After a while there was a terrific peal of thunder, the lightning struck right by the herd, and away all the beasts went, heads and horns and tails in the air.

For a minute or two I could make out nothing except the dark forms of the beasts running on every side of me, and I should have been very sorry if my horse had stumbled, for those behind would have trodden me down.

Then the herd split, part going to one side, while the other part seemingly kept straight ahead, and I galloped as hard as ever beside them.

I was trying to reach the point--the leading animals--in order to turn them, when suddenly there was a tremendous splashing in front.

I could dimly make out that the cattle immediately ahead and to one side of me were disappearing, and the next moment the horse and I went off a cut bank into the Little Missouri.