opening.

"I'll attract him in another direction, and while he is after me you all
escape over the fence," he cried hurriedly, and snatching a red silk
handkerchief from Lionel's pocket, he rushed out into the open.

The bull paused, and though I frantically shouted to Shin Shira to come
back, the brave little fellow flourished the red handkerchief to attract
the creature's attention. With a bellow of anger the infuriated animal,
holding his head down, tore after the Dwarf, who ran with surprising
swiftness in the opposite direction to the marquee.

[Illustration]

"Now children, quickly!" I cried, catching Lady Betty by the hand, and
we all made for the fence as quickly as possible.

We were no sooner in safety than we turned to see how our gallant little
friend was faring.

The yellow figure, still waving the red handkerchief, was running ahead
of the bull, but to our great distress we could see that the beast was
gaining on him.

"Oh dear! he'll never reach the other side in time," cried Marjorie,
hiding her eyes in her hands and sinking to the ground in a panic of
fear and fright.

Presently the boys gave an excited shout--"Hurrah! Bravo!" they cried,
jumping from the fence and skipping about, tossing their caps into the
air in an excess of relief. I sat down beside Marjorie and explained to
her what had happened.

The bull was rapidly gaining on Shin Shira and the little fellow was
becoming exhausted, when, by a happy chance, at that very moment he
began to disappear, and before the bull could reach him he had vanished
altogether.

The bull was rushing frantically about, bellowing and snorting and
looking in vain for him, and at last, turning his attention to the
marquee, he dashed into it, ripping up the canvas and over-turning the
table, smashing the dishes, and altogether making a most terrific
commotion.

Now that we were all safe we could make light of the loss of the
marquee and its contents, and could even smile at the quaint remark of
Lady Betty when she said solemnly--

"In future I shall prefer to picnic where there are spiders, instead of
where mad bulls are about. In fact, I shall rather like spiders after
this: they're so gentle and don't bellow at all."

The boys were still watching the havoc which the bull was creating, when
they noticed a man walking towards us beside the fence.

He was a big, burly farmer and looked very angry.

"Now then," he cried, in a surly voice, "what do y