But even as she spoke an eerie, soul-wracking chorus of shrieks broke the oppressive stillness of the night. Such frightful yells Ruth had never heard before—nor could she, for the moment, believe that they issued from the lips of human beings!
“Injuns!” ejaculated Jane Ann and swung her horse about, poising the quirt to strike. “Come on——”
Her words were drowned in a sudden crackle of electricity—seemingly over their very heads. They were blinded by the flash of lightning which, cleaving the cloud at the zenith, shot a zigzag stream of fire into the midst of the cattle!
Momentarily Ruth gained a view of the thousands of tossing horns. A chorus of bellowing rose from the frightened herd.
But Jane Ann recovered her self-confidence instantly. “It’s nothing but a joke, Ruthie!” she cried, in her friend’s ear. “That’s some of the boys riding up and trying to frighten us. But there, that’s no joke!”
Another bolt of lightning and deafening report followed. The cowboys’ trick was a fiasco. There was serious trouble at hand.
“The herd is milling!” yelled Jane Ann. “Sing again, Ruthie! Ride close in to them and sing! We must keep them from stampeding if we can!” and she spurred her own pony toward the bellowing, frightened steers.
CHAPTER XVII—THE STAMPEDE
Be it said of the group of thoughtless cowboys (of whom were the wildest spirits of Number Two camp) that their first demonstration as they dashed out of the coulie upon the two girls was their only one. Their imitation of an Indian attack was nipped in the bud by the bursting of the electric storm. There was no time for the continuance of the performance arranged particularly to startle Jane Ann and Ruth Fielding. Ruth forgot the patter of the approaching ponies. She had instantly struck into her song—high and clear—at her comrade’s advice; and she drew Freckles closer to the herd. The bellowing and pushing of the cattle betrayed their position in any case; but the intermittent flashes of lightning clearly revealed the whole scene to the agitated girls.
They were indeed frightened—the ranch girl as well as Ruth herself. The fact that this immense herd, crowding and bellowing together, might at any moment break into a mad stampede, was only too plain.