280 The King of the Thundering Herd 



What if he should miss it, and fall into the 

 death-trap that he had helped plan for the 

 herd 1 Frantically he tugged upon the 

 thong about the pinto's neck and dug his 

 left leg into the pony's side. Faithful to 

 the sign, like a flash the cayuse shot through 

 the opening just in time to escape Buck's 

 short horns. 



The King saw the opening and the disap- 

 pearing figure ahead, but not in time to 

 follow. He was too cumbersome and the 

 turn was too short for his great body. So 

 he thundered on, the herd behind him each 

 second becoming more closely wedged, for 

 the frenzied cows and bulls were pressing 

 forward like a landslide, lashed into their 

 utmost pace by the yelling devils in their 

 rear. 



But to Buck's straining eyes, freedom 

 seemed just ahead where the open prairie 

 stretched and no foe seemed in sight. 



At that instant the death-trap broad, 



