“My goodness! I do hope they aren’t going to stay here the rest of the day,” cried Harriet. “I don’t know what I shall do in that event.”
She now tried Tommy’s plan and began pelting the animal that had lain down with apples. It took very little of this sort of treatment to bring the beast to his feet. He leaped up with a bellow and began pawing up the dirt, sending showers of it over his companions.
Harriet chuckled.
“Now, if only Miss Elting will attract their attention. I think I had better try to hide myself and keep quiet.” This she did. She could hear the shouts and yells of her companions. They were setting up a great racket off there in the road, doing their utmost to draw the attention of the animals away from Harriet.
After fully five minutes of this one of the bulls walked off with his head in the air. He stood a moment with head still erect, gazing off toward the highway. Suddenly he started on a run. The other two bulls followed him with their gaze for a few moments, then they, too, started away at a moderate trot.
“The plan has worked! It has worked!” cried Harriet in triumph, under her breath. “Oh, I do hope they get far enough away. I must crawl down so as to be ready for my big spring. This is almost equal to a Spanish bull fight, except that I haven’t any barbs to stick into them.”
The girl crept cautiously to the ground. She stood at the foot of the tree, shielding her body by its trunk, peering around the tree at the running bulls. They were headed straight toward the road fence, traveling more rapidly now.
In order to reach the fence at the side of the field, Harriet would be obliged to go out into the open, where, if the animals turned, she would be sure to be discovered.
A cry from her companions told her that the time for action on her part had arrived. Without an instant’s hesitation Harriet Burrell started for a fence which stood to the eastward of her place of refuge. A few moments later she had cleared the orchard and reached the open field. She saw the three bulls pawing the ground by the roadside fence in the distance. Her companions were standing in the middle of the road waving their skirts at the animals, not daring to get close to the fence.
“Run! Run, Harriet!” screamed Miss Elting.