from the herd and follow its formation.

The thunder gradually became louder and the flashes of lightning more
frequent. The herd was disturbed. He could hear the cattle scrambling to
their feet. Now and then the sound of locking horns reached him as the
beasts crowded their neighbors too closely in their efforts to move
about.

Tad tried to sing, but gave it up and resumed his whistling.

"I'm glad Chunky is not out on this trick," thought the boy aloud. "I am
afraid he would be riding back to camp as fast as his pony could carry
him."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a flash, so brilliant that
it blinded Tad for the moment, lighted up the prairie. A crash which, as
it seemed to him, must have split the earth wide open, followed almost
instantly.

Another roar, different from that caused by the thunder, rose on the
night air, accompanied by the suggestive rattle of meeting horns and the
bellowing of frightened cattle.

By this time Tad had circled around to the west side of the herd. The
instant this strange, startling noise reached him he halted his pony and
listened.

Off to the north of him he saw the flash of a six-shooter. Another
answered it from his rear. Then a succession of shots followed quickly
one after the other.

The lad began slowly to understand.

He could hear the rush and thunder of thousands of hoofs.

"The cattle are stampeding!" cried Tad.

CHAPTER IX

CHASED BY A STAMPEDING HERD

"Whoa-oo-ope! Whoa-oo-ope!"

The long soothing cry echoed from guard to guard.

It was the call of the cowman, in an effort to calm the frightened
animals. Here and there a gun would flash as the guards shot in front of
the stampeding herd, hoping thereby to turn the rush and set the animals
going about more in a circle in order to keep them together until they
could finally be quieted.

It was all a mad chaos of noise and excitement to the lad who sat in his
saddle hesitatingly, not knowing exactly what was expected of him under
the circumstances.

Off toward the camp a succession of flashes like fireflies told the
cowpunchers on guard that their companions were racing to their
assistance as fast as horseflesh could carry them.

The storm had disturbed the herd from the instant of the first flash of
lightning, and, as other flashes followed, the excitement of the animals
increased until, at last, throwing off all restraint, they dashed
blindly for the open prairie.

Desperat