A new idea came into Shaggo’s head. He looked at the fence and at a thick clump of bushes and small trees that grew on the other side. The fence was quite a distance below him.
“I believe I can do it!” cried Shaggo aloud to himself. He was quite excited. “I believe if I took a run and gave a jump, I could leap down from the top of this hill, over the fence and so down into the soft bushes. It wouldn’t hurt me much, and I would be over the fence. Then I’d be out! I’d be free and could roam where I pleased! That’s what I’ll do! I’ll give a big jump down from this hill, over the fence and get away!”
The more Shaggo thought of this idea the better he liked it. He looked behind him. There was the rest of the herd calmly eating, chewing cud or wallowing in the mud. Rumpo and Bumpo were again at their butting fun fight game.
“None of that for me!” said Shaggo. “I’m going to run away, jump the fence, and see the world. Good-bye, my buffalo friends!” he said, though he was so far away the others could not hear him.
Shaggo did not have anything to pack to take away with him. He carried his hump, or pack, on his big shoulders. Once more looking back toward his friends and companions, Shaggo shook his head and pawed the dirt, stamping his hoofs on the top of the hill.
“Here I go!” he said at last. He walked back a little way, and then broke into a run. As he neared the edge of the hill Shaggo gave a big jump, and launched himself outward and downward.
He held his legs stiff under him as he felt himself sailing through the air.
“I’m going to clear the fence! This time I shall jump over it and land on the other side!” thought Shaggo, as he leaped through the air. “At last I am free! I am jumping away!”