"Look out for him!"
"Go up in the air again!"
"Has anybody got a gun?"
"Start the motor!"
These, and other excited cries, came from those in Dick Hamilton's airship as they saw the charging buffalo. The animal was the largest in the captive herd, probably the leader. It seemed a strange thing for a modern airship to be threatened with an attack by a buffalo in these days, but such was the case.
"He may damage us!" cried Dick. "We've got to do something!"
But there seemed nothing to do. Before they could get out of the cabin of the airship, which now rested on the ground within the buffalo range, the frightened and infuriated animal might rush at the craft.
And, though he would probably come off second best in the odd battle, he might damage some of the frail planes or rudders.
"Come on!" cried Paul. "Let's all rush out at him at once, and yell as hard as we can. That may scare him off."
But there was no need of this. Before the buffalo had time to reach the airship a mounted police officer rode rapidly up to the fence of the enclosure, and, taking in the situation, novel as it was, at a glance, he fired several shots from his revolver at the rushing animal.