“O dear! he’ll kill him!” exclaimed Marielle.
But Royal was up again in an instant. The ram stepped back, nodding his head, and preparing evidently for another charge.
Royal waved his basket back and forth a moment to intimidate the ram; but it seemed to have but little effect. He looked around him, and saw a tree near. He sprang towards it, and got round behind it, and then began to look out from behind it at the ram. He saw that the ram was standing in a threatening attitude, his head down, and apparently all ready for a spring.
“Now come on, old fellow, if you please,” said Royal, “and beat your own brains out.”
From his post of security Royal looked back to see if all the children were safe. They were all on the other side of the bars, excepting Marielle and Rollo. For Marielle had come back into the field again, to go after Rollo, who had remained standing where Royal had left him. She had called to him to come to her; and so, when Royal looked around, Rollo was running along towards Marielle, who was holding out her hand and encouraging him along, but not daring to go herself a great way from the bars.
“Royal,” called Marielle, “can’t you climb up into that tree? and then I will go and get a man to come and take the ram away.”
“No,” said Royal; “I know how to manage him. You lead Rollo away.”
So when Marielle and Rollo were safe upon the other side of the bars, Royal, watching his opportunity, suddenly darted away from his tree, and ran to another one, at a little distance from it. The ram followed, still threatening, but deterred from actually coming on by seeing how Royal was protected by the tree. He did not seem disposed to accept Royal’s invitation to beat his own brains out by knocking his head against a tree.
Presently Royal retreated to another tree, and then to another. The ram followed him, watching him narrowly, and endeavoring constantly to get an opportunity to attack him, but in vain. Royal soon reached the grove. Here he could retreat more easily and rapidly still, as the trees were quite near together. He gradually drew nearer to the fence, though he was coming to it at a considerable distance from the bars, where the other children had got over. They, however saw where he was coming out, and they passed along to the place, on the back side of the fence, so as to be ready to receive him when he should get over.
“Come quick, Royal,” said Lucy.