2.2 JUSTIN MORGAN 



kindness all his little life, forgot, and frolicked gaily to- 

 wards him ! 



William Howe cried out in delight, *'Sick him, Corn- 

 wallis !" 



The cosset lamb stood an easy mark for the dog and 

 in an instant lay gasping on the ground, the blood flow- 

 ing from a horrid wound in his throat. His sobbing 

 breath found an echo in True's heart and for the first 

 time the colt lost control of himself. 



Overcome with a thirst for vengeance, and, screaming 

 as only a horse does when the strait is desperate, he 

 plunged and reared. With a well-aimed blow of his hard, 

 very dark, front-feet he knocked the dog senseless. 



This did not satisfy the lamb's champion ; he stamped 

 the body of the wicked beast into the earth, crushing 

 bones as if they had been straws ! Furiously he bit, and 

 finally caught the limp carcass in his strong teeth and 

 threw it high in the air. For the moment he was a 

 demon and sought, savagely, for more ways to wipe 

 the remains out of existence ! 



Suddenly he remembered William Howe who stood at 

 a distance, pelting him with stones. Uttering another 

 fierce cry he turned upon the boy, baring his teeth 

 hideously between his firm lips. 



Howe made for the fence, where the desperate rabbit 

 had sought cover, and scrambled over, thinking to be 

 safe on the other side ; he did not know the colt was 

 descended from the "birds of the desert!" 



True was not even aware of a barrier! As if he had 

 wings he soared over it, doubling his hind-feet close 

 under his body a little to one side. 



A tree was all that saved the boy's life. Swinging up 

 bv a low-hanging branch, with the agility of a cat, he 

 found himself out of breath and out of reach of the 

 colt's gleaming teeth. From wide, scarlet nostrils the 



