"Something's got to be done!" cried Skinny. "We've lost some already, and more will die soon. We've got to get 'em away from here. But we can't as long as they smell even the mud. What's to be done?"
Dave looked gloomily on, but could not answer. Could the engineer solve the problem?
CHAPTER XVII
THE ROUND-UP
Again and again did the weary cowboys try to force the maddened cattle to move away from the now veritable mud hole, that they might drive them to another range where there was water for them to drink. But the steers, usually intelligent in this matter, seemed to have lost all their instinct. They only wanted to remain near the spot where they had been accustomed to drink.
"Say, this is fierce!" cried Mr. Bellmore.
"It certainly is," agreed Dave. "What can we do?"
"Let's see if we can't lend a hand to get the animals off, and on the move," suggested the engineer. "Those cowboys need help."
Skinny and his mates certainly did. They were almost exhausted from their strenuous labors.
But even with the experienced help of Dave, and the well-meant efforts of Mr. Bellmore, the cattle could not be moved. They fought for places at the edge of the stream-which was a stream no longer, but only a slough, in which more than one fine steer was now mired.