Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-24
THE PREACHERS STORY.
Prize Fight In Which the Strategy
of the Weaker Won.

of the Weaker Won.
From the Chicago Daily Tribune.
A preacher told this story at a wedding
supper on the South Side the other even
ing:
Il was riding along a country road near
Bloomington" he said, when I noticed a
group of sheep In pasture. There was a
large, open space in the midst of the flock.
and at either end Of the space stood two
rams In the center, but standing little
to one side, was a third ram. The two rams
had evidently had a falling out about some
thing or else they had come to settle in
friendly contest which was the better
ram. Ram No. seemed to be acting as
Judge, umpire-what do you call it? Ref
cree? Yes, that's 1t, the third ram was
the referee. I dent know under what rules
the meeting took place; it may have been
Queensberry or Rosebery. You see, I am
not up to these technical matters.
When all the preliminaries had been ar
ranged and both contestants had been eau
toned, apparently, that there was to be no
fouling'-I think have seen that word in
the newspapers occasionally, and therefore
| suppose 1t is correct word to use in
this connection-each backed off to the
farthest limits of the circle. which, by the
way, was not a squared circle. The referee
stepped out of the way, and the rams DASH
ed toward each other. When their heads
came together there was terrific crash,
and the force of the conclusion threw
them as far apart as the length of this
table"
All the guests looked the full length of
the table from the passion flowers at one
end to the brides cake in the far perspec-
tive. and then at the preacher in the mid
die distance. but nobody said anything.
''Then." continued the preacher, they
took their places, apparently none the
worse for the encounter. Again, evidently
at preconcerted signal from the referee
they dashed together. This time the shock
was even more terrific than the first, and
I noticed that as one of them went hack to
his-ah, what do they call it. corner:-he
was little unsteady on his legs"
'Groggyp' ventured the bride.
Il believe that is the technical term" re-
piled the preacher. although, as I have
intimated, 1 am not at all familiar with
sporting phraseology. When time was call
ed for the third round-ahem-that isl
strength for a third collision, there was
another rush, crash, and one of the rams
the one you so aptly described as 'groggy' J"
with an acknowledgment to the bride
fell to his knees. His adversary did not
seem inclined to follow up his advantage
but possibly he may have been restrained
by the rules Of the meeting. At any rate,
after contemplating his fallen foe gravely
for moment. he walked back to his place
The other ram, after resting briefly, strug
gled to his feet. The third ram, the one
1 have called the referee, looked at him
rather inquiringly, as it seemed to me, but
He ambfed TO his side of the ring and faced
about. murmur of some sort seemed to
go through the flock. The odds were ap-
parenty three to one in favor Of the other
ram; that is to say. it seemed to be the
general opinion that the ram with the weak
knees had been outclassed, as the other
one was decidedly the heavier of the two
However, the smaller ram seemed to
have wonderful recuperative powers When
the proper interval had elapsed he came up
smiling, as it were. / even thought could
see a twinkle in his eye, for l was quite
close to the fence, and this thing took place
only a little distance away. As the referee
stepped back from the center Dc the ring,
where he kept his position between the
meetings, the other two rams drove at each
other pe.l-mell AZ the very instan. when
their hard horns would have met, however
the smaller ram suddenly changed his
course to the right and the other went
through the ranks like a catapuiu. Just
he turned about, evidently boiling over
with indignation at the trick which mad
been played on him. the other one. with
the added force given by a longer run from
one side of the circle to point several
feet outside of it, where the larger rams
momentum had carried him, sho, at him
like cannon ball, striking him full in the
face and driving him several feet away,
where he lay limp and helpless. The third
ram. who was promptly on the spot. as I
suppose every competent referee should be.
Eodded his head several times-indeed, it
locked to me as Ii he was countng-and
tiell, the Iditeu ram Ia1InS 20 rise, the
whole flock marched away toward a knoll
In another part of the meadow with the
victorious ram at the head. Presently the
defeated ram got on his feet and made his
way to a secluded spot down by little run,
where 1 saw him reclining in the shade of
large willow tree as 1 rode away"
"What an interesting study natural his
tory Is" said the brides grandmother, as
she adjusted ner glasses.
1T is, indeed said the groom's father
coughing behind his napkin.