ush them with his iron forehead and amuse
himself with tossing up their lifeless bodies. They saw this, clearly
enough, but there was no time for flight. The red steer in his mad
onset would certainly overtake and run them down. Luckily, the
professor remembered from the Spanish bull-fights how they must meet
these beasts, and he quickly warned his friend.

"If he charges, slip quickly to one side."

Scarcely had the words escaped his trembling lips, when the steer gave
a short bellow, lowered his head, and, quick as an arrow, rushed upon
Frank. He jumped to one side, but slipped and fell to the ground. The
steer dashed against a wagon that was standing near, and broke several
of the spokes. Maddened at the failure of his charge, he turned quickly
about and saw Frank lying on the ground, and rejoiced over his helpless
victim. Richard commended his soul to God, but had enough presence of
mind not to move a limb; he even kept his eyes closed. The steer
snuffed about, and Frank felt his warm breath. The steer evidently did
not know how to begin with the lifeless thing, until he took it into
his head to stick his horns into the yielding mass. The young man was
lost--now the steer lowered his horns--now came the rescue.

Angela had only observed the visitor as the bellowing steer rushed at
him. All this took but a minute. The servants were not then in the
yard; and before they could be called, Richard would be gored a dozen
times by the sharp weapons of the steer. The professor trembled in
every limb; he neither dared to cry for help, lest he might remind the
steer of his presence, nor to move from the place. He seemed destined
to be compelled to see his friend breathe out his life under the
torturing stabs.

Before this happened, however, Angela's voice rang imperatively through
the yard. The astonished steer raised his head, and when he saw the
frail form coming toward him with the dish in her hand, he gave forth a
friendly low, and had even the good grace to go a few steps to meet
her.

"Falk, what are you about?" said she reproachfully. "You are a terrible
beast to treat visitors so."

Falk lowed his apology, and, as he perceived the contents of the dish,
he awkwardly sank his mouth into it. Angela scratched his jaws, at
which he was so delighted that he even forgot the dish and held still
like a child. The professor looked on this scene with amazement--the
airy form before the murderous head of the steer. As Mast