"No one hurt?" he asked, much to the girls' relief.

"Oh, no, thank you," said Cora, before Walter could open his
mouth. "I hope you have not lost the sheep."

"Lose him! Couldn't do that if you chucked him in the mill-pond
and let the dam loose on him. Only yesterday the plagued thing
went for my wife. Yes, sir, and he 'most knocked her down. When
I seed your steam wagons comin' along I knowed there would be
trouble. He's that pesky!"

The man looked at the disabled machine.

"Busted?" he asked.

"Some," replied Walter. "But I guess we can manage. Would you
like to sell that ram?"

"Sell him? What for? To kill folks as try to feed him? I bought
him from a fellow who always wore an overcoat, and, bless me, that
ram got so used to it if I haven't had to put my ulster on the
hottest days this summer to do down to the pasture where he was
chewin'."

The boys laughed heartily at this. Walter seemed keener than ever
now on making a bargain.

"Well, you see," he said, "we might use the fellow for stunts -
tricks. I think we might train him - "