t be a lot more pale if any of those wild cattle were
to roam back this way," smiled Dr. Bentley.

Hardly had he uttered the words when, from the edge of the woods,
there came a piercing scream, followed by a deep, bass bellow
that seemed to shake the ground.

All hands turned instantly, to see Clara running frantically,
waving the parasol in her fright, while not very far behind her
charged a bull, its head lowered.

"Drop your parasol!" cried Greg. "Throw it away."

"Then turn and run in another direction!" shouted Darrin.

Neither Dr. Bentley nor Dick Prescott uttered a word. They had
no advice ready at the instant, but turned and ran toward the
imperiled girl as fast as they could go.

Unused to such exercise, Dr. Bentley, who got the first start,
was quickly panting and red of face.

By him like a streak shot Dick Prescott, running with the speed
of the sprinter.

To face the bull empty handed was worse than useless. Dick had
to form his plans as he ran.

CHAPTER XXII

PLAYING RAGTIME ON MR. BULL

"Drop your parasol! Throw it away!" screamed her friends in unison.

But Clara, emitting another shriek, seemed too frightened to
comprehend. She tried to redouble her speed, but the bull was
rapidly gaining on her in the pursuit.

As all stood gazing at the panic-stricken girl, Dick Prescott
shot across the field.

What happened next was that Dick snatched the flaming red parasol
from her hand, then swung her shoulders about, thus forcing the
girl to face in another direction.

"Run---the way you're headed!" he yelled hoarsely.

The bull was close upon them. Giving the parasol a flourish in
the maddened animal's face, Prescott started off in the direction
from which the bull had come.

"Get up a tree, Prescott, as quickly as you can!" panted Dr. Bentley.

But Dick, not even pausing to shake his head, put all his effort
into a fresh burst of speed.

Running away from the camp, flaunting the red parasol, Dick was
followed closely by the bellowing bull. For a short distance,
anyway, the sprinter could run as fast as the pursuer.

Dick swiftly decided, now that he had the bull in voluntary tow,
to lead the animal where the trees were thicker. Here an agile
candidate for football honors ought to be able to daze and exhaust
the bull by darting from tree to tree.

The plan had its dangers, however, and Dick knew them well.

Once in among the trees Dick tossed the parasol to one side