CHAPTER XIII

AT THE RANGE CAMP

It really was the very "maddest" cow Oriole Putnam had ever seen. She was used to the old muley cow on Harbor Light Island and the spotted cow in the stable behind Mrs. Joy's house in Littleport. Indeed, she had milked, fed, and been friendly with both of these.

But this outlaw cow--of Hereford stock and wild-eyed and fiery enough, now she was roused--seemed quite like a wild beast to the girl from the Atlantic coast town. She was not at all like any cow that had heretofore crossed Oriole's path.

That she was dangerous was proved by the way Mr. Langdon and Sadie Brown, though laughing, had spurred out of the creature's path. Those sharp horns certainly could do a deal of harm to a pony. That the grown folks were not at first seriously disturbed was because they were such good riders and understood how to manage their mounts.

But here was quite another thing. The cow aimed for the buckboard itself, and the three children (for the driver had his hands full with the cavorting ponies) were in real peril.

Myron and Marian were screaming--either in excitement or fear, it would be hard to say which. Oriole uttered no word at all, but her round eyes glared at the charging cow in terror.

That heavy body, backed by the force of the speed it had gathered, could overturn the rangy vehicle, if nothing worse, and the buckboard is a wagon not easily tipped over. The cow's forehead collided with the end of the rear seat--the seat on which Oriole and the twins had been sitting.

The buckboard groaned, was lifted up, and the spokes of the dry wheels rattled. Long Jim, the driver, whooping loudly, sailed over the tangle of harness that held the nigh pony.

Oriole needed nobody to tell her to jump. That was exactly what she did--and in the very nick of time. As the cow's horns and forehead collided with the seat the girl leaped out of the vehicle, bearing a twin under each arm.

"Hurrah for Oriole!" shouted Harvey Langdon, wheeling his horse in a narrow circle and charging back toward the overturned buckboard.

"What a nimble child she is!" gasped Sadie Brown.

But it needed strength as well as nimbleness to accomplish what Oriole