"What's the matter?" asked the marine. "Has another accident happened?"
Just as he said this, and before Daddy Bunker could do as he was going to do, and thrust a fence rail between the ram's legs to trip him, the big sheep rushed full at Captain Ben.
"Baa-a-a-a!" bleated the ram, and with lowered head and curved horns, he struck Captain Ben "amidships," as the marine said after it was all over.
There was a dull thud, and Captain Ben was knocked over and down into the same ditch into which the automobile had nearly turned a somersault.
"Hi, there! Stop that! Go on away!" yelled Russ, jumping up and down, swinging his hat in one hand and waving a stick in the other. "Go on away!"
But the ram paid no attention to the shouts of the boy, nor to the screams of Rose, Laddie and Violet in the road a safe distance away.
"Are you hurt, Captain Ben?" asked Daddy Bunker, as he caught up a heavy rail and started toward the ram.
"No, not at all," came the answer from Captain Ben, who was getting up, after having been knocked down into the ditch. "Luckily for me I fell on a lot of soft grass."
"Don't get up or come this way, or this brute will butt you down again," warned Daddy Bunker. "I'll see if I can drive him away. Stay on the other side of the ditch."
"No, I'm coming to help you. The ram may try to horn some of the children," returned the soldier-sailor. It was just like Captain Ben not to run away from a fight, either with some enemy on the battle field or a savage ram in a meadow.