The Strange Message in the Parchment by Carolyn G. Keene Read Free Book Online

won’t have to be slaughtered,” Nancy said, worried.
    Eezy smiled. “I won’t recommend it, ’cause the little sheep is a real comfort to me. You know it gets mighty lonely up on this hilltop. This little critter comes and sits by my side and listens to all my woes.”
    “That’s something that shouldn’t be changed,” Nancy said. “I suggest you put a sign around Cheerio’s neck saying, ‘Private Property. I belong to Eezy.’ ”
    The shepherd smiled and said he would like that.
    In a few minutes the visitors left and started down the hillside. They had not gone far when Junie called Nancy’s attention to a large ram standing close by, silhouetted against the cloudless skyline.
    “Sometimes he’s mean,” Junie said. “We’ll avoid him.”
    The girls kept walking but their eyes were on the ram. He looked at them balefully, tossed his head into the air, then lowered his horns.
    “He’s going to attack you!” Junie cried out. “Run! Nancy, run! Follow me!”
    Both girls sped off like a couple of deer, but the ram was also quick. Nancy and Junie managed to stay ahead of him until, without warning, a strange dog began barking nearby.
    “Maybe that will frighten the ram away,” Nancy suggested.
    Junie said there was not a chance of that happening. “This ram is not afraid of dogs,” she explained. “One day I saw him toss a big black one high into the air. He almost killed it!”
    Nancy was thinking, “This mustn’t happen to me!” and ran faster.
    She was finally outdistancing the ram when a large sheep, frightened by the strange dog, ran directly in front of Nancy. She tried to leap over the broad-backed, woolly animal, but could not make it. The next moment she fell flat!
    By now the ram had caught up to her. The next moment Nancy felt his curved horns reach speedily under her body.
    Wild thoughts went through the trapped girl’s mind. Would the ram toss her into the air as he had the dog?

CHAPTER VIII
    The Mystery Boy’s Story
     
     
     
    As the ram got ready to toss Nancy into the air, a desperate thought came to her on how she might save herself. She reached out to grasp the animal’s curved horns, caught one with each hand, and hung on.
    The animal, angered, tried again and again to throw the girl off, but she kept her grip on the horns, and braced herself against his body. Nancy swung crazily from side to side but did not lose her hold, as the animal endeavored desperately to shake her off.
    After one more try, the ram stood still. Was he exhausted or defeated? No matter what the answer was, Nancy regained her balance and stood up, but kept a wary eye on the unfriendly animal.
    Junie came running up. “What a dreadful experience!” she exclaimed. “Oh, Nancy, I’m so sorry.”
    The ram, though mean, knew Junie and made no attempt to attack her. She gave him a resounding slap and sent him galloping off.
    The girls had counted on their luck too soon. The ram had not gone far when he suddenly turned around and made a beeline for the girls, horns lowered. At the same moment a loud commanding voice came to their ears.
    “Eezy is using his giant megaphone!” Junie said. “He’s chastising the ram.”
    The command lasted for a few seconds, then the insistent animal started moving forward again. At once the strains of beautiful music could be heard. Nancy looked at Junie, puzzled.
    “Eezy plays an Irish harp to calm the sheep,” her friend explained. “It has never failed yet to halt fights.”
    This time was no exception. The ram stopped short, sniffed the air, then lay down. All the other sheep on the hillside that were not already resting slowly dropped to the grass.
    “That’s remarkable!” Nancy exclaimed. “I’d like to go back and thank Eezy. In a way he saved my life.”
    “All right,” Junie agreed. “I’m sure we’ll have no more trouble with that ram. No doubt by this time he knows that you and I and Eezy are friends.”
    When the girls reached the shepherd’s