The interior had been
cleared by a recent bout of threshing except at one end, where there was
a stack of dry clover. Elizabeth-Jane took in the situation. "We must
climb up there," she said.
But before they had even approached it they heard the bull scampering
through the pond without, and in a second he dashed into the barn,
knocking down the hurdle-stake in passing; the heavy door slammed behind
him; and all three were imprisoned in the barn together. The mistaken
creature saw them, and stalked towards the end of the barn into which
they had fled. The girls doubled so adroitly that their pursuer was
against the wall when the fugitives were already half way to the other
end. By the time that his length would allow him to turn and follow them
thither they had crossed over; thus the pursuit went on, the hot air
from his nostrils blowing over them like a sirocco, and not a moment
being attainable by Elizabeth or Lucetta in which to open the door. What
might have happened had their situation continued cannot be said; but
in a few moments a rattling of the door distracted their adversary's
attention, and a man appeared. He ran forward towards the leading-staff,
seized it, and wrenched the animal's head as if he would snap it off.
The wrench was in reality so violent that the thick neck seemed to have
lost its stiffness and to become half-paralyzed, whilst the nose dropped
blood.
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