ed.

At the time the cow made her abrupt plunge toward him the scout could
not have been more than thirty feet away. He was wise enough to realize
that should he attempt to make a wild dash for the fence surrounding the
field, the active four legged animal would be able to overtake him
before he could get half way there. And as the one way left to him Fritz
jumped to one side, in order to avoid contact with those cruel-looking
black horns.

His first act was one of impulse rather than anything else; he just
sprang to one side, and allowed the animal to go surging past, so close
that he could have easily reached out his hand, and touched her flank,
had he chosen to do so.

Of course she would quickly realize that her attack had been a failure,
and recovering, turn again to renew it. He must not be on the same spot
when that time came. And as there was no better opening offered than the
enclosure mentioned by Jotham, he started for the same, with the cow in
full pursuit, and his chums shrieking all sorts of weird advice.

So close was the angry animal behind him that at first Fritz could not
take the time to mount that fence. He chased around it, and as if
accepting the challenge, Bossy did the same, kicking her heels high in
the air, and with tail flying far in the rear.

Fritz managed to keep a pretty good distance ahead of his pursuer, and
as there did not seem to be any particular danger just then, some of the
boys allowed their feelings of hilarity to have full swing, so that
peals of riotous laughter floated to the indignant ears of the
fugitive.

Indeed, Eben laughed so much that he lost his hold, and fell into the
meadow; but it was ludicrous to see how nimbly he clambered up again, as
though fearful lest the cow take a sudden notion to dash that way,
changing her tactics.

Meanwhile Fritz was laying his plans looking to what he would call a
coup. When he had gained a certain distance on the circling cow, so that
he would have time to scramble over the fence, he hastened to put this
scheme into operation.

Fritz had dropped upon the ground, and was evidently panting for breath.
At any rate, the boys, perched like a lot of crows on the distant fence,
could see him waving his campaign hat rapidly to and fro, as though
trying to cool off after his recent lively experience.

"Look at the old cow, would you?" burst out Eben, "she sees him now, I
tell you! Say, watch her try and jump that fence, to get closer