Guns and Horses

Chapter Four: Freedom

CHAPTER FOUR

B L A C K J A C K

August 10' - 14' 1916

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My muzzle skimmed across the dry ground as my teeth chewed at the last bits of grass. The dust kept on sticking to the inside of my nostril making it uncomfortable to keep my head down for long. But the discomfort didn’t stop there, the burning sun beat down onto my skin giving me sores under my bridle where I had begun to sweat. I moved my hooves forward finishing off the last pieces of pasture when I was stopped by a wooden fence. I pushed at it with my forehead willing it to move, but it held fast and I was trapped inside this pen.

Danny sat with his head bent over a piece of paper, his hand skimmed over the page. I brought my head up and tried to take a peak at what he was doing. But when he saw me he twisted it away and smiled, laughing at my curiosity. I nickered at him wanting to catch his attention, I was bored and there was nothing left to eat. After a while I realized he was preoccupied with his letter so I gave up and turned back to the other horses. They all grazed boringly around me, taking no interest in their surroundings. Feeling a nibble on my behind I turned my head to see Leo chewing on my haunch. I bite him on the neck finding his pestering nature annoying. He reared up his over sized hooves waving in my face. I felt my head being yanked downwards, my reins being pulled away from Leo.

“Stop it.”

I sighed. It was Jim. His big human eyes glared at me with anger. I shock me head trying to get his hand free of my rein, but he held on tight.

“Danny, I t’ink Black Jack may need a run. He’s gettin’ very restless.”

Danny groaned, putting down the piece of paper he had been concentrating on for hours and strolled over to me. His hand wiping the sweat from his brow. He took a hold of my rein just above Jim’s hand and stroked my neck. I relished how his fingers massaged my sore mussels.

“Alright Jim, I’ll take him out.”

Jim let go and slowly backed away his eye never leaving me. I felt Danny move to the left as he led me towards the gate. He was careful to open the fence encase I suddenly fled, I’d tried once already. The way he kept his eyes on the ground prompted a memory of my little Daisy.

I remembered her, as she laughed at my thin legs ponding against the ground for the first time. Her chubby pink cheeks and the ping tails being battered by the wind as we rode through the countryside. But I also remembered her blotchy face as the soldiers dragged me away. She screamed in her brother’s arms as she tried to reach me. Then when she saw it was no use the anger in her eyes as she pushed away from her brother and walked away from me.

I tilted my head down, the memory weighing on my mind. There was an aching in my heart for my lost friend. Danny was a lot like her: the way his confidence came and went with certain individuals; the smile that lights up his whole face and the way he looked at me with such passion and care. However he had a sorrow that clung to is soul, that my Daisy never had.

I gently nipped at his hand, careful not to break the skin. His eyes watched me and he furrowed his brow making his bushy eyebrows touch the top of his dull blue eyes. He seemed confused about my friendly gesture so I snorted in his face. He laughed again, a deep guttural sound that gave a a sense of realness. He lightly pushed my head away and shock his head, a surprising grin stretched across his face. He began to lead me towards the smell of metallic machinery and human sweat so I pulled away, suggesting we forget about the herd of men. Sighing he patted my side and turned around, agreeing with my idea.