John Henry Smith: A humorous romance of outdoor lifeAdams, Frederick Upham
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John Henry Smith: A humorous romance of outdoor life
Adams, Frederick Upham
Humorous stories; Outdoor life -- Fiction
He started to pace the distance of the longer ball, counting as he
strode along. When he reached the crest of the slope we could hear him
droning, "one hundred twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three," etc. Carter
was hunting for the balls to the right and Chilvers for those to the
left.
The red coat and plaid cap disappeared over the hill. Miss Dangerfield
was chattering about something, I know not what. I was looking at Miss
Harding, and did not hear her.
I did hear some sound which resembled distant thunder. A moment later I
saw the top of that plaid cap bob above the hill. Then I saw the
shoulders of that red coat, and the huge figure of the railroad magnate
fairly shot into view.
He was running as fast as his stout legs would carry him, waving his
club and occasionally looking quickly to his rear.
I knew in an instant what was the matter.
"What is papa running for?" exclaimed Miss Harding. That question was
speedily answered.
"Run! Run, boys!" he yelled as he plowed down that slope. "Run like
hell; he's after us!"
Carter and Chilvers took one glance and the three of them came tearing
down that hill.
There came into view the lowered head and humped shoulders of a Holstein
bull close on the trail of the lumbering millionaire. The women
screamed.
"He will be killed; he will be killed!" moaned Mrs. Harding. "Oh, do
something to save him, Mr. Smith; please do something!"
I am rather proud of my generalship at that critical moment. I have a
certain amount of wit in an emergency, and luckily it did not fail me.
It is not an easy matter to head off an enraged bull in an open field,
but I saw a chance and took it.
[Illustration: "Run! Run, boys!"]
I grasped Miss Harding and fairly threw her to the ground.
"Jump! Jump!" I yelled to the others.
Mrs. Chilvers and Miss Dangerfield instantly obeyed, but Mrs. Harding
was too terrified to comprehend my orders. Her eyes were fixed on her
husband, and she neither saw nor heard me. There was not a second to
lose.
I swung that heavy touring-car in a backward curve, so as to face the
fence over which Mr. Harding had climbed. Turning on full speed I headed
for it.
The powerful machine quivered for the fraction of a second and then
leaped from the roadway. There was a crash of splintered fence posts and
boards, a glimpse of flying lumber, and we were in the meadow.
It takes some time to tell this, but it was not long in happening. When
we went through that fence Harding was probably seventy yards away and
to our left. The bull was not twenty feet back of him and gaining
rapidly at every jump. I saw nothing of Carter or Chilvers.
Harding had dropped his club and was running desperately. I feared every
moment that he would fall. He was headed for the pond, but never would
have reached it.
"Drop down! Drop down!" I shouted to Mrs. Harding.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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