As though they had understood the meaning of the guardian’s warning, the bulls wheeled sharply. They saw the fleeing figure of the Meadow-Brook Girl and, leaving Miss Elting and her party, charged straight across the field towards Harriet, while the latter was still some distance from the fence towards which she was running.
“Run! Oh, run!” came the voice of Miss Elting in a terrified wail. “Run!”
Suddenly, Harriet, who had turned to glance over her shoulder to measure the distance between herself and her pursuers, stumbled and plunged headfirst into a little depression in the ground.
A scream rose from her horrified companions.
CHAPTER XV—A RACE FOR LIFE
“She’ll be killed!” wailed Hazel, covering her eyes to shut out the sight.
“Thave her!” screamed Tommy. The little girl sprang forward, scrambled over the fence and, had she, too, not fallen would have dashed down the field to Harriet Burrell’s assistance, utterly regardless of her own peril. The guardian climbed over the fence and had placed a firm grip on the little girl before the latter could get to her feet. Miss Elting fairly dragged Tommy back to the fence and assisted her over.
“She’s up again!” cried Hazel. “Oh, hurry, hurry!” Her voice rose to a piercing wail.
Harriet had gotten to her feet. She cast one frightened look over her shoulder, then continued to run towards the fence. They saw that she limped a little. Nor was the girl running as fast as before her fall. The three bulls had gained considerably during the few seconds that Harriet had been down. They were now charging with lowered heads, bunched closely together, this time as though determined that their victim should not escape them.
Just ahead of her, Harriet had seen a ditch, deep and broad, made for the purpose of draining the land. Instantly a plan formed in her active mind. She could not hope to win the race for life by running straight ahead now that the beasts had gained so much on her.