“THUNDER! STOP!” Thomas shouted at the top of his lungs.
But it was as if Thunder could not hear anything coming from Thomas’ mouth.
He let out another loud whinny, this time kicking up a cloud of dust that exploded all over the barn. Splinters flew everywhere when Thunder slammed his body up against the wall, pinning down Thomas.
While Thomas struggled to break free, he found Thunder blocking his way and at one point thought he would not make it out alive.
With a tremendous effort, he finally made it through a small opening between the stall wall and the barn wall.
After running out of the barn, he slammed the door shut behind him.
His heart was racing so fast that he could not see straight and the loud, crazy neighing and hammering of hooves from Thunder could still be heard.
The ranch’s workers raced to the area as soon as they heard the noise from Thomas’ scream.
According to Thomas, they thought there was something wrong with the horse.
Some workers believed Thunder was rabid, others thought Thunder had completely lost his faculties.
They were wrong, however, when Thomas spoke to a veterinarian about the events that took place and several hours later, it was determined that Thunder did not have any signs of failing health.
Thunder’s unusual actions increased in activity over the next few days.He would not allow anyone near the barn, kicking out violently at anyone who got close to it.
After two days of watching Thunder, Thomas made an emotional decision; he would have to euthanize Thunder because he believed Thunder had become too dangerous to the world. However, before he implemented that decision, he discovered the truth behind Thunder’s unusual behaviour, and that was devastating for Thomas, who could not risk others’ lives.
The day after Thomas found the child and rescued him from falling into the well, Thomas arrived at the ranch to take one last look at Thunder before making his final decision. When he got to the barn door, he began to hear Thunder’s distressed neighing again. In addition, Thomas began to notice something else really interesting about the noise. It seemed like it was also coming from somewhere beneath, even though it seemed to be coming from inside the stall.
Thomas was paralyzed with fear; as he carefully examined the floor of the barn, he found a small opening or gap between some of the boards in the rear of the barn.
He fetched a crowbar and, by carefully prying away some of the floorboards, found out that what lay below was unexpected.
There was an old unused well that had been covered up for years, and sitting a few yards below it, a young boy.
The five-year-old boy had been left in the dark and deteriorating for two days while a ranch worker’s child was playing inside the barn and fell through the rotten cover of the old well.
As near as can be told from the time he fell, the boy had been missing for two days.
Although law enforcement searched all surrounding woods, fields, and roads, no authorities had checked under the barn for the child.
Thunder was the only one who was aware of where the child was.
When Thomas entered the barn, Thunder acted like he had always done over the years, warning his owner not to enter the area of the floor where the child lay.
When Thunder saw Thomas approach the area, he raised up and struck down near the old well, as if trying to press Thomas against the wall without using any force.
Thunder’s intent was to alert people by his noise about the child crying below.
Once the rescue workers brought the child safely out of the well, Thomas returned to the barn. Thunder stood quietly in front of his stall, showing no signs of being aggressive.
Within a few quiet seconds, Thomas studied Thunder’s eyes deeply, and Thomas took Thunder’s neck in his arms to hug him.
“I’m so sorry, old cowboy,” Thomas said softly. “I thought you were going to kill me; instead, you have spent all your time trying to save a child.”
Thunder gave a little snort and rubbed his collar on Thomas’ shoulder as he had for so many years.
