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Alec’s neck. Alec felt the blood start to run down his back. He listened to the bull, who was moving away … a stride, then another and still another … one more and he stopped.
Was he turning back?
Alec raised his head to find out.
    A breeze had come up and Alec saw that the bull’s eyes were upon his ripped shirt which hung loosely outside his pants. Its fluttering in the wind had attracted the bull’s attention. Suddenly the great head lowered and then the beast charged again!
    Alec sprang to his knees, tearing part of his shirt offat the same time. He held it in his hands when the bull moved upon him, knowing he had one last chance to avoid the horns. He shook the white cloth, holding it far away from his body … 
and the bull’s eyes and lowered head followed it, thundering past!
    As the tremendous bull slithered by him, Alec jumped to his feet. Now the bull was raging, fighting mad. He charged again and Alec could hardly believe his eyes as the savage horns passed harmlessly through the cloth once more.
    Alec pulled off the rest of his shirt to provide a larger target for the bull’s attack. Again the head was lowered and the forehoofs pawed the earth in mounting fury. Again the bull charged.
    Alec stood still and kept the waving cloth as far away from his body as possible. The horned head followed the cloth, found it, ripped it and went past. But this time instead of going on the bull turned, sending grass sods flying into the air. He came back again seeking the waving cloth and Alec barely got it into position before the bull was upon him. A horn tip caught hold of the fleshy part of his lower arm as the big body went past, brushing his own.
    The bull didn’t attack again immediately. He stood about fifty feet away, breathing a little heavily with his tongue hanging out. His eyes never left the cloth.
    Alec lowered the cloth to the ground and the eyes followed it. He moved it to the right and the eyes moved with it. Alec took a step backward and then another, trailing the cloth … and always the eyes followed it and not him. The bull moved with him, tootired to charge the cloth just then. Alec backed faster, going in the direction of the stone wall.
    Far down the pasture came the snorts and grumblings of other bulls. Alec felt the soft earth of a stream bank sucking at his ankles. All he had to do now would be to trip and fall, and it would be the end.
    The bull got ready to charge again and his roar shattered the night. He sniffed the air and twitched his tail. Then he moved forward, his ponderous body starting off clumsily, heavily, then shifting into a canter and finally into a full gallop. Alec shook the white cloth. The bull caught it, ripping it again. He passed by, turning as Alec turned, and came on again. Once more the thunderous body swept by Alec and came to a stop. The bull was becoming tired of charging but his fury was not yet spent.
    Alec backed into a wild cactus plant, the razor-like thorns driving deep into his legs. He moved around the plant and went on, knowing he couldn’t be too far away from the stone fence but not daring to take his eyes off the bull.
    The beast roared and charged once more. This time he did not charge straight through the cloth but hooked his horns to the right, catching the cloth and tearing it from Alec’s hands. He butted it on the ground, trampled on it, sliced it with his great horns until it was nothing but shreds. Then he turned away from it and looked at Alec.
    The moon disappeared behind the clouds and once more complete darkness enveloped the night. The very earth seemed to tremble with the thunder of thebull’s pawing, and Alec wished that he could melt into the night. Suddenly the pawing stopped. The bull blew through his nostrils, breaking the air. Now, Alec knew, the charge would come. He stepped backward … faster, ever faster.
    The barking of dogs suddenly echoed the bull’s roar and from near by came the tinkle of cattle bells worn by