"You had better come over into the lot!" said one of the girls. "He may come back."
"Here comes Mr. Klem with a pitchfork," said the other.
A farmer was rushing down the road, with a pitchfork in one hand and a rope in the other. He ran up to the bull and slipped the rope over the animal"s neck. Then he tied the creature to a tree.
"Pretty savage animal you"ve got," observed Tom as he came up.
"Is them gals hurt?" demanded the farmer.
"I don"t think so. But they are pretty well out of breath and scared."
"Don"t know how the pesky critter got loose," said Isaac Klem. "First thing I see he was after them gals lickety-split. I was out hayin", and I didn"t wait, but picked up a pitchfork and a rope and run."
"The girls lost their hats," said Sam, who had also come up.
"Yes, they"re in the road up yonder, along with a basket o" stuff they had."
"Let us get the things," said Sam, and he and Tom started after the hats and the basket. The things which had been in the basket were scattered in all directions, and the boys picked them up.
d.i.c.k remained with the girls, doing what he could to quiet them. They were so exhausted they could not stand and each sat on a rock panting for breath.
"It was simply dreadful!" declared Helen. "I thought every moment the bull would catch me and toss me up into the air."
"He didn"t like the sight of your red shirt-waists," was d.i.c.k"s comment.
"That must be it," put in Alice. "After this, I don"t think I"ll go near him when I have a red waist on."
"Perhaps the farmer will be more careful and keep him roped up."
When Tom and Sam came up with the hats and the basket Isaac Klem accompanied them.
"All right, Helen?" he asked. "And you too, Alice?"
"Yes, Mr. Klem," said the tall girl. "But it was a narrow escape. The bull would have gored us if it hadn"t been for these young gentlemen."
The girls thanked Tom and Sam for what they had brought.
"Who be you young fellows?" asked Isaac Klem curiously.
"I am d.i.c.k Rover, and these are my brothers Tom and Sam. We belong to the cadets of Putnam Hall."
"The young sodgers up to Ba.s.s Lake?"
"Yes."
"I see. Well, it was gritty o" you to face my bull, and I give ye credit for it. My name"s Isaac Klem, and thet"s my farm over yonder.
These gals is Helen and Alice Staton, and they live down the road a piece."
The boys tipped their caps and the girls smiled.
"We are very thankful to you," said Alice and Helen, almost in a breath.
"You are welcome to the little I did," returned d.i.c.k.
"It was fun to pelt the old bull with rocks," put in Tom. "I"ll do as much for you any time," and this caused a laugh.
Isaac Klem went off to drive his bull home and the girls also prepared to depart.
"When you are coming back this way you can stop at our house if you wish," said Alice Staton. "It"s the yellow one with honeysuckle growing over the porch."
"I remember it," said Sam. "Thank you," and the others also gave thanks for the invitation. A moment later the two parties separated.
"What a difference between those cadets and the ones we met at the store," said Helen to her twin sister when they were out of hearing.
"Yes, indeed," said Alice. "The Rovers are gentlemen, while those at the store were--were rude."
"Two nice girls," declared Tom. "How much alike their faces are!"
"Tom is smitten," cried Sam. "Going to forget all about Nellie Laning, Tom?" he went on quizzically.
"Oh, you needn"t talk!" cried Tom, growing red in the face. "You were just as attentive as a dancing master yourself."
"Don"t quarrel about it," put in d.i.c.k good naturedly. "You can be pleasant to them without forgetting all about Grace and Nellie Laning, I think."
"Or Dora Stanhope either," put in Sam slyly. "Shall we stop at the house on the way back?"
"Why not? They may offer us a piece of pie," said Tom.
"I don"t know. We can walk by slowly. They may be on the lookout for us, you know."
Once again the boys set their faces toward Oakville, and soon reached the outskirts of the town.
They were pa.s.sing some of the stores when Lew Flapp caught sight of them.
"Hullo!" cried the tall boy. "I declare! there are the three Rover brothers. What brought them to Oakville?"
"We had better not let them see us with this stuff," said Pender hurriedly. "We"ll get into hot water if they do."
They lost no time in putting their purchases out of sight. Then they walked out on the street and stood leaning against the posts of a wooden awning.
"There is Flapp and his crowd now," said Tom, catching sight of the trio.
"We want nothing to do with them," said d.i.c.k. "They are not our kind at all."
"Hullo, Rovers!" cried Pender as they came up.
"Hullo, yourself," returned Tom coldly.