Danny Grin turned to bolt, but Darry reached out, catching him by the collar and throwing him to the ground.
"Don't be a fool, Danny, and don't be panic stricken," Darrin advised. "We're safer here, at least, than we can be anywhere else within a quarter of a mile."
The bellow of a bull through the forest—-a bellow taken up by other bulls—-made all of the boys quake in their shoes. But none of the lads ran away.
Gazing between the trees they soon made out a stirring sight.
On came the stampede, cattle packed so tightly that any animal falling could only be trampled to death by those behind.
"My, but that's a grand sight!" cried Tom Reade.
Not one of the six boys but longed to take to his heels. To them it seemed absolutely impossible for the cattle to turn aside as they must dash on through the blazing grass, such was the pressure from behind. Yet not one of Dick & Co. turned to run.
Suddenly three of the bulls went down to their knees, snorting and bellowing furiously. Half a dozen cows held back from the flames, only to be trampled and killed.
Somehow, the powerful bulls staggered to their feet, then broke to one side.
A dozen more cows plunged on into the blazing grass, then sank, overcome by the heat.