Just as the bull came down on its hind legs, its forefeet raised in the air, Hibbert made a swishing throw.

“Hurrah!” broke swiftly from the onlookers, for the dapper young man had made a throw that had roped the animal’s forelegs together.  Hibbert made a sudden haul-in on the rope, with the result that the bulky beast crashed sideways, falling.

Then, all in a twinkling Hibbert leaped in, hobbling the thrown beast effectively.  Having done this he made a few knots in the rope with workmanlike indifference.

“Now, the beast won’t run about very fast, if he get’s up,” remarked Mr. Hibbert, rising from his task.  “For that matter, I hardly believe he’ll get up.”

Hibbert next busied himself with gathering in the rope that Dick had used.  Cutting this off beyond the point where some of the strands had become frayed, Hibbert made a new cast about the bull’s head, then tied that animal effectively to the tree.

“Fixed the way he now is,” remarked Mr. Hibbert pensively, “I believe Mr. Bull, unless he has human aid in freeing himself, will still be here when the meat inspector gets around.”

“For a man who knows nothing about cattle,” said Tom Reade, breaking the silence of the on-lookers, “it seems to me that you’ve done a most workmanlike job with that bull.”

“To an amateur like you or me,” admitted Hibbert modestly, “it looks like a very fair little tie-up.  But I’m afraid my former friends on the Three-Bar-X would feel decidedly ashamed of me.  Shall we now go back to camp, or were you intending to go further into the woods?”

“I believe we’d better go back to camp,” said Dr. Bentley.  “You didn’t come alone, did you, Mr. Hibbert?”

“Oh, no, indeed,” replied the dapper little man.  “Mr. Page and Colquitt are waiting back at the camp.”

As the party came in sight of the camp the women were plainly still agitated.

“We’ve treed the bull!” shouted Dr. Bentley.  “At least, I mean, he’s safe.”

“He’s been safe all along,” cabled back Mrs. Bentley.  “But are we safe, too?”

“The bull is roped so that he will do no harm,” Dr. Bentley answered.  “None of you need feel the least uneasiness now.  The work that young Prescott started so well Mr. Hibbert has finished satisfactorily.  The bull cannot get loose and do you any harm.  He will stay just where he is until some of the local cattlemen come along to take care of him.”

Just before dark, it may be added, two of the tenders employed by the owners of the cattle were stopped in passing.  They led the bull away, the animal’s legs being partly hobbled.

“You haven’t seen my boy,” remarked Mr. Page wistfully, as Dick and his chums reached the space before the tent.

“I am afraid we hardly expected to see him again, sir,” Prescott answered.  “As you’ve doubtless heard, sir, your son has been back this way, and visited Dr. Bentley’s camp.  From there, I take it, he meant to make his escape out of these woods for good and all.  I have an idea, Mr. Page, that a further hunt will lead far away from here.”