of fatigue, but Dave urged him on, digging his knees
into the animal's ribs as tightly as ever. Dave was almost "used up"
himself, but he resolved to make the bronco take him back to the corral
or die in the attempt.

"They shan't have the laugh on me," he argued. "It's back to the ranch
or nothing!"

Dave steered the best course he could for the corral, but with nothing
to guide him he did not know if he was moving exactly in the right
direction or not. He kept on, with his eyes trying to look beyond the
wide-stretching prairies.

Presently he saw in the distance what looked to be a row of low
buildings. He headed in that direction, and then saw that the objects
were moving towards him.

"They can't be buildings, for buildings don't move like that," he mused.
"Must be cattle, or horses. Cattle, most likely."

To avoid the cattle, he turned slightly southward. But the animals kept
coming closer, and now he saw that they were running in something of a
semicircle.

"Can anything be wrong with them?" he asked himself, and watched the
approaching herd with interest. The bronco, too, pricked up his ears,
and gave a sudden snort of alarm.

Then to Dave's ears came the thunder of the herd's hoofs, and he saw
that the cattle were on a mad run. He drew rein and stood up in his
stirrups.

The sight that met his gaze was truly alarming. At least a thousand head
of steers were coming toward him, running swiftly, and with their horns
bent low.

"They have stampeded!" he gasped. "And they are coming straight this
way! What shall I do to escape them?"

CHAPTER XXIV

THE CATTLE STAMPEDE

Dave had often heard of cattle stampedes, and he knew how truly
dangerous such a mad rush can become. Sometimes, from practically no
cause whatever, a herd of cattle will start on a wild run, going they
know not where, and carrying all down before them.

What had started the present stampede did not interest the youth, but he
was interested in the question of how he might get out of the herd's
way, so that he would not be run down and trodden to a jelly. To scare
the leaders off might be easy, but would not those in the rear push on
until he was simply overwhelmed?

"I've got to get away somehow!" he reasoned, and turned his pony at
right angles to the approaching cattle. For the moment the bronco seemed
too frightened to budge, but at a cry from Dave, he leaped forward, and
then went streaking across the prairies as if he k