Part 4 (1/2)

”Quick!” Nancy exclaimed, seeing several buckets of water standing by the barn. ”Grab a pail!”

Nancy picked up one. With full force, she threw the water over the fence at the bull's head, just as he headed for the farmer again. The animal stopped dead, temporarily blinded by the water.

Then, with increased fury, he bellowed and plunged toward the motionless farmer. George now threw her water at the bull, and Nancy called to Bess, ”Stand by the gate and be ready to open it when I tell you!”

Nancy grabbed another pail and heaved it into the pen. Then, reaching through the bars, she grabbed Mr. Kreutz by his s.h.i.+rt and dragged him forward. The bull, confused, backed up.

”Open the gate!” Nancy yelled.

As Bess obeyed, Nancy and George reached in and dragged Mr. Kreutz to safety. Bess then slammed the gate shut and locked it.

With a roar the bull rammed headfirst into the bars of his pen, trying to batter them down with his horns. Fortunately, the bars were strong.

Spying a water wheel in a sluiceway, Nancy filled another pail and hurried back to Mr. Kreutz. She dipped her handkerchief in the cold water and applied it to his forehead. Presently the man open his eyes.

”Wuu bin ich?” he murmured.

”You're with friends,” Nancy replied, knowing he had asked where he was. ”Just lie quiet for a while and you'll be all right.”

Mr. Kreutz closed his eyes, but half a minute later he opened them again. Sitting up, he gazed at the three girls. Then he heard the noise of the stamping bull and this seemed to remind him of what had happened.

”How did I get here?” the farmer moaned.

”We dragged you out of the pen,” George reported. ”If it hadn't been for Nancy, you might have been killed by that bull.”

”I remember now,” Mr. Kreutz said, sitting up. ”I saw you just before the bull tossed me.”

The girls helped the farmer to his feet and a.s.sisted him into the kitchen.

”Papa, Papa, what is the matter?” Mrs. Kreutz cried.

Bess explained about the bull charge.

”Ach!” the woman exclaimed.

”He'll be all right,” Nancy a.s.sured her.

Mrs. Kreutz ladled out steaming soup from a huge old-fas.h.i.+oned kettle into a crockery bowLWhile the farmer cupped the bowl in his hands and drank the hearty soup, the girls glanced about the kitchen.

One wall was taken up by a fireplace, with its traditional Dutch oven set in one side of the stonework. Above it hung copper kettles of various sizes. In the center of the fireplace was a long iron arm from which a caldron was suspended.

Beside the stove stood a box filled with logs, and the girls a.s.sumed that food was cooked over a wood fire. There was an old-fas.h.i.+oned sink, but no plumbing. Apparently water was carried in from the sluiceway. The bare wide-board floor had been scrubbed until it shone.

”I feel better,” Mr. Kreutz announced as he set down his bowl. ”Now will you girls tell me your names and why you are here?”

The girls introduced themselves. Then Mrs. Kreutz said quickly, ”It's suppertime, Papa.”

”We will all eat,” the farmer said decisively.

The girls accepted at once and offered to help Mrs. Kreutz. Soon they sat down at a long wooden table in the kitchen, which had benches on each side. Before them were brown, yellow, and white cheeses; red, purple, and white grape jellies; a platter of huge slices of homemade bread, dishes of apple b.u.t.ter, stewed peaches, cherries, pickled onions, sour cantaloupe, and corn relish. For a hot dish there was boiled rabbit pot pie.