A Strange Ride i_55 



Then he wished with all his soul that he 

 had not come upon this expedition. Why 

 had he not heeded his mother's advice and 

 stayed peacefully at home? If they were 

 to plunge into an abyss, he would be 

 ground to pulp. His friends would not 

 even know what had become of him. 

 There would be no one to tell of his tragic 

 fate. 



The smell of the heated, straining wild 

 cattle rose pungently to his nostrils. Was 

 the whole world one rushing, seething herd 

 of maddened bisons ? So it seemed to the 

 terrified boy. 



Once Buck plunged into a deep hole and 

 Bennie nearly lost his seat, but by a great 

 effort the buffalo recovered himself and 

 they thundered on. Bennie shuddered to 

 think what would have become of him 

 had the bison fallen. This experience was 

 barely over when the buffalo began floun- 

 dering about as though in a quagmire. 



