Having now reached the fence that enclosed the field, the man climbed over but advised the ladies to wait where they were until he had found the ones he would sell. Then he added: “I’ll lead the ram over to you so you can see the gentle and loving creature he is. Once you look into his golden eyes and hear his musical call you’ll never rest till you have him.”
“I’m going to climb up and sit on the top rail, girls,” said Janet after the man left them. She climbed up and was soon imitated by all the girls, Mrs. James remaining outside the fence.
The girls watched the farmer coax the ram from his grazing to start him across the field. The ram followed meekly with his nose sniffing at the hand which held the bait all unseen by the girls.
“My, he is a beauty, isn’t he,” exclaimed Janet. “And so gentle, too, just as the man said.” In her eagerness to see the ram at close range, she sprang from the fence and stood waiting.
When the man and ram were not more than twelve feet from where Janet stood, an automobile flew past. The driver, seeing the row of girls sitting on the top rail of the fence, laughed and blew the siren so shrilly and continuously, that it racked their nerves. It proved that the ram had nerves, also.
Before his master realized what might happen, the meek animal lowered his head and charged. In another moment the farmer was lifted more than three feet above and along his course. But the ram was not pacified by this one encounter. It was as if the taste of combat made him thirst for more. He made a dash for Janet.
She was too quick for him, however, for she had started to crawl under the fence the moment she saw the farmer coming so unceremoniously through the air. The other astonished and frightened scouts turned as if with one thought, and scrambled to get over to the safe side of the fence. But this simultaneous action overturned the loose toprail in its still looser sockets, and all the girls were rolled into the tall grass on the roadside—the safety line.
The golden-eyed ram stopped short when defrauded of his second victim, but turned to make another assault upon the farmer. That individual, choosing discretion rather than valor, sprinted for the fence, also, and clambered to the toprail without thought or grace or business diplomacy.
This preface to Janet’s selecting sheep for her farm, brought about a change of heart, and all the good salesmanship the farmer showed later, could not persuade the stock scout that she needed any addition to her pets, at that time. But this did not say that the determination was permanent. Because it was not, as events later on proved. These events took place in August, when Norma’s flower gardens were producing, and so it is told in Norma’s scout story.
Late that evening, Sam came up to the side porch where the house scouts were entertaining the camp scouts with accounts of the stars and planets, and excused himself for interrupting.