The Outdoor Chums in the Forest; Or, Laying the Ghost of Oak Ridge

by Quincy Allen

  CHAPTER XI

  FARMER DOBSON AND HIS PRIZE BULL

  This was a species of game that Jerry was not looking for that morning,thank you.

  Perhaps bulls were not mentioned as being included in the closed season,but they had a value attached to them, and he was not in the humor togive Farmer Dobson any sort of club to hold over his head.

  Jerry did not like the idea of taking to a tree, either. Flight, then,would seem to be his only course.

  To leave the "tote" road and dash wildly through the forest was hisplan, as he saw the bull coming so hurriedly in his direction.

  Before he could even start toward putting this idea into play anotheractor had appeared on the scene.

  Jerry saw a figure rushing through the scrub with the evident idea ofintercepting the oncoming bull. He immediately recognized the flamingred bandana which he had noticed around the thick neck of the farmer onthe occasion of his visit to the camp.

  Then Jerry grinned, nor did he make the first move toward leaving.Stepping to one side, he screened himself behind a friendly tree andwaited.

  "There's his bull, all right. Now let's see how he leads him home by thering in his nose. It will show me how," was what he was saying as hepeeped around the base of his ambush.

  The bull still came on. Somehow he seemed to take a new lease of life atsight of Farmer Dobson. It may have been caused by the flaminghandkerchief just below the red face of the tiller of the soil. Thenagain, possibly, a list of indignities suffered in the past at the handsof this same owner occurred to the bull.

  Jerry saw the man flaunt his arms wildly in the air. He was shoutingloudly, too, and perhaps in the past the sound of his hoarse voice hadcowed the bull.

  "But the bully old chap doesn't seem to care a snap now for all hisranting--not so you could notice!" exclaimed the observer, in delight.

  This fact finally became apparent to the farmer. By that time the animalwas within twenty feet of him, and still advancing. Indeed, no onecould blame Dobson for turning and running. The appearance of that bigbeast, with lowered head, and tail standing out stiff in the rear,during his charge, was enough to send terror to the heart of even abraver man than Farmer Dobson.

  "Three to one on the bull!" exclaimed Jerry, unmindful of the fact thatthe chase was heading toward him.

  Fast though the bulky farmer ran, the bull overhauled him in speedyorder. Jerry fairly held his breath as the collision occurred, andgripped his gun as though half tempted to shoot.

  Then it was all over but the shouting. The watching boy saw somethingbulky ascending gracefully into the air; nor was he in the least doubtas to what this figure with the sprawling arms and legs must be.

  Farmer Dobson was getting a rise in the world. He crashed through thelower branches of an oak, and stuck there.

  "Wow!" exclaimed Jerry, breathing again. "He's straddling a limb! Whatluck!"

  He was tempted to let out a tremendous yell, so charged had he becomewith excitement, but he caught himself just in the nick of time.

  "Ginger! That would turn the attention of good old Bowser from Dobson tome. A perch in a tree doesn't tempt me just now. Wonder what is goingto happen next?" was what Jerry kept saying to himself.

  He soon knew.

  The bull was pawing the ground angrily and bellowing at the foot of thetree, now and then casting a look upward. Evidently he could notunderstand why the ripe plum did not fall down again so that he couldpractice some more.

  The farmer by this time had recovered his wind to some extent. His heavyvoice could be heard shouting at the animal, as though in that way hecould send him about his business.

  "The bull doesn't seem to care whether school keeps or not. He's got hisman up a tree, and I expect he means to keep him there. What's thatDobson is saying? Can he have seen me?"

  "Hey, you fellers! Come here and chase this beast away! A dollar apieceif ye coax him off, d'ye hear?"

  Jerry realized that from his elevated perch Dobson must have sightedsome others near by. Possibly they were lumbermen, looking over thissection for some purpose.

  "Cracky! I'd like to see 'em coax! Perhaps the circus ain't over yet,"chuckled Jerry, with all a boy's love for fun.

  Shouts were heard in the near distance. Jerry pricked up his ears atcatching the boyish inflection of these outcries.

  "Those fellows are Pet Peters and his crowd. Gee-whittaker! What luckfor me, with this reserved seat at the show!" he laughed.

  He heard the crash of the undergrowth as the newcomers advanced on therun. The promise of a big dollar apiece was an attractive lure to thePeters lot, and there was little they would not have attempted to earnso easily.

  Each of them had armed himself with a stout stick of some sort. Somewere long, and others short, but all promised to be serviceable inchasing away the domestic animal that had treed the farmer.

  The bull paid no attention to the new arrivals until they were closingin on him from all sides.

  "Say! I believe that old critter is playing 'possum. He doesn't want toscare the Peters crowd till he gets 'em in close. Now look what's goingto happen! Whoop!"

  The bull had suddenly whirled around, and made a bee-line for thenearest of the circle. That worthy happened to be Pet himself. Hiscourage oozed out at sight of that terrible beast bearing swiftly downupon him.

  Throwing away his stick he started to run, but the bull was too closeupon him.

  "Up he goes!" shouted Jerry in admiration, as he saw the figure of Petwhirling into the branches of another tree, where he clung desperately,half frightened to death.

  This time the bull did not wait to strike the ground with his hoofs, andbellow. He seemed to know that there was plenty more excitement closeby, if only he looked for it.

  "Run!" shrieked Jerry, as the animal caught sight of a second chaptrying to scuttle off.

  Every boy was by this time rattled. They no longer had any thought ofhostile action toward the old hero of many a battle. Those little blackhorns, each surmounted with a shining brass ball, sent a spasm of terrorto their hearts, and not the promise of five dollars apiece would temptthem to linger.

  But the bull was not satisfied with the scattering of his enemies. Heyearned for more exercise, apparently, for he started to chase, firstthis fleeing boy, and then, turning aside, galloped after another, untilhe had the entire bunch panic-stricken, most of them howling in anexcess of fear.

  Jerry just lay down on the ground and shook with laughter. He could notremember when such a feast had come his way.

  At the same time he was wise enough to do nothing to attract theattention of the bull. Let the animal return to his two treed prisoners,if he wished, and keep them straddling those limbs a few hours. Theexperience would do them good, perhaps.

  Having chased the aggressors away, the bull now came trotting back tothe scene of his victory. It was simply ludicrous to see the manner inwhich he passed from one tree to the other, bellowing, and shaking thatbig head of his as if daring the human birds to come down.

  "Hey, there, Mister Dobson! Ain't yuh goin' to get that bull away? Idon't want to sit up here all day an' night. It's yer business to dropdown an' coax him to go home!" shouted Pet.

  What the farmer said made Jerry shake all over with amusement; but whileit seemed to act as a safety-valve to his feelings, perhaps it would notlook well in print, being a series of vigorous exclamations.

  "Say, I'll hold ye for damages, Farmer Dobson!" Pet wailed, trying torub himself in half a dozen places at once.

  "Go to grass! I ain't doing nothing; just sitting here! Hold the bullfor damages, if ye want to," answered the other, who had a few petbruises of his own that needed attention, and which kept him fromfeeling humorous over the situation.

  "How we a-goin' to get down?" next asked Pet.

  "The critter'll get tired after a while, and wander off. All ye have todo is to sit still, and try not to excite him any more. I'll give ye thedollar all the same, boy, 'cause I seen ye earn it; but them otherfellers ru
n off, an' they don't get a cent."

  "What do I get for sticking the whole performance out?" called Jerryjust then, at the same time taking care not to show himself to the bull.

  The farmer and Pet looked in vain to see the speaker.

  "It's that Jerry Wallington. I seen him when we was runnin' up. Say,Farmer, ain't there any way to sick the measly old bull on him?" calledPet.

  "You'll have to excuse me, gentlemen, but I've got a previousengagement. Good-by!" Saying which, Jerry slid off, keeping the treebetween himself and the animal until he thought it safe to stand erect.