A Strange Ride 153 



thundering, pounding, making the solid 

 earth to shake as though with the passing 

 of an earthquake. 



At first, the herd moved slowly, just as 

 an avalanche or any other of the great de- 

 structive forces of nature move, but like 

 the avalanche it gained headway with each 

 passing second. With each added moment 

 the pounding of tens of thousands of hoofs 

 grew louder until it was like the constant 

 thunder of mighty breakers upon the beet- 

 ling cliffs. 



Sometimes they were crowded together 

 like cattle in a cattle car, and then they 

 would sway apart, and there was freedom 

 for both man and beast. Whither they 

 were going, God only knew. Bennie had 

 no idea whether it was north, south, east, 

 or west, whether they were out in the open 

 prairie or still in the meadows, whether the 

 next ten jumps would carry them safely 

 over the solid earth, or whether they would 



