"We must let Snoop out. I guess he's hungry, too," said Freddie, who never forgot the black cat. Snap, the dog, had raced along beside the wagon, and was now cooling his thirst at the spring near the side door. The Bobbsey visitors were out on the shady porch, having laid aside their traveling wraps, and Uncle Daniel was coming down from the barn, having put away the horses, when a man rushed up the gravel drive, crying: "Oh, Mr. Bobbsey! Mr. Bobbsey! He's out! He's loose!" "Who's out? Who's loose?" the twins' uncle wanted to know. "That old big ram! He's loose, and he's coming this way!" was the answer. CHAPTER VII THE PICNIC The man who had brought the news about the runaway ram, stood on the gravel drive near the porch, breathing hard, for he had run very fast to give the warning. He caught his breath, and then said again: "The old ram is loose! He butted down the fence and got out. He's headed this way. What'll we do?" "Children! Into the house with you--quick!" cried Mrs. Bobbsey. "Oh! Oh!" cried Flossie. "Let me hide! Let me hide!" "Pooh! I'm not afraid of a ram!" declared Freddie. "If I had my fire engine unpacked, I'd squirt water on him!" "Better not try that, little fat fireman," said his father with a laugh. "Into the house with you, son. Your mother will look after you." Nan had already started from the porch, leading Flossie, who kept looking back over her shoulder. From behind the hedge came a cry that sounded like: "Baa! Baa! Baa!" "There he comes!" exclaimed Nan. "Come on in, Bert and Harry," she begged the two boy cousins, who were peering eagerly down the road. "I'm going to watch 'em catch him," said Bert. "Better not let him see you," advised Harry, the country cousin. "That old ram is a hard hitter." "Is there really any danger?" asked Mr. Bobbsey of his farmer-brother. "Well, the old ram is pretty rough, I must say," answered Uncle Daniel, "and most of the men on the farm are afraid of him." "He's coming right this way, I tell you!" exclaimed the hired man who had brought the news. "Why should he head this way?" asked Mr. Bobbsey. "Come along and I'll tell you," his brother promised. "You children had better go into the house," he advised. "Yes, you too, Bert and Harry," he went on, as he saw his own son and Bert following him and Mr. Bobbsey. "No telling what notions old Upsetter will take." "Is his name Upsetter?" asked Bert. "It is," replied his uncle. "I call him that because he upsets so many things. He used to be a pet when he was little," he continued, "and that's what makes him come to the house now, whenever he gets loose. My wife got in the habit of feeding him salt, which all sheep like very much. I guess he must remember that. But Aunt Sarah wouldn't dare salt him now. Go back into the house, boys, and we men folks will look after the ram." The sounds were nearer now: "Baa! Baa! Baa!"