He was just turning to run, when he noticed that the fence rail had gone right between the front legs of the bull, and an instant later, as the animal suddenly rushed forward, it tripped and fell heavily, the long stick completely upsetting it.
Heels over head went the maddened animal, rolling toward the boy, but Tommy did not stay longer. With a jump he made for the fence, and he reached it, crawling under before the bull could regain its feet and take after him.
CHAPTER VII
TOMMY GOES SWIMMING
“Well, youngster, you are a smart one! To think you upset the bull that way!” exclaimed the man who had called to Tommy, and who now stood near him on the other side of the fence under which Tommy had crawled to get out of the way of the angry animal.
The little girl with the red dress was also safe, and she stood beside the man, crying a little and trembling, for she had been very much frightened.
Tommy himself did not quite know what had happened, but he remembered that he had thrown the rail at the bull, and that the animal had fallen down, and then the lad had run as fast as he could for the fence.
“Not hurt a bit, are you?” asked the man, anxiously.
The bull was bellowing away and pawing the ground near the fence.
“No,” answered Tommy, “not a bit. Is the bull hurt?”
“It would serve him good and right if he was,” replied the man. “He’s been awful ugly lately, and I don’t know what to do with him. He jumps nearly all the fences. I never thought he would get in that field, though. What were you doing there?” he asked, turning to the little girl, who had stopped crying.