant threat until the last scene of the book, in which the victorious Black finally allows a crowd to draw reasonably near. Farley continually emphasizes that the gentle Alec is the only person who can manage the Black and his control is tenuous at best.

“He saw his father's eyes going over the stallion. He had done a lot of riding in his day and it was from him that Alec, even as a small child, had learned to love horses. He said nothing, but Alec could tell that he was admiring the black. ‘I'll tell you the whole story later. I owe my life to him.’ His mother seemed to have regained control of herself. ‘But he's so dangerous, son—he threw you down—’ But she stopped, puzzled, as she met the calm self-reliant look in the eyes of the boy who was holding the horse. This couldn't be her son, the boy who had left her only five months ago!”

After believing him lost at sea, Alec’s father and mother arrive at the dock in time to see the Black lift him high and drop him to the deck, then land a hoof on either side of his head. Alec’s affirmation of the horse saving his life reinforces the unyielding bond between them. Alec and the Black, a tame boy and a wild horse, are yoked and identify with one another. Mrs. Ramsay finds herself speechless as she observes that Alec has changed dramatically. He is her son, but no longer a boy. As the novel progresses, Alec’s confidence increases as the stallion’s wildness decreases.

“He led the Black into the stall next to Napoleon's. It was a little rundown, but it was roomy, and Alec could tell that the stallion liked it. He stood very patiently while Alec removed his halter and rubbed him down. Then Henry handed Alec a pail of feed and Alec dumped it into the Black’s box. Old Napoleon stuck his head curiously over the board between the stalls. The Black saw him, strode over and sniffed suspiciously. Napoleon didn't move. Alec was afraid they might fight. Then the Black put his head over into Napoleon stall and whinnied. Napoleon whinnied back. Henry laughed. ‘See, what’d I tell you? They're friends already.’”

More than a stablemate, the draft horse Napoleon immediately becomes a control character in the Black’s life. The relationship between the Black and Napoleon mirrors the relationship between Alec and Henry: the new, inexperienced horse trainer is guided by the retired jockey; the untamed horse learns proper stable behavior from the aged gelding.

“‘We?’ Alec stared at the small husky man beside him. ‘You mean, Henry, that you and I could do it?’ Henry hadn't moved—his eyes still followed the Black around the field. ‘Sure, we can,’ he said quietly, and then his voice lowered so that Alec could hardly hear him. ‘Never liked this business of retiring, anyway,’ he said. ‘Not too old—still have plenty of good years left in me! This life's all right for the Missus—she's got enough to do to keep her busy, but I need action. And here I have it shoved right in my lap!’ His voice grew louder. ‘Alec,’ he continued, ‘I know we can make a champion out of the Black.’ His face was wrinkled with excitement, his eyelids narrowed until they were only slits and his lined face.”

This passage affirms the novel’s theme of Contrasts Uniting for A Common Purpose. Older Henry’s alliance with the younger Alec empowers the young man into believing he and his horse will succeed at racing and gives him the tools and situations to do just that.

“But Alec wasn't watching the plane now; he had heard something above the plane’s roar. The sharp, piercing whistle of the Black! Alex saw the stallion rise on his hind legs and wheel in the air, running at breakneck speed down the field. ‘Look, Henry!’ Alec shouted. ‘The Black!’ The stallion was nearing the end of the field, his pace never slackening, his long, black mane whipping behind him like waves of smoke. ‘Lord!’ said Henry. ‘The plane scared him! He'll kill himself on those rocks!’ ‘He's not going to stop, Henry!’ Then they saw the Black gather himself, and, like a taut, powerful spring just released, sail through the air and over the fence.’ ‘Seven feet if it's an inch!’ exclaimed Henry. ‘Come on, we've got to get him!’”

The Black consistently exceeds the abilities of any other horse and clears a seven-foot fence at full speed. Alec’s expressed fear that the Black will be shot by the police demonstrates how the tame Alec benefits the wild Black in keeping the horse checked and calm in the face of danger.

“‘You certainly spend a lot of time with that animal,’ his mother said. ‘I don't know what you're going to do when you have to go to school.’ […] ‘Oh I'm going to get up early every morning, Mom,’ he said, ‘and feed and groom him before I go to school.’ […] ‘When the weather’s nice,’ he continued, ‘I'm going to leave him outside to graze during the morning. I'll be in the early session at school this term and have classes right through, and get out at twelve-thirty. That'll give me lots of time in the afternoon to be around him.’[…] ‘I don't want you to neglect your studies, Alec,’ his mother said. ‘If I see you doing that, I'll have to tell your father, and we'll have to do something about the Black.’”

Though Alec is truthful in what he says in this chapter, he does not reveal to his mother the reality that he spent three hours looking for the Black after he escaped that morning. The lack of information he provides is deceiving. As the narrative progresses, Alec’s secret, concealed activities—which center on the Black—increase. Farley portrays his mother as loving but fretful and not really in touch with what her son is doing. When she tells Alec what his limitations are regarding the Black, she expresses that she will turn to Alec’s father to enforce them. Thus, Farley paints a stereotypical mid-20th Century relationship between Alec and his parents.

“Whiff’s and Bill's eyes were turned toward the field where the Black grazed in a corner. ‘Gosh,’ they said. The Black raised his head when he heard Alec’s voice. His ears pricked forward and he whistled. Alec whistled back. Suddenly the horse broke toward them. Whiff and Bill hung back with Henry, as Alec walked toward the fence. The Black hesitated when he saw the newcomers. He screamed and trotted back down the field. Henry didn't have to urge Whiff and Bill to move out of sight. They ran into the barn—their eyes wide with excitement. ‘Did you see him!’ gasped Bill. ‘Boy, he's the biggest horse I ever did see and what a mean look!’ answered Whiff. They watched from the window of the barn.”

Alec has no time for games or gatherings with other students because his days are strictly, constantly devoted to the Black. Alec’s interactions with his friends illustrates that he is maturing and turning away from the pursuits of his childhood. He does not expressly exclude these two friends so much as he grows in different, empowered new direction. As Alec changes, so the Black gradually opens to Alec’s leadership, though this expresses the stallion’s trust, not any tameness.

“He rushed into the house and threw his books on the couch. His mother had lunch ready. He sat down to eat, but he was too excited. He looked up at his mother. ‘I'm sorry, Mom, but I'm not hungry today,’ he said. His mother looked at him. She saw the high flush of excitement on his face. ‘Something important going on?’ she asked. ‘Kind of, Mom, Alec answered as he finished a glass of milk. ‘I won't be home until dinner. I'll make up for my lunch then!’ He ran out of the house. His mother stood in the doorway and watched him as he tore down the street. Alec found Henry nervously pacing up and down in front of the barn. ‘Hello, Henry!’ he called. ‘Hello, son,’ Henry replied, taking the pipe from his mouth.”

This passage captures the ongoing change of allegiance in Alec’s life. Excited about putting tack on the Black for the first time, thus adding a degree of control over the stallion, Alec cannot calm himself enough to eat lunch. Pointedly, he does not explain to his mother what is happening, even though she asks. The scene shows that Alec is growing more independent.

“Henry drove rapidly through the darkened and streets, and half an hour later they pulled up in front of a high iron gate. He touched the horn lightly twice. Over the gate Alec made out the name BELMONT. A glimpse of white caught his eye. Two hands grasped the bars, and a head-topped with snow-white hair peered through. ‘That you, Henry?’ an aged high-pitched voice asked. Henry leaned far over on the side of the car. ‘Yeah, Jake—it's me,’ he answered softly.”

The undercover mission to visit Henry’s old stomping grounds at the racetrack illustrates Alec’s growing independence yet again and shows how the older man unites with the younger boy to secure the Black’s place in the horseracing world. That Henry’s double honk elicits an immediate response highlights his connections with the track and that they’re still strong even though Henry has retired.

“The stallion loved it and fought for his head. Alec tried frantically to hold him but, halfway down the back stretch, he got the bit in his teeth and ripped the reins out of the boy’s control. Once again he was a wild and free. Alec pulled on the reins with all his might but the Black ran faster and faster. Alec couldn't see anymore. The wind whipped him like a gale, tearing at his shirt. As they rounded the far turn, the boy swayed in the saddle. Instinctively he clutched the Black’s long mane and hung on for dear life. The stallion thundered into the home stretch. His legs were pounding the turf. They flashed past Henry and Jake, and then around the first turn they went again and once more into the backstretch.”

Three generations of horsemen gathered on the track all agree that the Black is phenomenal but troubled. Underlying their discussion is Farley’s theme that awesome, beguiling power emerges for the boy who is becoming a man and the greater issue is channeling that power to make it the man’s servant.

“Alec glanced over his shoulder and saw the old gray horse running toward them. Gradually the Black slowed down, and then without waiting for a signal from Alec, whirled and galloped back toward the plodding Napoleon. The old horse wheezed as they came up to him, but he held his head high. He reached his nose up to the Black’s, and then broke out into a trot and headed for the turn. The stallion whirled—three mighty leaps and he was up alongside him. […] Together they rounded the turn. Napoleon trotted ponderously, his eyes straight on the track ahead of him. […] Three-quarters of the way around, Napoleon's pace slackened to a very slow trot. When they reached Jake and Henry, Napoleon was exhausted, but his eyes were wide with excitement. Alec jumped off the stallion’s back. ‘Now we've got two racers.’ He laughed.”

Napoleon, who has never been anything but a draft horse, is drawn to join his stablemate on the racetrack even though he cannot run all the way around. Napoleon is inspired, challenged, and embraced by the Black. Just so, Henry and Jake relive their youthful exuberance as they participate in the achievements of Alec.

“In the days that followed, Alec showed his disappointment plainly. His night rides on the stallion were still as exciting as ever, but he longed to race the Black against the great racehorses of the day—horses like Sun Raider and Cyclone who were now making track history. He read every word the newspapers printed about them, listened to every big race that was broadcast. Out in front fighting for top honors were the two greatest horses, experts said, that ever set foot on any track—Sun Raider and Cyclone. Sun Raider, the champion of the West Coast, winner of the Santa Anita Handicap, the biggest, fastest horse in racing, the reports from the Coast said. Cyclone was the pride of the East, Kentucky born and bred, winner of the Derby, the Preakness, the Belmont—no horse had ever pushed him to see what he could actually do. When that time came, his followers said, Cyclone’s speed would astound the racing world.”

Alec’s anticipation of the race continues to build a tone of suspense and isolation as he feels deflated from the news that the Black may not race after all. That the racehorses are featured across broadcasts and newspapers serves to build the world around Alec in which the contemporary culture is just as horse crazed as he is.

“The Black pranced nervously as they went through the gate. Once again Alec felt his body grow warm with excitement. He patted the crest on the stallion’s neck. ‘We're off, fella,’ he said. Alec looked back at the small group of men behind him. They were all leaning on the fence, watching eagerly. Joe Russo's voice drifted toward him. ‘That kid's not going on any picnic,’ he said. Alec grasped the reins still tighter and leaned over until his head touch the stallion’s. He knew full well the danger that was his every time he rode the Black, especially when he let him loose on the track. The stallion would never hurt him knowingly, but once he got his head he was no longer the Black that Alec knew—but once again a wild stallion that had never been clearly broken, and never would be!”

This passage marks the first occasion for Farley to mention specifically the incredible thrill and the looming danger Alec feels when riding the Black at full speed. Farley illustrates the unrestrained power of the Black, leaving Alec to pass out and to only be revived once he is helped off the powerful stallion.

“Henry looked at Mr. Ramsay. ‘You've got to let him ride in that race,’ he said. ‘His heart and soul are wrapped up in it! Alec isn't the same boy that you sent to India last summer. You know that as well as I do. But he's a better man for it!’ ‘But, henry, it's such a dangerous race for him to go into—and on that wild horse! ‘Not any more dangerous than what he's faced many times since that boat went down in the ocean. I've grown to know your boy pretty well within the last few months, and I can honestly say that he's different from any of us. He's found something that we never will, because we'll never go through the experiences that he's had to.’ Henry paused a few seconds. ‘Besides,’ he continued, ‘I'd be mighty proud to have a boy that could ride that black stallion—something, I'm certain, no one else in the world can do!’”

Henry intends his words to appeal to Alec’s father’s pride: Everyone will admire you as a father when they see your son’s accomplishments. Henry is also vicariously in the race himself, having taught Alec how to ride a horse in a race. Though Henry is manipulating Mr. Ramsay, the points he makes are correct. While Alec is a totally unique, Farley uses him as a paradigm for the experience of adventuresome boys transitioning to men.

“Henry told Tony how they had taken Napoleon with them when they trained the Black at Belmont and how now the Black was going to run in the big match race in Chicago. ‘And now, Tony,’ Henry finished, ‘we can't get him in the van because we're not taking Napoleon.’ Jim Neville spoke up. ‘Tony,’ he said, ‘would it be all right with you if we took Napoleon with us to the race?’ Alec began to feel more hopeful. ‘Do you think we could, Jim?’ he asked. ‘Sure, if Tony will let us. There's plenty of room on the train, and we're sure to find a stable for him out there. What do you say, Tony? We’ll have him back to you by Sunday night, or Monday at the latest. And to make everything square, we'll pay you for Napoleon's time!’”

Repeatedly throughout the narrative, Alec prevails because of the generosity and goodwill of others. At every step in which Alec needs the generosity of grownups, these men all make exceptions. The cooperative civilized temperament of these men is a stark contrast to the untamed nature of the Black.

“The gatekeeper hailed them. ‘What do you want?’ he asked. Jim spoke up. ‘I'm Jim Neville,’ he said. We've a horse here—for the race tomorrow.’ ‘The mystery horse, hey?’ The gatekeeper smiled. ‘We've been waiting for him!’ He swung the gate open. ‘Take any stall you want in barn H,’ he yelled at them. ‘Just don't get too close to Sun Raider and Cyclone. Still,’ he chuckled, ‘perhaps you better get close to ‘em now—'cause you won't tomorrow! Haw.’ ‘Humorous sort of guy it, isn't he?’ Jim said. ‘He'll change his tune,’ said Henry.”

It is only in Chicago at the racetrack that Alec and his crew encounter negativity. Scorned by the gatekeeper in this passage, Henry confronts disrespectful stewards and reporters while Alec is patronized by the other jockeys. Farley uses the skepticism and poor sportsmanship of these men to sow the element of doubt in Alec and Henry, building tension before the race.

“Hysteria swept the crowd as the horses passed them for the second time—the finish line only one hundred yards away. ‘He'll never get Sun Raider!’ yelled the sportscaster. The stallion flash by the stands, going faster with every magnificent stride. With a sudden spurt he bore down on Sun Raider. For a moment he hesitated as he came alongside. The crowd gasped as the Black's ears went back and he bared his teeth. There was a movement on his back; his jockey's hand rose and fell on the stallion’s side for the first time in the race. Into the lead the Black swept, past the cheering thousands—a step, a length, two lengths ahead—then the mighty giant plunged under the wire.”

Farley uses an unusual literary break in this paragraph. In the race portion of this final chapter, Farley uses the third person, focusing on the race announcer, transporting readers to the grandstand watching the contest. Alec is referred to only the jockey of the mystery horse. When the race concludes, Farley returns to the original point of view as he follows Alec’s concern for the Black. This is a final lesson for Alec and the Black. The Black runs against Alec’s will, not so much to win the race as to catch up with Sun Raider and get revenge for his injured leg. Recognizing what is happening, Alec asserts himself when they draw alongside Sun Raider, getting the Black’s attention and taking command of the horse’s behavior for the first time during a run.