The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-01-28

HIS ATTEMPT TO DESCRIBE A RAM
FIGHT IN RING VERNACUlAR.

Caught On-The Preacher Didn't Fully
Succeed In Appearing Unsophisticattd.
The Little Rams Ring Tactics.
4 preacher told this story at a we'd.
ding supper on the South Side the other
evening:
Il was riding along u country road
near Bloomington he said, "whcn ]
noticed a group of sheep i'll u pasture.
There was a large open space in the
midst Of the flock, and ut either end of
the space stood "a ram In the center,
but standing a little at II side, was q
third ram. The two rams had evidently
had q falling ont about something, O.
else they had come to settle in "a friend
" contest which was the better ram.
Ram No. 3 seemed to be acting as-
Judge, umpire-what do you call it?
Referee? Yes, that $ it, the third ram
was the referee. l don't know under
what rules the meeting took place. 1t
may have been Queensberry or Rosebery.
You see I am not up to these technical
matters.
When all the preliminaries had been
arranged and both contestants had been
cautioned apparently that there was to
be no 'fOuling'-I think l have seen
that word in the newspapers occasional
", and therefore l suppose it is a cor
rect 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
ont Of the way, and the rams dashed to-
ward each other. When their heads
came together, there was a 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
IF the table from the passion flowers at
one end to the brides cake in the far
perspective, and then at the preacher i'll
the middle distance, but nobody said
anything.
''Then,' continued the preacher,
they took their places, apparently none
the worse for the encounter. Again, evil
IDENTIFY at a p~reconcerted 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 back to his-ah, what do
they call it, corner?-he "a a little I'M
steady on his legs
"Groggy!' ventured the bride.
Il believe that is the technical term
replied the preacher, "%although, as I
nave intimated, l am not at all familiar
with sporting phraSeology. When time
was called for the third round-ahem-
that is, l mean to say when the rams
had recovered strength for a third col,
lisiOn there was another rush, q
crash, and one Of the rams, the II you
SO aptly described as 'groggy' with al
acknowledgement to the bride) fell tC
his knees. His adversary did not seen
inclined to follow up his advantage, bu1
possibly he may have been restrained by
the rules Of the meeting. At any rate
after contemplating his fallen foe grave
" for "a moment he walked back to hi.
place. The other ram, after resting
briefly, struggled to his feet. The thir(
ram-the one | have called the refere,
looked at him rather inQuiringly,> a
it seemed to me, but the warrior show
ed no sign Of recognition. He amblet
to his side of the ring and faced about
A murmur Of some sort seemed to e
through the flock. The odds We're ap
parently ) to l in favor of the Othe
ram-that is to say, it seemed to be tn
general opinion that the ram with tn
.-o.l~ l~,1, l.l l,> ,%1,,-,l ~, l.
other one was decidedly the heavier c
the two.
However, the smaller ram SCENE
to have wonderful recuperative powers
When the proper interval had elapsed
he came up smiling, as it We're. l eve
thought | could see a twinkle in his eye
for l was quite close to the fence, an
this thing took place only a little dis
tance away. AS the referee stepped bac
from the center of the ring, where h
kept his position between the meeting,
the other two rams drove at each oths
pellmell. At the very instant whc
their hard horns would have met, how
ever, the smaller ram suddenly change
his course to the right, and the Otht
"Slb !lIOu-u tIlc idIlhS LING IL ClllpuIl
Just as he turned about, evident
boiling ever with indignation at Il
trick which had been played III hin
the other one, with the added force give
by a longer run from one side of the CT
Gle to a point several feet outside Of i
where the larger rams momentum ha
carried him, shot at him like a cannC
ball, striking him full in the face al
driving him several feet away, whe
he lay limp and helpless. The thil
ram. who was promptly on the spot,
suppose every competent referee shou
be, nodded his head several times-i
deed it looked to me as if he was coun
ing-and then the fallen ram failing
rise the whole flock marched away t
ward a knoll in another part Of t
meadow with the victorious ram at t
head. Presently the defeated ram
on his feet and made his way to q
cluded spot down by a little run, wht
l saw him reclining in the shade of
large willow tree as l rode away"
What an interesting study natul
~ 49, 4