"You did that on purpose, curse you," snarled the lieutenant. "You made those cattle run."
Ted looked at him in astonishment. He thought at least that the soldier would murmur some few words of gratitude for having been saved from a horrible death.
"You're a grateful chap, I must say," said Ted. "You weren't far from kingdom come then, I can tell you."
"I'll see that you are punished for this," said Barrows, wheeling his horse and riding out of sight in the direction of the post.
It was two hours before the boys headed the cattle and got them to milling, and then broke them up and succeeded in getting them bedded down.
As they got a new camp fire made, and were lying around it, Bud said, with a laugh:
"That was a mighty slick trick o' yours, Ted. It certainly took ther herd off ther reservation in a hurry."
"I don't see yet why it was necessary to stampede them," said Ben, who was sore at having had to do so much work getting the herd together again.
"Can't, eh?" said Bud. "That's all er collidge eddication done fer yer? Why, if we hadn't got them cattle off'n thar pretty pronto, thet thar lootenant would hev bagged every animile on foot. But Ted, he foresee what they wuz up ter, an' ther simplest way wuz ter run 'em off in a fake stampede. It done ther work, too, fer we're out o' ther reservation whar they can't touch us."
Except for the night guard, the boys rolled themselves in their blankets and were soon sound asleep.