Page:Young Hunters of the Lake.djvu/25

Rh "Say, that ram means business!" ejaculated Snap, an instant later. "We had better clear out of here."

"Come on, I'm willing," responded the doctor's son, and started for the stream, carrying the basket of strawberries in one hand.

"Let us go up the stream," went on Snap. "No use of getting too close to him. I don't like his looks."

Both boys had good cause to feel alarmed, for the ram was coming toward them on a trot. Once or twice he stopped and pawed the ground, but then he came on, and they could see he meant to attack them.

"He's coming for us!"

"Can we reach the river!"

"We must reach it!"

Then the two boys broke into a run, giving no further heed to the fact that the ground was uneven and that their feet were bare. They had heard stories of vicious rams many times, and knew that only the year before a girl had been almost mauled to death by such an animal.

They had still fifty yards to cover when Snap went into a hole and pitched headlong. Shep was directly behind him, and over he went on top of his chum, crushing one of the baskets of