He watched traffic speeding by on a two-lane highway. There were numerous large trucks and many smaller trucks and cars speeding east and west. He wasn’t sure how to get over or around the highway. He’d never seen one when he wasn’t in a trailer. And the trailer always moved with the traffic, not across it.
He approached the highway with trepidation. As he climbed a small rise above the highway, a semi-truck driver spotted him and blasted his air-horn. The loud sound scared him. He spun and ran the other way for a distance. He continued traveling east for a while and tried it again. This time he approached the highway from a level spot. He looked to the east and saw large trucks approaching. He looked west and saw cars speeding toward that spot. He decided he wouldn’t have time to cross before they caught up to him so he walked back a distance and continued east.
After a while the traffic subsided on the highway and he approached it again. This time he watched as a large truck heading west passed. There were cars approaching from the east, but far off in the distance. He took a chance and ran across the road. He slipped on the final step on asphalt and skidded into a ditch on the other side of the road. He pulled a muscle in his stifle, or knee joint on a rear leg, but walked away with only a slight limp. He headed in the direction of the horses he’d seen from above.
Distance can be deceiving in the vastness of a desert. From his higher vantage point it didn’t look to be all that far from him. But as he reached the plateau he walked and walked and walked before he noticed the house getting any closer. He reached the property around noon. He was very thirsty and had not seen water for hours. He was also very hungry. There wasn’t much to eat here. He’d tried nibbling on a few things but found some plants had hairy spines on the leaves and they tasted bad. He was traveling on his reserves.
The property was fenced. He couldn’t get to the horses from the front so he walked along the side. There were no openings along the side either. He tried the back of the property and found a hole in the fence large enough to walk through. Someone had left the back gate open.
He walked through the hole and looked for the horses he’d seen. They were standing in metal corrals with three sided shelters munching on left over hay from their breakfast. They called to him. He called back and galloped to their corral. He noticed large tubs of water just on the other side of the corral fencing.
The metal bars on the fencing were spaced widely enough for him to stick his head through and take a drink. The water was none too clear, but it was wet. He drank his fill and began to look around for something to eat. He found small chunks of hay that dropped from the owner’s hands as he fed the horses that morning. Ali grabbed the hay eagerly and started to eat.
Just then, the little dog guarding the property saw him. The dog came running at him from the back porch of the house where he’d been sleeping. He barked furiously. Ali backed up and looked for the hole in the fence he’d come through.
The little dog showed no fear of Ali’s size and came at him snapping and biting at his ankles. Ali kicked out and began to run, kicking as he went to keep the little dog from biting him. The dog chased him off the property and for nearly a half mile beyond before giving up and heading back to his porch and shade.
In his haste to get away from the nasty little creature, Ali ran into a short cholla, or jumping cactus bush. Spines from pieces that broke off the bush imbedded themselves in his chest, right front leg and right side. They burned like fire. He attempted to pull one of the pieces from his right foreleg and got spines stuck in his lip for his effort.
He walked on, limping now on his left rear leg and his right front leg. He headed in the general direction of the vivid green patch he’d seen from the higher elevation. He was very hungry. The dog prevented him from eating more than a mouthful at the ranch. Fortunately he’d gotten water.
Ali walked slowly but steadily through the rest of the afternoon and finally reached the green patch. It was an irrigated field of alfalfa. He could smell it long before he reached it and it quickened his pace.
He looked out over the field and saw a large mechanical device spreading water on the growing crop. There were giant wheels attached to long arms crossing the field spraying water. The wheels turned very slowly as the arms sprayed the crop and made little noise.
Ali watched it for a while and decided it would do him no harm. He took a tentative step into the field. It was muddy from the water but that didn’t bother him. He carefully took a bite of the fresh alfalfa, trying to avoid disturbing the cholla spines on the right side of his lip. It was fresh, damp and absolutely delicious. He began munching in earnest, cropping the plants off above the ground.
One of the men who worked the field drove his truck back to this field to turn the water off for the night and spotted a horse standing in his field eating the alfalfa. He stopped his truck leaving the engine running and took a jacket from the front seat. He ran at the horse waving the jacket in his hand and screaming at Ali.
Ali spooked and started to run, slipping and sliding in the mud. He changed gait to his high floating trot. This worked. He quickened his pace, flipped his tail over his back, arched his neck and snorted as he went.
The man stopped in his tracks and caught his breath. He stared slack-jawed at the horse, his arm holding the coat dropping to his side. In a second, the skinny, lame, dirty horse transformed into a magical creature that floated on air.
The itinerant worker wondered if he should tell his Patron about the magic horse. He decided not. El Patron would think he’d gone loco. He needed this job. He would tell no one.
As soon as Ali noticed the soil change to dry, he changed gears to a gallop and ran until the man could no longer see him, just a plume of dust showing where he’d been. The man walked out into the field looking for hoof prints to be sure he’d actually seen a real horse. He found Ali’s tracks and stood looking in the distance at the dust plume in wonder. He wondered if this was an omen. He might talk to the priest after mass.
Ali stopped running as soon as he thought he was far enough away to be safe again. He walked east, slowly. There was no place out here that looked safe to spend the night so he kept on walking. About 11:00 that night the wind kicked up. The gusts blew across the desert at fifty miles per hour with some even stronger. It blew dust and sand everywhere.
There was no shelter here. No place to get out of the wind. The tallest tree in the area was about four and a half feet high, stunted by the heat of summer and lack of water. Ali wandered around for a while and then finally did as horses have done for thousands of years. He turned his back to the wind and waited it out.
The wind hard blew all through the night. Ali was miserable. His hips and back hurt from deep scratches and bite marks, his front leg and chest hurt from the cholla, his right rear foot was sore from losing his shoe. His stifle was sore from the pulled muscle. He was cold and thirsty and very hungry.
Dawn came with no let-up in the wind. Ali was reluctant to move. The sand blew so much it was difficult for him to see. Dust and sand filled his nostrils so he couldn’t smell much either. He remained right where he was with his butt to the wind.
Ali slipped into daydreams. He remembered all the times he and Becky were at various showgrounds when Chris was showing him. Becky was always there to help get him ready for his classes and she was always in the stands or on the sidelines cheering him on. After his classes, she insisted on walking him to cool him out. They walked around the grounds with her proudly holding his win ribbons. Todd walked with them most of the time. It was hard to tell which of the two youngsters were most proud of Ali’s accomplishments.
The terrible wind continued throughout the day and the entire following night. Ali stood in one place, locked three of his hocks or knees at a time so the fourth could rest and stayed where he was. He had no shelter, no food and no water. The cholla spines burned constantly. The wounds in his back and flank area seeped blood. His only movement was to switch which leg rested periodically.
> CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
The wind finally stopped abruptly about 11:00 that morning. Ali shook himself to throw off some of the sand and dust coating his body and began to walk east again. The shaking hurt the wounds on his back, chest and legs. His body ached, his thirst was terrible and his stomach growled from hunger. He began thinking he would never make it after all. Max was right. He was an inexperienced youngster out of his element. Maybe he should just lie down and let nature take its course.
Just about then, Ali remembered watching Becky slam into the building head first and tumble into a heap, not moving. He couldn’t give up now. He had to get back to her. He had to protect her. “Becky, I’m coming home! I don’t know how, but I’m not giving up yet. Hold on and wait for me!”
He limped along until after 2:00 p.m. In the distance he saw a ranch. He saw animals in pens near the back of the property. He wasn’t sure what kind of animals they were, but he kept walking toward them. Where there were animals in pens, there would be food and water!
As he got closer he noticed a single horse in a pen by himself. The closer Ali got the more familiar the horse looked. Finally it dawned on him the horse looked a lot like his older brother. Excitement gripped him. He had no idea how his brother would get here and he was too tired, sore, thirsty and hungry to care. He hurried his steps and limped faster.
The other horse noticed Ali and called to him. Ali called back and began to gallop. He came to a slide stop at the fence near the other horse. The horse looked just like his brother, but suddenly Ali knew it wasn’t him. Disappointment crashed in.
Ali saw the rear gate to the ranch was open. He knew there was food and water here which he desperately needed. He hurried to the gate and began searching. He’d gone about half way to the ranch house on the 70 acre ranch still not finding a source of food or water outside of the animal pens when a large black dog charged him from behind. The dog barked loud and excitedly, bounding toward him. Ali didn’t have the energy to run, but put on a good fast trot. The dog outdistanced him and came around in front of him. Suddenly the dog stopped and whined.
Clyde recognized this horse! He knew his scent. He couldn’t place him, but he definitely wasn’t a stranger. He smelled the blood on him and saw the cholla stuck to his chest and leg. Clyde got into cholla once and knew what that meant. This horse needed help. Clyde approached Ali who’d stopped when the dog did.
“Hey, I know you! I’ve seen you before. Where did you come from?” Clyde asked him wagging his tail.
Ali was standing with his head down too tired to move any more. Clyde sniffed Ali and Ali sniffed Clyde. Ali recognized Clyde’s scent too. “You seem familiar to me too,” Ali said to the dog. He didn’t remember where he knew him from, but knew he was friendly.
“You smell just like a horse my owner lady takes me to see sometimes in the truck. Do you know a young girl with blonde hair?” Clyde remembered going with Ginny to a ranch far away where she worked with this horse and a little girl.
“Yes! Becky! How do you know Becky and can you help me find her?” Ali asked him eagerly.
“It was a long ride in the truck to the place where I saw you and the girl,” Clyde told him. “You sure don’t look the same. What happened to you?”
Ali was too tired to tell the whole story. He was very thirsty and very hungry. He barely had the strength left to stand on his four legs. “It’s a long story. Can you help me?” he finally asked the dog. “I need food and water.”
Without another word Clyde spun around and ran toward the house. He dove through the doggie door on the back porch and disappeared inside. Ali stood there with his head hanging. He had no more energy.
Clyde ran for Brody’s room. Brody was doing his homework and left his bedroom door open. Clyde ran in and put his paw on Brody’s leg, then barked at him. Brody pushed Clyde’s leg off and told him to shush. Clyde whined, and then barked again.
Brody looked up from the book he was studying. Clyde was doing circles on the hardwood floor and kept looking at him, whining.
“Okay, Clyde,” Brody said as he stroked the dog. “Show me what’s up.” Brody followed the dog to the back door. Brody opened the door while Clyde jumped through the doggie door. Clyde turned and whined again, then turned back to the ranch leading Brody.
Brody spotted the horse and saw his general condition from a hundred yards away. Passing one of the corrals near the house, he grabbed a halter and lead rope and followed Clyde. Clyde went directly to the horse and sat down in front of Ali whining.
The closer Brody got, the worse the horse looked. He slowly walked up to the horse, talking to him as he approached.
“Good boy, I’m not going to hurt you. Yes, please be a good boy.” Brody carefully put the halter and lead rope on the horse and gently led him to the barn. He slid open one of the empty stalls and led the horse inside.
He noticed the horse was limping and he saw the cholla. He also noticed the seeping blood on his back and down his rear legs. Brody stroked the horse’s neck, unbuckled the halter and backed out of the stall, closing the door. He dropped the halter and lead rope in the barn aisle and sprinted to the west side pens where his Uncle Mike was working horses.
“Uncle Mike!” Brody shouted. “Uncle Mike, you gotta come to the barn. A horse just showed up here and he’s hurt. We gotta help him!”
Mike rode his horse to the rail and stopped. “Say that again?”
Brody was excited and talked fast.
“Uncle Mike, Clyde came into my bedroom and made me follow him outside. There was a horse standing there and he’s in pretty bad shape. He has cholla stuck all over, he’s skinny, and he has blood all over his back and legs. He’s been hurt and needs our help.”
Mike got off the horse and tossed the reins to Brody. “Put this guy up, will you. I’ll go check the horse out and see what we can do with him. Meet me in the barn.”
Mike strode to the barn and found Ali standing in the stall with his head down, trembling. He cautiously entered the stall and looked him over. He saw the cholla Brody mentioned and worked his way back to the horse’s back and flank area, crossed behind the horse and came up the other side. He stopped at Ali’s shoulder and put his hand on Ali’s neck, sliding down to his withers. He scratched the itchy place. Ali moaned and sighed.
Brody put Mike’s training horse up and ran back to the barn. He stopped at the doorway and walked in like he’d been trained to do. No sense in spooking any of the horses inside by running down the aisle. He walked to the stall Ali and Mike were in.
“What do you think, Uncle Mike? Can we help him? What can I do?”
“Well, he’s pretty sucked up in the flank so he’s probably not had water for a while. Why don’t you get two buckets of fresh water and hang them in here. Then go get me a pair of pliers and some iodine. We have to get the cholla out of him first. Then we’ll take a look at wounds on his back and flanks. One more thing you can do is make him a warm bran mash. Put a cup of mineral oil in it. Don’t know when the last time he ate was, but we don’t want him to colic on top of everything else.”
Brody hurried out to get the buckets of water. He brought the first one in and hung it up in the stall. Ali stuck his muzzle in the bucket before Brody could get it on the hook. Brody stepped out to get the other bucket and hang it. Ali didn’t take his muzzle out of the first bucket until it was half empty. He stood there catching his breath and dripping water into the wood shavings they used to bed the stall. He took a few long breaths, and then dropped his muzzle back into the bucket for more water.
“Jeez, Uncle Mike, he was thirsty!” Brody exclaimed. “Should I get the pliers now and hold him for you or should I make the mash?”
“Get the pliers. We need to get the cholla spines out of him. He’ll be much more comfortable. Then we may need to ice him down. You remember how the cholla spines make the horses legs swell? Get me the ice packs from the barn freezer.”
“Okay. Here’s the halter and lead rope I used to ca
tch him with. Be right back.” Brody told his uncle.
Brody got several ice packs and a couple pairs of leg wraps then stopped in the tack room for the tool kit. He pulled a pair of pliers out and hurried back to the stall.
He put the wraps and ice packs in the corner feeder in the stall and handed his uncle the pliers. Brody took the lead rope from Mike and talked to the horse as Mike pulled chunks of cholla and spines out of the horse’s skin. Carefully Mike put the cholla and spines in the feeder bottom so he could collect them later.
When Mike pulled the first piece of cholla off him, Ali squealed and backed up a step. He knew the two people were helping and it felt good to get rid of that pokey stuff, so he stood very still as the rest of them came out. Mike washed the area with diluted iodine solution and then wrapped Ali’s leg with ice packs using leg wraps to hold them in place.
As the cholla spines came out, the swelling began and became more pronounced as Mike worked. There wasn’t much he could do with the chest and side of the horse, but the leg wraps would reduce swelling in his leg. Mike found the three spines in Ali’s lip and pulled them out as well. Ali was so relieved.
Mike sent Brody to make the mash. He worked with gentle hands and antibacterial cleanser to clean the deep scratches and bite marks on Ali’s hips, flanks and back. They were packed with sand and dirt from the wind storm the night before and had to be cleaned out to prevent infection.
Ali flinched when the pain was bad, but other than that, he didn’t move a muscle while Mike worked on him. When the wounds were cleaned out, Mike found a salve in the medicine area of the tack room. He gently smoothed it into the wounds to draw out any infection that may have already started there. The salve soothed the burning caused by the cleansing. Mike checked his stock of injectable medications in the barn refrigerator and found a tetanus shot. He carefully injected the medication into Ali.
Prince Ali Page 14