Buck! He’s trapped! The boss wants us to go after him.”
Buck was now frantically waving his hat at them, shouting for help.
He had judged the distance between himself and the two riders, and knew if one of them rode to him at a gallop, he could pickhim up with time enough to get them out of the path of danger.
“What shall we do?” Nolan shouted to Decker. “Shaw is waving at us furiously!”
Shaking his head while both their horses danced about fearfully, Decker said, “I ain’t takin’ no chance on gettin’ killed just to save Buck!”
“Me, neither!” shouted Nolan. “It ain’t worth it!”
“Right! Let’s get outta here!”
William Shaw and his other men looked on, seeing that there was time to save Buck from certain death if Decker and Nolan acted quickly. Their stomachs wrenched when they saw the two cowhands spur their mounts, gallop away from the charging herd, and head for safety in the dense forest to their left.
“Dirty cowards!” cried Harold Higgins, and rode his horse up beside William Shaw. “Boss, I gotta do something! I can’t let Buck—”
“It’s too late, Harold,” Shaw said with a quiver in his voice. “You’d never make it from this far away.”
“But, boss, he—”
Another bolt of lightning lashed out of the sky.
“It’s too late,” said the owner of the Bar-S. “It’s too late.”
Thunder boomed, vibrating the earth.
Out in the open field in the path of the stampeding herd, Buck Colburn’s rain-pelted face was taut, stricken. His breathing was shallow, fast, his chest rising in sharp movements. Though he knew he could never get out of the path of the stampede, he ran to his left, slipping and sliding on the wet grass. All the time, he was keeping his line of sight on the solid wall of wild-eyed cattle as they bore down on him.
William Shaw and his other men looked on in breathless horror.
Buck stumbled and fell, rolling on the rain-soaked earth. Still watching the charging cattle, he jumped to his feet, gasping for air. Terror and panic were stabbing his heart as the front line of steers were drawing so close he could see the whites of their bulging eyes.
He fell again, but this time, he would not make it to his feet.
His last thoughts were of Annie and Knight.
B Y ONE O’CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON , the storm had blown out of the valley, and the sun was shining down from an azure blue sky.
Annie Colburn was in the bunkhouse kitchen washing dishes, pots, and pans after having fed a hearty lunch to the half-dozen ranch hands who had stayed to tend to duties on the Bar-S. From time to time, she glanced out the window above the counter where she worked and let her eyes take in the welcome sunlight that brightened the huge yard that surrounded the ranch buildings.
All morning long, as Annie had done her own housework then prepared lunch in the bunkhouse kitchen for the ranch hands, she had not been able to completely dispel the feeling of dread that seemed to pick at her mind like a carnivorous bird. A prayer for the safety of Buck and the other men on the trail had been continuously on her heart.
When at last the storm was over and the sun was sparkling off the raindrops still clinging to the leaves of the trees outside, she breathed a little easier.
As Annie dipped a pan into the rinse water, her attention was drawn to two riders coming in on lathered horses. It took only a second to recognize Ace Decker and Keith Nolan. Leaning close to the window, she looked behind them to see if the rest of the drovers were coming in, but there were no other riders in sight. She wondered why Ace and Keith would be coming in ahead of the rest of them. Shrugging, she went back to her task.
Almost half an hour passed.
Pausing for a moment while dipping the final dishes in therinse water, Annie dried her hands on her apron and pressed stiff fingers against a sore spot in her back. While leaning against the counter, trying to get relief from the pain, she glanced out
Buck was now frantically waving his hat at them, shouting for help.
He had judged the distance between himself and the two riders, and knew if one of them rode to him at a gallop, he could pickhim up with time enough to get them out of the path of danger.
“What shall we do?” Nolan shouted to Decker. “Shaw is waving at us furiously!”
Shaking his head while both their horses danced about fearfully, Decker said, “I ain’t takin’ no chance on gettin’ killed just to save Buck!”
“Me, neither!” shouted Nolan. “It ain’t worth it!”
“Right! Let’s get outta here!”
William Shaw and his other men looked on, seeing that there was time to save Buck from certain death if Decker and Nolan acted quickly. Their stomachs wrenched when they saw the two cowhands spur their mounts, gallop away from the charging herd, and head for safety in the dense forest to their left.
“Dirty cowards!” cried Harold Higgins, and rode his horse up beside William Shaw. “Boss, I gotta do something! I can’t let Buck—”
“It’s too late, Harold,” Shaw said with a quiver in his voice. “You’d never make it from this far away.”
“But, boss, he—”
Another bolt of lightning lashed out of the sky.
“It’s too late,” said the owner of the Bar-S. “It’s too late.”
Thunder boomed, vibrating the earth.
Out in the open field in the path of the stampeding herd, Buck Colburn’s rain-pelted face was taut, stricken. His breathing was shallow, fast, his chest rising in sharp movements. Though he knew he could never get out of the path of the stampede, he ran to his left, slipping and sliding on the wet grass. All the time, he was keeping his line of sight on the solid wall of wild-eyed cattle as they bore down on him.
William Shaw and his other men looked on in breathless horror.
Buck stumbled and fell, rolling on the rain-soaked earth. Still watching the charging cattle, he jumped to his feet, gasping for air. Terror and panic were stabbing his heart as the front line of steers were drawing so close he could see the whites of their bulging eyes.
He fell again, but this time, he would not make it to his feet.
His last thoughts were of Annie and Knight.
B Y ONE O’CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON , the storm had blown out of the valley, and the sun was shining down from an azure blue sky.
Annie Colburn was in the bunkhouse kitchen washing dishes, pots, and pans after having fed a hearty lunch to the half-dozen ranch hands who had stayed to tend to duties on the Bar-S. From time to time, she glanced out the window above the counter where she worked and let her eyes take in the welcome sunlight that brightened the huge yard that surrounded the ranch buildings.
All morning long, as Annie had done her own housework then prepared lunch in the bunkhouse kitchen for the ranch hands, she had not been able to completely dispel the feeling of dread that seemed to pick at her mind like a carnivorous bird. A prayer for the safety of Buck and the other men on the trail had been continuously on her heart.
When at last the storm was over and the sun was sparkling off the raindrops still clinging to the leaves of the trees outside, she breathed a little easier.
As Annie dipped a pan into the rinse water, her attention was drawn to two riders coming in on lathered horses. It took only a second to recognize Ace Decker and Keith Nolan. Leaning close to the window, she looked behind them to see if the rest of the drovers were coming in, but there were no other riders in sight. She wondered why Ace and Keith would be coming in ahead of the rest of them. Shrugging, she went back to her task.
Almost half an hour passed.
Pausing for a moment while dipping the final dishes in therinse water, Annie dried her hands on her apron and pressed stiff fingers against a sore spot in her back. While leaning against the counter, trying to get relief from the pain, she glanced out
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