CHAPTER VIII
CHARGED BY A BULL
THE first thing the boys noticed was the fact that two of the greatbeasts had gone down in answer to their shots. The camp was likely tohave an abundance of fresh meat that night at least.
"'RUN FOR THE TREES, ROGER!' SHOUTED DICK"]
Then another thing drew their attention.
"Look at the bull!" cried Roger suddenly, as he noticed that theguardian of the herd was plunging in their direction as though bent onseeking a prompt revenge for the loss of his charges.
The predicament of the boys was not at all to their liking. Without abullet in their guns, and with a maddened bull bearing down upon themat full speed, unless they made a rapid retreat to the timber they werein danger of being gored and trampled by the horns and hoofs of thebeast.
"Run for the trees, Roger!" shouted Dick, as he himself turned and madefor the timber.
Fortunately they were not far from shelter. Roger had before been,inclined to lament the fact that the mass of dead grass did not allowthem to creep closer to the game, but he changed his mind now, whenevery yard counted against them.
Once Roger caught his foot somehow, and fell flat. Dick seemed toknow it, although his back was turned to his chum at the time, forhe instantly stopped in his headlong rush and whirled around. It washis intention to stand by his comrade, come what would, to divert, ifnecessary, the attention of the charging animal until such time asRoger could gain his feet.
It turned out that the sacrifice was not needed, for, nimble as a cat,Roger gained his feet like a flash, and, putting on a fresh spurt,succeeded in reaching the outermost trees as soon as Dick.
They were none too soon. The galloping buffalo was close at theirheels. Had the friendly timber been ten paces further off there mighthave been a different story to tell.
Each boy chose a tree behind which he tried to shield himself. The bullrushed past, but immediately came to a halt, turned and started tochase Roger around the tree which he had taken for a guard.
"Faster, Roger, faster!" called Dick, alarmed lest the animal overtakethe boy.
This shout caused the bull to take notice of his other enemy, and heplunged directly toward Dick, who was compelled to make circles aroundhis shelter at a lively pace, in order to keep from being impaled onthose wicked-looking short black horns.
Having the inside track the boy of course was given an advantage, butit seemed as though that tough old monster would never tire. He kepton circling the tree, making savage prods at the legs of his intendedquarry whenever Dick lagged a little, or, slipping, fell back a step orso.
Roger started just then to give tongue at the top of his voice,thinking that it was not altogether fair to have the game so one-sided.His generous intention was to attract the animal once more towardhimself; and in this he fully succeeded.
Now it was Roger who danced a tune that was far from being a statelyminuet. Lively boy that he was, that old rascal of a buffalo bull puthim to his best paces in order to keep out of danger.
Roger was hard to subdue even at such a time as this. It would haveseemed to be the part of wisdom to conserve every atom of his breathfor the work before him, yet he was continually bursting out withshouts to his comrade.
"Did you ever see anything so mad as he is, Dick?" he called.
"Be careful, Roger; he almost got you that time, when he drove his headagainst the tree. It may seem like a frolic to you, but the danger isthere all the same!"
"It's the greatest race I ever had, barring none!" gasped the other, ashe continued to dodge the horns that were forever trying to catch himoff his guard.
"Better throw your gun away, for it's likely to trip you!" advisedDick; and hardly had the words escaped his lips than there came anothersudden change of tactics on the part of the charging bull, with Dickagain doing the dodging.
Roger took this occasion to change his tree, selecting one that offereda little better chance for making a speedy circuit, for of course heanticipated soon coaxing the infuriated animal to turn back on him.
There had been another reason for his change of base which was madeapparent a little later on. Dick was making splendid time aroundthat trunk. He also managed to keep a close watch upon his shaggyantagonist, and was thus able to anticipate the latter when, with asudden stop and a whirl the bull sought to catch him napping and comeup in the rear.
"Dick, I've got a plan!" cried Roger.
"Tell me what it is then," panted the other, plainly distressed forwant of breath, for the constant struggle to avoid the horns of thebull was telling on him.
"I must get him started after me again, you see," Roger commenced toexplain.
"Yes, of course!" Dick managed to say as he found a few seconds ofrelief while the animal stood pawing the ground, and apparentlydebating within his mind what course he should take next.
"I'm a little the more agile, you see," continued Roger, "and likely totire him out in the end, if put to it."
"All very well," Dick told him, "but where do I come in?"
"Oh! I figured on your loading your gun, and fixing him in a hurry!"said Roger, with a laugh.
Dick even joined in that expression of merriment. Strange that up tothen neither of them seemed to have given the first thought to the factthat he gripped a fire-arm in his hand, which it would take only ashort time to put in serviceable condition.
"Well said, Roger! and, if you can coax the old fellow to make a changein his program, I'll look after the gun part of the affair, I promiseyou."
"Look out, he's after you again, Dick!"
Dick knew that long before Roger could get the words of warning framed,and he was speedily making his rapid circuits around the tree with thesnorting animal hot on his heels.
With the intention of carrying out his part of the arrangement Rogernow started to shout and make all manner of derisive gestures by whichhe hoped to attract the attention, and excite the ire, of the raginganimal.
It was some time before this maneuver met with the success Roger hopedfor, but in the end he managed to coax the bull into making a dashtoward his tree. Thereupon Roger exerted himself to keep the animalbusy, so that Dick should not be interrupted in his task.
In order to do this the better he kept up his jeering cries, and, whenhe found the chance, even made thrusts at the beast with his long gun,once striking him smartly on the head.
The pace was beginning to tell on the buffalo. His powers of endurancehad diminished since that eventful day when in mortal combat he hadslain the old guardian of the herd, and usurped his position of trust.
Meanwhile Dick was far from being idle.
He had, as soon as the attention of the bull was diverted, swung hispowder horn around, after removing the wooden stopper, and carefullymeasured out a charge. This he managed to pour down the barrel of hisrifle, after which, from the cavity in the stock of the weapon, he tooka greased patch in which the bullet was to be enclosed. After that theramrod was used to punch the bullet down into the interior of the longbarrel until it finally lodged snugly upon the powder charge.
Nothing remained but the priming, which was a brief matter at the most;and Dick was gladdened by the thought that now he held in his hand themeans for terminating that ridiculous dance which the old bull wasleading Roger.
A tree interfered somewhat with his view, and Dick ran a little closer,in order to make certain of his aim. Dropping on one knee after thefashion of expert marksmen of the day, he waited until there came alittle lull in the mad chase.
"Now you can get him, Dick!" called Roger, between his gasps forbreath, as the bull stopped short to strike again his hoof violentlyagainst the ground.
It was the opening the pioneer boy had been waiting for, andimmediately the long gun shot out a puff of smoke as the reportsounded. The buffalo had been hit in a vital spot, for he fell to theground without even one jump.
Roger started to give a triumphant shout, when he cut it short,for something had leaped through the air; and, upon
looking at thestill-quivering body of the stricken bull, what was the boy's surpriseto see a crouching figure fastened upon it, and to hear the vicioussnarl of the savage panther as, with ears pressed back against hishead, he glared defiantly at the young hunter.
The Pioneer Boys of the Columbia; or, In the Wilderness of the Great Northwest Page 11