"Wouldn't he make a hit, though, at some of our college affairs!" exclaimed Ed. "I wonder if we could buy the beast? Here comes the owner now."
The girls looked alarmed. Suppose the farmer should blame them for the disappearance of the ram!
"I'll do the talking," suggested Walter. "If you say anything, Jack, there might be a row."
"Humph!" said Jack. "I suppose you know just how to deal with ram owners."
The farmer was quite up to them now. He was not an ill-natured-looking man, and as he approached he touched his big straw hat.
"No one hurt?" he asked, much to the girls' relief.
"Oh, no, thank you," said Cora, before Walter could open his mouth. "I hope you have not lost the sheep."
"Lose him! Couldn't do that if you chucked him in the mill-pond and let the dam loose on him. Only yesterday the plagued thing went for my wife. Yes, sir, and he 'most knocked her down. When I seed your steam wagons comin' along I knowed there would be trouble. He's that pesky!"
The man looked at the disabled machine.
"Busted?" he asked.