And all the cows followed him round and round the rock, lowing and
acting crazy like him.

Never, never in my life have I been so frightened. Karl grew paler and
paler. Oh, what if he should die of terror?

"There's nothing to be afraid of now, Karlie boy," I said in a shaky
voice. "The bull could never get up here. No indeed--he can be mighty
sure of that, horrid old beast!"

"He can be mighty sure of that, horrid old beast!" repeated Karlie boy
with white lips.

How long did we sit there? I'm sure I don't know. It must have been a
long time, for the sunshine disappeared from among the trees, the cows
laid themselves down in a circle around the rock, the bull went to and
fro. If he went a little way off, he would come rushing back again and
begin to behave worse than ever. The ground about the rock was torn up
as if there had been a great battle there.

I have often tried to remember what I thought of, all those long hours
on the rock, with that fierce bull below us. I really believe I didn't
think of anything but keeping tight hold of Karl; nor did we talk very
much either. Karl didn't even mention cannon a single time.

A gentle breeze stirred the tree-tops and the shadows had grown darker
under the close branches when the cows finally began to stir themselves.
Slowly, very slowly, they trailed off between the trees, the bull being
the last to go. As if for a farewell, he dug his horns into the earth
and sent bits of moss flying up to us. At last, at last, he, too, had
gone.

When the cows started homeward it must have been five or six o'clock,
and we had been in the forest the whole day long. Oh, how hungry, how
awfully hungry I was! And Karl was as pale as a little white flower.
Never--even if I live to be ninety years old--never shall I forget that
summer day on the big moss-grown rock with Kaspar's bull down below.

Well, then I did something unspeakably stupid. Instead of going the way
the cows had taken (which of course led right to Kaspar's farm), Karl
and I went exactly the opposite way, farther into the forest. Ugh! how
could any one be such a stupid donkey! I'm disgusted whenever I think of
it.

Karl and I walked on and on for an eternity it seemed. It grew darker
and darker and the air was full of mysterious sounds, low murmurs and
rustlings; my heart thumped frightfully. Just think, if we had to stay
in the forest all night when it was pitch dark! Suppose we never found
our way out to people ag