The girls, no more than the boy, did not recognize the difference between the goat they knew well and the ram that they had never seen before. The black-faced rogue had been tied because it was not safe to let him run loose with the herd.
“We must help him,” declared Tess, having made Tom Jonah go to the rear. “We can’t leave him tied here to suffer—and all wound up in that rope. If Neale were only here——”
“Oh, yes!” agreed Dot. “Neale would fix it all right.”
“Say,” declared Sammy, spurred to the quick, “I ain’t afraid. If Neale could do it, I guess I can. But just the same, I bet if we let him loose he’ll chase us.”
“Oh, no! he wouldn’t do that, would he?” cried Dot.
“He wouldn’t be so ungrateful,” said Tess severely.
“Poor, poor old Billy,” cooed Dot, putting out her hand to the ram.
“He—he doesn’t look just like our goat; but I know he’s suffering,” Tess declared.
The noise the ram made would naturally lead one to think that he was suffering. If not urged on by this appearance, Sammy desired to make a certain impression upon his companions. He walked boldly up to the stump to which the ram was tethered. Things began to happen immediately! That black-faced ram had no more idea of gratitude than a rattlesnake.
Sammy got two loops of the rope off the stump, and another off the ram’s hind leg. The beast immediately put down its head and bumped Sammy just as hard as he possibly could.