Miss Elting leaned down from her position in the tree and began swinging her skirt slowly back and forth. The result was immediate and startling. With bellows of rage, three savage bulls with lowered heads charged the blue skirt. It seems that these animals were not particular as to color. Blue was every bit as aggravating as red to them.
Harriet, the instant the beasts began charging, had dropped fearlessly to the ground. The bulls had not observed her.
“Harriet!” screamed Margery.
Harriet gave no heed to the cry of alarm. Instead she ran with all speed farther down the orchard, casting apprehensive glances over her shoulder now and then. A cry of warning from Miss Elting told her that the bulls had turned and were charging her. Harriet gave one quick glance over her shoulder, then leaped for a tree, up which she clambered with agility. She was none too soon, for, by the time she had cleared the trunk, the bulls met at the tree with horns clashing. For a moment they turned their attention to each other and then backed away and looked up at their intended victim.
“Miss Elting!” called the girl.
“Yes?”
“I am going to decoy the bulls as far away from you as possible. When you hear me scream you are all to climb down from the trees and run for the road fence. I’ll try to hold the ugly beasts here while you are making the dash. But run for your life. Don’t you dare to fall down.”
“All of us?” questioned the guardian apprehensively.
“Yes, please.”
“But, Harriet—suppose that we do get safely away—how are you going to leave the orchard?”