ficulty, failing accidents, in galloping away. Then he
began to think of his rifle and ammunition, but felt that under the
circumstances fire-arms were useless.

Last of all he began to feel very much ashamed of his position, in being
hunted like this.

The same feeling seemed to have affected Jack, who looked at his brother
as they raced on side by side.

The consequence was that all of a sudden they both sat up more erect in
their saddles, and took a pull at the reins, bringing Shoes and
Stockings by degrees into a hand gallop, instead of the _ventre a terre_
progress they were making before.

"This won't do," cried Dick, as he glanced back to find that the bulls
were still lumbering on behind them, snorting savagely, and shaking
their horn-armed fronts.

"No," said Jack, "we are taking them right down on the waggon, and
they'll charge straight over the camp."

"Yes; let's turn off to the left," shouted Dick; and as if by one
impulse they wheeled round to the left, and galloped on over the plain.
"I tell you what," he cried, as a happy idea struck him; "let's wheel
round to the right now."

"What for?" shouted back his brother.

"So as to ride round and round the waggon in a circle. Father will
bring one or two of them down."

For answer Jack wheeled to the right, and if the manoeuvre had been kept
up it would have answered; but, as it happened, Mr Rogers had gone away
from the waggon in search of some beautifully plumaged birds which had
settled in the trees above the camp, and then gone on to a grove a mile
or so away.

The General and his boys were of course far away out on the plain, where
they had been driving the buffalo, and therefore Dinny was the principal
man in camp.

He was busy with the frying-pan frizzling himself a venison steak, when,
hearing the thunder of hoofs, he dropped the pan in the wood ashes, and
stood staring with horror.

"What'll I do now?" he cried.

Then a bright idea seized him, and pulling his knife from his belt, he
dashed at the place where his enemies the dogs were tied up by stout
thongs to the waggon-wheels, and divided them one by one.

"There, ye bastes," he cried, "be off and get tossed." And as the dogs
rushed off, delighted with their freedom, Dinny chose what he thought
was the safest place in the camp, namely, the space between the four
wheels beneath the waggon, and there lay down and wished himself back
safely in his mother's cabin.

The dogs had be