"I"ll try," answered the boy, riding so close to the leaders that they rubbed sides with his pony. The latter, understanding what was wanted of him, pushed st.u.r.dily on holding the cattle with his side, leaning toward them to give the effort the benefit of his entire weight.
One end of Tad"s neckerchief had come loose and was streaming straight out behind him, while the broad brim of his sombrero was tipped up by the rushing breeze.
It was a wild and perilous ride. Yet the lad thought nothing of this.
His whole thought was centered on the work in hand, that of keeping the cattle headed northward. Tad was unable to tell whether they were going in a straight line or not, but this time he had the big cowman to rely upon.
"Give way a little!" warned Big-foot.
"Right!" answered the lad, pulling his pony to one side, then straightening him again.
"We"ll hit the Injun Territory by daylight if we keep on at this gait!
You all right?"
"Yes. But I think the herd is spreading out behind me," answered Tad.
"Never mind that. They"ll likely follow the leaders."
Off to the rear they could hear the sharp reports of the cowboys"
revolvers as they sought to stay the mad rush. Big-foot, however, had thought it best not to resort to shooting tactics. They were making altogether too good headway. If only they were able to keep the cattle headed the way they were going the herd would be none the worse off for the rush and the outfit would be that much further along on the journey.
The thundering hoof-beats behind them as the living tide swept down upon them, was not a pleasant sound to hear. Yet Big-foot and Tad were altogether too busy to be greatly disturbed by it.
They had gone on for fully half an hour, after that, with no apparent decrease in the speed of the stampede. The ponies were beginning to show their fatigue. Tad slowed down a little, patting his faithful little animal to encourage it and quiet its nerves.
As he did so, the boy"s attention was again called to the fact that a solid wall of cattle had apparently closed in behind him.
"Big-foot!" he shouted.
"Yes?" answered the cowboy, in a far away voice, for some distance now separated the two.
"It looks to me as if they were closing in on us. What do you think?"
"Wait! I"ll see."
The cowboy pulled up a little and listened.
"Right you are. They have spread out in a solid wall."
"What shall we do?"
"Ride! Ride for your life!" came the excited reply.
"Where?"
"To your right. Don"t let them catch you or you"ll be trampled under their feet. They"ll never stop, now, till they get to the river."
"Is it near here?"
"Only a few miles ahead. I can hear it roar now. A flood is coming down it. Hurry!"
Tad had barely heard the last word. Already he had swung his pony about and was galloping with all speed to the right in an effort to get free of the herd before they crowded him and his pony into the turbulent, swollen river.
CHAPTER XV
FORDING A SWOLLEN RIVER
The first light of the morning revealed to Tad Butler the narrow escape he had had. He had barely pa.s.sed the outer point of the stampeding herd when the cattle rushed by him.
On beyond, less than half a mile away, he made out the river in the faint light. His companion was nowhere to be seen. However, that was not surprising, as the cattle now covered a large area; so large that Tad was unable to see to the other side of the herd.
As the day dawned the cattle began to slacken their speed, and, by the time the leaders reached the river bank, the rush was at an end. Some of the stock plunged into the edge of the stream where they began drinking, while others set to grazing contentedly.
As the light became stronger, the lad made out the figure of Big-foot Sanders approaching him at an easy gallop.
"We did it, didn"t we, Big-foot?" exulted Tad Butler.
"That we did, Pinto. And there comes the rest of the bunch now,"
Big-foot added, pointing to the rear, where others of the cowboys were to be seen riding up.
Stallings was the first to reach them.
"Good job," he grinned. "We are at the river several hours ahead of schedule time. Doesn"t look very promising, does it?"
"River"s pretty high. Are you thinking of fording it this morning?"
asked Big-foot, looking over the swollen stream.
"We might as well. The water will be higher later in the day. We may not be able to get across in several days if we wait too long."
"What do you think started the cattle this time?" asked Tad.
"I don"t think. I know what did it."
"Yes?"
"It was that clumsy friend of yours."
"The gopher?" asked Big-foot.
"Allee same, as Pong would say. That boy is the limit. Is he always falling into trouble that way?"
"Yes, or falling off a pony," laughed Tad.
"There he comes, now."
Stacy rode up to them, his face serious and thoughtful.