Evening was coming on. The sun had set, but there was still a goldenglow in the sky. Far off in one of the big fields a number of horses andcattle could be seen, and riding out near them were some of the cowboys[85]who, after their supper, had gone out to see that all was well for thenight.
"Well, I don't know. I'm afraid you're too little. But, speaking ofriding a pony, to-morrow I'll have one of the cowboys start in to teachyou and Janet to ride. Now I guess I'll have to go see this Henry Jensenand ask him about the Indians and my stolen ponies."
In a little while he came riding into the yard in front of the bunkhouse on a lively little pony. He made the animal race up and down and,while doing this, the cowboy swung his coiled rope, or lasso, about hishead, and sent it in curling rings toward posts and benches, hauling thelatter after[95] him by winding the rope around the horn of his saddleafter he had lassoed them.
Uncle Frank and his cowboys had come back from looking after the lostponies, but had not found them. He, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Martin, werevery much surprised when the Curlytops came riding up to the ranch inDoctor Bond's automobile.
There was nothing more that could be done just then for the sick pony,so the Curlytops and the others left him in the[131] cave. The children wereglad he did not groan any more. A little later Jim Mason sent one of thecowboys with some clean straw to make a bed for the little horse, and apail of the cool, spring water was put where the animal could reach it.
The Curlytops had a fine time on his ranch, though. When Teddy and Janetwere not riding, they were watching the cowboys at work or play, for themen who looked after Uncle Frank's cattle had good times as well as hardwork.
They would often come riding and swooping in from the distant fieldsafter their day's work, yelling and shouting as well as firing off theirbig revolvers. But neither the Curlytops nor their mother were asfrightened at this play of the cowboys as they had been at first.
For a time there was some little excitement[165] on the ranch, until one ofthe cowboys, riding out to see the Indians, came back and said they werenot "wild" ones, but a band that went about selling baskets and otherthings they made. They did no harm, and for a time camped near theranch, the children, even Trouble, going over to see them. But for sometime the Curlytops did not forget the fright their first view of theIndians gave them.
[166]And then, a few days later, more bad news came to Uncle Frank. With hiscowboys he was getting some cattle ready to ship away to a distant city,from where they were to be sent still farther away in a train of cattlecars, when a cowboy, who seemed much excited, came riding up to thecorral.
But the cowboys knew how to take care of the ponies. They rode aroundthem, keeping them together in a bunch, and if one started to get awaythe cowboys would fire their revolvers and yell, so the pony wouldbecome frightened and turn back.
"Round up," is what cowboys call riding around a lot of horses or cattleto keep the animals in one place or to drive them where they should go.Uncle Frank wanted his cowboys to ride after the runaway ponies anddrive them back into the corral.
"Yes, you're getting to be pretty good riders," admitted Baldy. "Butthat isn't saying[199] you're big enough to go on a trail after Indians. Ofcourse these Indians may not be very bad, and maybe they aren't the onesthat took our horses. But riding on a trail takes a long while, andmaybe the boys will be out all night in the open. You wouldn't likethat."
Janet took the pony's reins, and her brother walked toward the bundle.He could see now that it was something wrapped in a blanket, and as hecame closer he saw that the blanket was one of the kind the cowboys atUncle Frank's ranch carried when they went out to spend the night on theprairie.
d5bc57d000