Little did he dream that Snowball was rushing towards him from behind, rushing with head lowered in his best butting style.
Of course when the boy Red slipped out of the way there was only one thing that could happen. A moment after Johnnie shouted, Snowball struck the swing seat.
Crash! Bang! Split! A terrible cry from Johnnie Green! And a second or two later a dull thud!
The crash, bang and split came when Snowball's head met the swing seat. The thud followed when Johnnie hit the ground.
Then all was quiet, except for a low moaning from the spot where Johnnie Green lay.
Red had climbed spryly into a wagon which stood near-by. But he soon saw that he needn't have gone to that trouble. For Snowball plainly had no more butts left in him for the time being. He stood still in a dazed fashion and stared dully about him. The heavy oaken swing seat had been no soft mark to hit, sailing swiftly through the air with eighty pounds of boy upon it.
Red had given one great shout. But now he too was very quiet. He jumped out of the wagon and ran to Johnnie Green, and lifted Johnnie's head.
"Are you hurt, Johnnie?" he asked.
But it was almost a minute before Johnnie Green could speak. It was almost as long as that before he could even breathe. He lay there gasping, with his hands clutched across his stomach. His eyes rolled about in the queerest way. If Red hadn't been frightened he would have laughed in Johnnie's face.
At last Johnnie Green spoke.