The leader., 1895-09-03
CONQUERED BY STRATEGY.
Genius Gave to the Little Ram Victory
Over His Stronger Antagonist.

Genius Gave to the Little Ram Victory
Over His Stronger Antagonist
II was riding along country road,"'
said minister, when noticed a group
of sheep in a 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 third
ram. The two rams had evidently had
falling ont about something or else
they had come to settle in friendly
| contest which was the better ram.
Ram No. seemed to be acting as ref;
cree. When all the preliminaries had
been arranged and both contestants
had been cautioned, apparently, that
there was to be no fouling, each backed
off to the farthest limits of the circle.
The referee stepped out of the way and
the rams dashed 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 Then they
! took their places, apparently none the
| worse for the encounter. Again, evil
IDENTIFY at prcconcerted signal from
the referee, they dashed together
This time the shock was even more ter
rife than the first, and I noticed that
as one of them went back to his corner
he was little unsteady on his legs.
when time was called for the third
round there was another rush, crash,
and one of the rams, the groggy one,
fell to hs knees. His adversary did not
seem inclined to follow up his advan-
tage, but possibly he may have been re-
strained by the rules of the meeting.
at any rate, after contemplating his
fallen foe gravely for a moment, he
walked back to his place. The other
his feet The third ram, the one have
| called the referee, looked at him rather
| inquiringly, as it seemed to me, but the
| warrior showed no sign of recognition
| He ambled to his side of the ring and
| faced about. A murmur of some sort
seemed to go through the flock. The
odds were apparently 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 de-
cidedly the heavier of the two.
| However, the smaller ram seemed
| to have wonderful recuperative pow.
ers. When the proper interval hae
elapsed he came up smiling, as it were.
even thought l could see twinkle in
his eye, for l was quite close to the
fence and this thing took place only
short distance away. AS the referee
stepped back from the center OF the
ring, where he kept his position be-
tween the meetings, the other two
rams drove at each other pell-nell. At
the very instant 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 catapult. Just as he
turned about, evidently boiling over
with indignation at the trick which
had been played on him, the other one,
with the added force given by longer
run from one side of the circle to
point several feet outside of it, where
the larger rams momentum had car
ried him, shot at him like a 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, a.
suppose every competent referee
should be, nodded his head several
| times-indeed, it looked to me as If he
was counting-and then, the fellen
ram failing to rise, the whole flock
marched away toward a knoll in an
| other part of the meadow, with the
victorious ram at the head. Presently
| the defeated ram got on his feet and
| made his way to secluded spot down
| by a little run, where saw him -eclin-
ing in the shade of a large willow tree
as rode away."--Buffalo Express