it. For fear of falling off, he released one hand at a time and encircled his forearms around Black's firm neck, clasping his hands together. He pulled back hard.

Suddenly, Black's head turned toward Lucas. It turned in a complete half-circle, as if its neck was boneless, and looked up into Lucas' face.

"Damn hell," Lucas mumbled. He feared his heart was going to burst through his shirt.

Black's eyes closed, and it bared its teeth. Its eyes opened and glowed red.

Lucas jerked back and tried to jump away from Black, but his body kept unnaturally balanced as if he were tied to the stallion.

Lucas made a desperate attempt for his pistol, but his hand froze on the gun butt. A loud, rampaging sound fell around him. He glanced about and there were a dozen or more stallions identical to Black. Black's head twirled back to its normal position.

Lucas drew his pistol. Black stopped abruptly and Lucas was hurled over its head. He fell, way down into a hole or a pit. He hit the ground and was swallowed by darkness.

He awoke and stared into a skeletal face. He barely suppressed a scream and rolled away. Despite the throbbing pain inside his head and in his back, he got to his feet. He nearly jumped out of his boots as he gaped at the row of skeletons over the ground. Rotted clothes, boots, and gun belts lay around them. His eyes were drawn to the pearl-handle pistols near the skeleton he had met "face to face." Beside another skeleton, a notched pistol butt protruded from its rotted holster.

"Damn hell," he moaned. How many other skeletons were the remains of notorious outlaws? he thought. Bankers deserved to die like that, not men who lived by the gun cause life dealt them a crummy hand.

He heard a roar and his head snapped upward. About twenty feet above, the stallions circled the pit. Then he saw Black. Its rider was the ugliest creature Lucas had ever laid eyes on. It had the face of a snake, with wings attached to its long, furry body. It cackled and then leapt off Black and flew downward toward Lucas. He went for his pistol, but it wasn't there.

He screamed. The scream spiraled up and up, and suddenly was cut off as he felt his throat rip open. He shut his eyes and welcomed the darkness.

But there was more.

He was above the pit now, among the black stallions. They looked at him, and whinnied.

They reared their heads as if they welcomed him into their family. Black trotted over, brushed its head lightly against him, and whinnied.

Lucas whinnied. He looked down at himself and saw the body of a black stallion. Black started away. As if by instinct, Lucas followed.