Premise: As he laid his hand upon the door he thought he was safe , and turned to look .<br>There , sure enough , was a vast herd of cattle , which had been sent after him by his father-in-law when he found that his daughter had been cleverer than he .<br>Half of the herd were already through the fence and cropping the grass on the banks of the stream , but half still remained outside and faded into nothing , even as he watched them .
Hypothesis: He was under the impression that he was in danger.