16The pain in his right flank caused the horse to tread slowly. He led his group into the shade of some thick mesquite, where they searched for rare bits of edible plants. Blood ran down his leg and pooled on the ground. Flies landed in the wound, and he flicked his tail to drive the insects away.
The stallion lifted his head at the sound of an approaching truck. The animals were used to people, though some were more skittish than others. Vehicles sometimes stopped on the roads, people jumping out to take pictures of the wild horses. And there were others who would toss large bales of hay and even alfalfa onto the ground to feed the animals.
So, the horse did not feel threatened when a truck came to a stop on the road near the small herd. Two men got out. One stepped behind the vehicle a
