ere. In the crowd before him he saw
scores of frightened faces. He saw men pointing and heard women cry out
in terror. He saw children cower and scamper for the protection of the
grandstand.

Instantly all turned and looked across the field toward the strip of
woods that bordered it, and what they saw paralyzed them with horror.

There on the edge of the wood that bordered the west of the field,
shaking his massive head menacingly and pawing the ground, stood Ponto,
the great black and white bull of the Lyman stock farm. The most savage
animal in Woodbridge had broken through his barrier and, attracted by the
applause of the people, had wandered through the woods to Firemen's
Field. And the wrath that kindled in his wicked eyes as he stood and
watched the assemblage made even the bravest scout shudder. For a moment
the lads stood as if robbed of their presence of mind by the unfamiliar
emergency. But the next instant they were stirred to action by the rush
of some one running and a cry:

"Quick, scouts, take care of the children. Get these year kiddies out o'
danger. I'll 'tend to the bull."

This was from a stocky lad with legs slightly bowed, who pushed through
the group of boys and laid hold of the halyard of the flagpole. In an
instant he had whipped out his jack-knife and severed the rope. Then he
began to haul it out of the pulley overhead, meanwhile shouting for the
scouts to quiet the already panic-stricken crowd and hurry the children
out of danger.

Bruce gave one look at the boy from Arizona and in his eyes saw something
that told him he was master of the situation. Then he turned to the
scouts.

"He can handle the bull, boys," he cried; "come, work fast, get the
children back."

And the next instant the scouts, armed with their staffs, began to herd
the tiny tots behind the grandstand, leaving Dick Austin alone in the
center of the field.

The lad from Arizona was working frantically. With his knife he cut the
flag from the rope and with the line thus freed began to weave a bowline
knot into one end. This he made to serve as the ring for a lariat, and
presently he had a fifteen-foot loop spread out before him on the ground.
Then with his eyes on the enraged bull he coiled the rest of the rope
into his left hand. And all the time he worked his plucky face wore a
grim smile.

As for the bull, he stood there grunting and pawing the sod furiously,
his fiery eyes fastened on the lone fi