CHAPTER IX
A LUCKY ESCAPE
"WHAT do you make it to be?" asked Jerry, as Ned was staring through
the glass.
"Cattle!"
"Cattle?"
"Yes, steers. Thousands of 'em. And they seem to be headed this way."
"Let me take a look," said Jerry. "You're right," he added, after an
inspection. "They seem to be coming on rather fast, too. I guess we'd
better get out of here. Cattle on the prairies don't like to see
persons who are not on horseback. They are not used to a man unless
he's mounted, and I've read that a man on foot may cause a stampede."
"I hope they don't run in this direction," remarked Bob. "It's going
to be unpleasant for us if they do."
"We'd better get out of here," advised Ned. "Come on, fellows."
"That's easier said than done," retorted Jerry.
"The cattle are all around us. I don't see how we're going to get
through them. If we go too close we may stampede 'em at once, whereas,
if we stay here, they may pass by us, or change their direction."
"What's the matter with the cowboys?" asked Rob. "Why don't they head
the animals the other way when they see we're right in the path?"
"Probably the cattlemen are on the outer edges of the herd," said
Jerry. "The cowboys can't see us, and they're simply driving the
steers on."
"But what makes them go in a circle?" asked Bob.
"Probably the men are driving them all in to a central point to take
account of stock, or something like that," was Jerry's answer. "But,
instead of standing here talking of it we'd better be doing something.
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