"If it can't be seen, it makes itself felt in another way," remarked Elmer, who was in the lead of the file that headed through the woods, Ted swinging the tin milk bucket.
Reaching the field where Ty had had so much "fun" with the ugly bull, they failed to see anything of the animal.
"Afraid to come out again, you see, boys," said Ty, pretending to puff out with valor. "I guess the farmer who owns him will keep him shut up till we leave the neighborhood. He'd better, for I was just hatching up some game that would discourage the old fellow from tackling every one that walked through his pasture."
"Perhaps he's loose, and carrying on somewhere else," remarked Elmer, as he lifted his head in an attitude of listening.
"Say, that _is_ somebody shouting, as sure as you live!" cried Landy.
"And hollering to beat the band, too!" echoed Ty.
The whole four of them stood still, the better to listen. There could be no longer the least doubt about the matter; for other voices joined in with the one they had heard at first.
"It's women yelling, too," said Landy. "Whatever can be the matter? Elmer, do you think it's that bull broke loose?"
"More'n likely the hoboes are at the bottom of the row!" declared Ty.
"Come on with me, fellows, and we'll soon know!" called Elmer, as he immediately started off on a full run.
"That's over to the place where the bull belongs; sure the row ain't there, Elmer?" asked Ty, as he hurried on the heels of the leader.
"No," he said, positively, "most all the racket is over yonder in the direction of the Brady house. You can hear the women screaming, too. Come along again, boys! They've heard the racket over here, and that bell's to call the men in from the fields."
"Sounds just for all the world like what I've read about an Injun attack in the good old pioneer days," declared the panting Landy, who had to exert himself more than any of the others in order to keep up with the procession.
"Theemth like I thmell thmoke!" remarked Ted.
"I reckon you do, because I've been getting it for the last half minute," Elmer threw over his shoulder as he ran on.
"What if the Brady house is going up in flames?" ejaculated Ty, again.
"It would be a bad job," remarked Elmer; "but not quite as hard on them as if it happened in the dead of winter, with the thermometer down to zero."