The Runaway Bull

(SHORT STORY.)

(By KERRY WOOD.)

The Jersey bull posed on a ledge of rock far up the mountain ravine, his smouldering eyes watching the two tiny specks that moved on the trail in the valley far below. They were men, but the ( tan-coloured bull adopted the habit of viewing all larger living things as enemies. So he stretched out his black muzzle and sent e brassy challenge trumpeting down from the mountain. Instantly the men reined their horses. "That's him!" Jordon cried. "He's alive, Waddy!" Waddy's binoculars found the animal first. "1 see him. He's on the .point up there bjyond the break in the timber." He roveu the glasses past the bull's position. "But I don't eee a sign of the cows, Jordon." "Let me look." "Of course, wo can hard'ly expect they'd live through the winter*" Waddy added, handing over the glasses. "Fullblooded Jersey stock ie not hardy etuff, and they'd need to be hardy to stand up to the winter they'd get back here in the Alberta mountains." The little herd of purebred stock, headed by the newiy-bought Jersey bull, had climbed the steep walls of the back canyon of Jordon's ranch and crossed through the high pass to get into the wild mountain country beyond. This happened in the late "autumn, and the eudden coming of the snows had prevented Jordon and his partner from searching the back country. The blooded stock represented a large slice of their capita], and Jordon had not been content to accept his partner's pessimistic view that the winter had killed them. But they had to wait until winter ended and the sqpws melted before they could get through the pass to hunt for the runaway etock.

"He's on the edge of a ledge," Jordon spoke. "Looks as though there might bo a littlo grass cup or meadow behind him, out of eight from here. Maybe the cows are there." Waddy shook his head. "You're wanting too much. Even if we only get the bull, that's something. After all, he cost us plenty." "So did the efght cowe," Jordon retorted. "Come on, Waddy; let's eee if we can get the horses up there." "We'll have to," his partner answered. "I'm not facing that spry Jersey bull en foot. Wβ should ha' known better than to put him out in that fencelese canyon, in the first place." "No bull ever got out of there before." J I "Yes. But we never had a bull like him before, either." They tied their pack horses to trees, unfastening the strapping on one to reveal a large bundle of oat sheaves. Each took a fat sheaf under an arm before starting the eteep climb up the *■ ravine. The bull bugled again when the men t disappeared among the valley sprucee. 0 He turned his head to look at his little n band, feeding listlessly on the sparse n grass the tiny meadow afforded. The e eight cows were thin, for the winter had c boen a long one and the enowe extra g deep. Grase grew only in the sheltered [ clearings in these mountain ravines, and D it took hard scraping to draw the snow a aside nnd lay bare the wispy fodder. The scarcity of food forced them to move i continually from one ravine' to another 8 throughout the winter, and the snow's c were often shoulder deep, and the danger s ot being trapped in the white drifts was a constant menace. Many timee a j snow-stranded cow had called despair- t ingJy for help, and the plucky leader had j charged through to break out the trail f and tully the 'laggard to greater effort. v When the blizzards came he marshalled e them in a tight wedge, heads to the v wind, and sometimes they had to go \ foodless for days until the storm broke, l And then came the task of forcing a ] way through the high-piled enowe, the { cows heavy with unborn calves and re- c luctant to leave their tiny hard-packed ( circle where they had weathered the ( blizzard. Only the undaunted spirit of ( the tan-coated bull had brought them f through that long, cold ordeal. Now f it was spring, and the labour of having t the calves was over and the cows were ; tired and weak. The new grass was ■, not yet long enough to make rich feed- : in", but they plucked at it hungrily, no*w and then raising their heads to look < at the restless leader whose blaring chal- ' lenge has upset the tranquillity of the , afternoon. ■ While the cowe fed, the calves rested ; or frolicked. Some of the smaller ones were in the foreground, thin legs awkwardly folded 'under them while they slept But ft few older ones were busy with a game, tails up and tiny hooves kicking Three or these were beyond the band, bounding far up the ravine meadow with tremulous high-pitched bleating. Their mothers paid them no heed, heads to the grass. But the bull e little eyes noted their distance from the herd and he lowed a warning. The calves stopped their play a moment to cle down ot him with wide, innocent eves When ho turned his head again to stare at the quiet valley below the ledge, the young ones went on with their •rood-spirited play. From the top of the ravine other eyes watched the calves. And ns they strayed farther from the cow band and nearer to the narrow ravine head, a sparkle of interest kindled in these closeset eyes, and a pink tongue slavered over n keen nose that wae full of appreciation for the warm meat smell that floated up from the band. Og-hin-sha-tunga, the great grizzly bear of the mountains, was only a week from his winter lair, and liis big etomach was still lean with the five-month fast. In a moment he had decided on this quarry. For all his half-ton weight, the big beast moved like a shadow among the rocks as he stalked towards the oncoming calves. , The bull was uneaey, and wheeled abruptly away from the ledge to join the cows. Again he noted the distance of the three calves, and he gave a short, an fry call. The calves halted their frolic at once, and their mothers looked ui and seconded the leader's command with softer appeal. Slowly, the young ones started down the elope. It was at thie instant that the huge bear reached the last vock that could ecreen his bulk. As he saw his prey turn and amble away, a little snarl canie from the great jaws. Then he sprang from his hiding with the speed of a thunderbolt. The hindmost calf gave a sudden, terrified bleat just before a big paw crushed its heck and eent the little thing sprawling to the ground. The Jersey bull was no less quick. At first sight of the swift enemy, the bull e uro-ent blast drove the cows together. Ca'lvee were pushed behind them end the eight mothers presented a phalanx ot horned heads. The two remaining calves bawed fearsomely and sprinted down to the band like frightened deer. And the bull bellowed and launched his attack; ~ , . , , The bear raised itself on its kind legs and stood ready, one great front paw lifted to strike. Straight at the big

body the bull charged. A few feet away, its head went down to present straight horns. At thie moment the bear leaped asidej and the front paw smashed down with terrific force as the bull shot past. The blow missed the vital spot in the neck at which it* was aimed, but the grizzly's big claws slashed across the bull's humped shoulder and the tough mue-cles there writhed under the shock. The bull's horns found no target.

The slippery slopes of the mountains had taught the bull to be swift footed, and now this training served it well. Before the bear could recover its etand, the other had opened its eyes and whirled. One horn raked the grizzly ae it jumped quickly away, and the horn had a crimson stain on it to show that the bull had scored. The bear snarled with angry rage, great jaws gaping as it sprang close with the front pawe flying. The keen claws ripped through the skin ot the bull's haunches as though through paper. Snorting the bull measured the distance between them, making , ready for another charge. Again its head went down and it shot forward. Again the huge bear dodged aside, paws flashing. The bull staggered under the shoulder blows, and stumbled to ite knees. But as it fell its head swung sideways; the horns found the other's ribs, and a quick twist of the bull's neck set its daggers deep. The bear screamed ' with the sudden pain, aiming a smashing blow at the bull's head. But the beast had regained its feet again, and another lunge of the powerful neck sent the bear rolling on the ground before its claws could land. It bounced on to its feet, its long teeth slavering with ferocity.

Turning, the bull found the body of the calf under its head. The tan-col-oured herd champion forgot the light a moment, ajid stretched down a questing muzzle. The little beaet made no response, and the bull's nostrils sniffed the cold scent of death. It wheeled away, suddenly giving a long roar of rage. Its little eyes glowed red as it glared at the maseire bulk of the bear standing erect and ready. This time the bull did not put down its head and charge blindly. It'moved slowly, edging close. The bear's paw came up menacingly, and the long fangs showed in a horrible snarl. The bull brought down its horns, and instantly the bear dodged aside. But the bull had feinted, watching, and-now \i charged with lightning speed. Full force, the grizzly's big body received the weight of the rushing bull, and the sharp horns sank to their full depth before the bull wrenched nip its head with a vicious twist. A terrible, humanlike scream came as the bear crashed headlong to the earth, blood pouring from its broken chest. Before the beast could move, the bull's swift head went down again and it hinged forward as though 6hot from a catapult. The horns caught the bear full in the back, and a sickenin" crack of bone announced the finish of the fight. When the bull tossed its head, the limp body of the grizzly was thrown its length away, where it crumpled in a shapeless heap and lay still. The bull waited, pawing the ground while sucking in its' breath, noisily. When the bear made no move the bull stretched out its nose and gave forth a Ion" challenging roar. Still the bear lay quiet. The bull bugled again, triumphantly, and the wedge of cows relaxed their vigilance and called gladly in return ae the proud beast lumbered briskly down to them. At "this moment Jordon and Waddy rode their horses out of the spruces and eyed the battlefield. "I to]d you there was a. fight on, Jordon said. "Look—«. grizzly!" "And all the cows Seven calves, and all the cowa! . Some bull!" The blood-stained leader stopped, starin" at the men with hostile eyes. One front hoof started to rake the ground, and a warning note rumbled in its throat. But Jordon rode forward swiftly, flingin"- the two sheaves under the beast's nose °The bull auiffed the rich odour of the almost forgotten exits. And it ' heard Jordon's voice talking to it quiet, soothing, and carrying a note of authority That voice brought memories of men to the animal; it remembered rich • pastures, warm bains, and horde that were sleeky fat and always safe from '"he Jersey bull lowed gently to \hc : cows, inviting them to this feast.