Meanwhile, the attention of the Americans was caught by a herd of lyre-horned Ankole cattle grazing on the grassy slopes.
“Right smart-lookin’ beeves,” Chow commented.
As Tom and his companions were admiring them, one of the bulls raised his head, glared at the strangers, and pawed the ground. Before the Americans realized their danger, the bull gave a sudden bellow and charged full tilt at the group 1
CHAPTER VII
CRAZY LAUGHTER
TOM and his friends scattered as the maddened beast bore down on them. But Chow, who had wandered away from the others, reacted in lightning cowboy style. His hand streaked down to a coil of rope dangling from his belt. In a twinkling, he had made a loop and sent it snaking out over the bull’s head!
As the lasso dropped neatly over its target, Chow took a couple of quick turns around the trunk of a nearby kola tree. The rope yanked taut, bringing the bull up short and throwing him heavily to the ground.
Snorting furiously, the animal began heaving himself upright again. But Chow dashed forward and grabbed his huge horns. Twisting the animal’s neck, he bulldogged him to the ground.
“Wo! Wo! Kai! Kail”
Shouting and cheering, the native herdsmen came running to join Chow and take charge of the subdued animal. In moments the roly-poly 59
60 REPELATRON SKYWAY
cook was the center of an admiring throng of villagers.
“Ako-mdlu jagunjagun nla!” they chanted.
” ‘Great bull warrior,’ they’re calling you,” Darcy Creel translated with a chuckle.
Tom and the others wrung Chow’s hand warmly. “Nice work, old-timer!” Tom told him.