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 strawberries
between them. The other basket was scattered in all directions over
the ground.

"There go our berries," grumbled Snap. "Too bad!"

"Get up!" roared Shep, scrambling to his feet. "Here comes the ram,
and he's as wild as they make 'em!"

He caught his chum by the arm, and both tried to go on. But Snap's
ankle had received a bad wrench and he was forced to limp.