George was horror-struck. What should he do? If he shouted and alarmed the children, they would be too frightened to know what to do, and should the bull give chase, they might be overtaken before they could reach the stile.
In a moment his mind was made up. He jumped over into the field, and ran as fast as he could to try and get between the bull and the children.
He was only just in time. Rose and Elsie started up when they saw him, but when they realised their danger, they were almost too scared to move.
'Get to the stile as quickly as you can,' George called to them; and then he ran towards the bull, and opened his umbrella quickly before the astonished animal.
"He ran towards the bull and opened his umbrella quickly."
The fierce creature lowered his horns and seemed uncertain whether to charge his enemy or to flee before him.
Again George fired off his umbrella as if it were a gun, and this time the bull decided it would be better to retreat in a dignified way to his own domain. You may be sure George lost no time in getting out of the field.
'My brave boy!' his mother whispered when the breathless children had arrived home and had told their story. 'How thankful I am that I have an obedient son!'
'But, Mother, I nearly disobeyed,' George confessed, and he grew pale when he thought what it would have meant if he had not arrived in time.