ke.

A charging mass of maddened cattle rushed away from the yards,
screaming with terror, heads down and stiffened tails high in the air.
Nothing could stand against them. It was death to attempt to check the
terrible charge. The mounted men galloped for safety to the sides.
One, however, was too slow. He had just gained the edge of the mob
when a young steer dashed into his horse. Both were going so fast that
they came down together. Fortunately the boy was thrown clear and was
not hurt. The steer rolled over and over and then picked itself up and
joined the rush. The riderless horse galloped towards the troughs.

CHAPTER V

Riding Tests

During the exciting scenes at the yards, Sax and Vaughan had come out
from the shelter of the tank, wholly absorbed in the wild life they
were now witnessing for the first time. With the keen delight which
every healthy-minded boy has in adventure, they followed every twist
and turn, wishing with all their hearts that they were in the thick of
it and not mere lookers-on.

When the cattle broke, the drover dashed out on their side of the mob
and waved a warning to them. His mouth framed words, and though his
voice was drowned in the tremendous hullabulloo, the boys knew he was
shouting: "Back! Back! Back for your lives!"

So they raced for the tank and crouched behind it as the storm of
cattle went sweeping past.

The riderless horse galloped up to the troughs and stooped its head to
drink. The bridle-rein trailed on the ground. Sax looked around the
tank and saw it very near his hand. He gave a quick glance at the
saddle and saw that all the gear was right, and then quietly stretched
out his arm and caught the rein. He gripped it firmly but did not
pull. The noise of stampeding cattle was so great that the horse did
not notice the movement near him till the boy slowly rose from the
ground.

Then the horse lifted its head and gave a snort of alarm. But in a
moment Sax had jerked the reins over its head, and in another moment
was on its back. Before he was well seated, the frightened animal
reared, squealing and pawing the air with its fore hoofs. But Sax was
lean and very supple. He clung on, drove his feet home in the
stirrups, and when the horse came down and started to buck and twist
and arch and side-spring, he had a seat from which it would have taken
a very good animal to shake him. It was all over in less than a
minute, and then the horse s