Maggie saw him too. Colin was munching away at the bottom of a hedgerow. She checked the road was clear and drove across to the other side. She revved the engine and Colin looked up. He was momentarily startled and he dashed off following the line of the hedgerow with Maggie and Tom in hot pursuit. As they neared the end of Maggie’s drive she turned the bike quickly making it skid on the gravel and block Colin’s exit to the road. Instinctively Colin dashed up the driveway.

‘Yes!’ said Tom with a fist pump.

‘Don’t you go celebrating too soon,’ advised Maggie and she set off at a snail’s pace behind the ram. Colin wasn’t going to be rushed and he took a full fifteen minutes to walk to the farmhouse. The ram got distracted by some dandelions on the front grass and Maggie stopped the bike and jumped off.

‘You take over,’ she called to Tom.

‘What? Okay but I don’t know how to drive it,’ he said but he was already sliding into the vacated seat.

‘Turn the key, press the start button.’ She pointed to them in turn and gave him a quick run-down of the other controls. ‘Got it?’

‘Er, yeah. I think so.’ Tom blinked a few times. He turned the key, pressed the button and seemed to swell with pride as the bike started.

‘Keep roadside of Lord Lucan over here,’ said Maggie, pointing at Colin.

‘Who?’

‘Never mind. Low revs,’ she said walking towards the barn.

Tom kept the bike purring gently and edged it forward a fraction each time Colin moved onto a new patch of grass. Tom revved the engine a little and Colin turned to eyeball him. Maggie was coming back carrying a large piece of board. Colin started to reverse away from Tom.

‘Watch out!’ yelled Maggie. ‘He’s going to butt the bike.’

‘Shiiiiiit!’ said Tom, as Colin charged towards him.

Maggie banged on the wooden sheet but it didn’t put Colin off his target. He hit the front of the bike hard making it shudder. Maggie continued to bang on the board and at last Colin took notice and hurried off towards the back of the farmhouse.

‘Well go after him!’ shouted Maggie.

Tom panicked and the bike kangarooed forward a few times before he finally had control and trundled off after the recalcitrant ram.

‘Crikey, I can walk faster than that,’ said Maggie following them.

She hadn’t needed the board because Colin had decided he was going back to his field anyway. She watched him barge the gate open. Once he was inside Maggie tied up the gate with binder twine – properly this time. She leaned against the fence and let out a sigh. Tom cut the engine on the bike but showed no sign of getting off.

‘Thanks, Tom. You did well,’ she said. ‘Dinner on Sunday to say thank you?’

‘Yeah. Great.’