“I saw it some time ago,” answered Gus, “but I thought it was a pasture that somebody had fenced in. I see some cattle in it.”
“In my wheat field!” cried Ned, with great indignation. “Where? So do I!” he added, after he had run his eye along the fence.
Ned put his horse into a gallop and rode toward the field at the top of his speed, his companion following closely behind. As they drew nearer they saw that there was a wide gap in the fence, that the field looked as though somebody’s cattle had used it regularly for a pasture, and that some of the animals that had caused the mischief were in the enclosure now. As they drew rein at the gap and looked over the desolated field the cattle shook their heads as if they were indignant at the interruption, and went off toward the opposite fence in a gallop.
“What wild-looking fellows!” exclaimed Gus. “I should think you would be afraid to go near them.”
“They are wild, too,” replied Ned. “They’d just as soon go for us as not if we were on foot, but they’ll not trouble us so long as we are in the saddle. But just look at this wheat! It’s ruined, isn’t it?”
“I am no farmer,” returned his companion.
“It doesn’t need a farmer to tell whether or not there is any wheat here, does it?” cried Ned angrily.
“Can’t you make the man who owns the cattle pay damages?”
“No; you can’t collect a cent. That thing has been tried.”
“Then shoot the cattle!”