Six Little Bunkers at Uncle Fred's

g during the day, but just now, when Uncle Fred was about to tel

Russ. "And please don't tell any of t

promised

nd, as he opened it, the ot

! What mad

wered Mr. Bunker. "I c

d, slipping down from Uncle Fred's knee, they

is father could not see into the room

dma B

op

nt

op

d he's got a secret out at his ranch like Grandpa Ford had at

," laughed Daddy Bunker, as he lifted Rose in his arms and kissed h

also come into the hall. "Russ and I rode down on the scooter,

e was a burglar!"

ff, I'll go in and see Uncle Fred and hear all about it," and soon Daddy Bunker and his wife's

, when she had given Uncle Fred a cup of tea, "a

he children took their places and began to eat. And, at the same time, they listened to the talk that went on among the grown folk. Mother and Father Bunker had many question

ree Star Ranch?" asked Russ eagerl

l," promise

out the Indians

owboys," a

some ponies?" asked

er uncle. "And if you come out West with

truly?" g

makes them be called ponies? I should think they would be called paw

mother, laughing. "Uncle Fred won't get a chance to tell any s

can talk all day and night and bother no one," sai

is a good many miles from here, and around my house are

ay, grain or chickens on my ranch, I raise cattle. Cows you might call them, though we speak of them as cattle. Som

s, and they ride about the ranch on horses, or cow ponies, and see that the cattle ar

s do?" asked Russ.

to sell to travelers who come through on the trains, but many of them just live a lazy life. Th

ddie. "And could I lasso any of 'em with

tar," answered Uncle Fred. "But I don't bel

out your having troubl

e Fred. "And, as usual, my trouble is like that a lot

want them to

pay my cowboys and live on some of it myself. If bad men take my cattle away in the n

City to find out who was taking your cattle

answered Uncle Fred. "What I came on for, besides getting you to go back with me, is to get some books a

asked Daddy Bunker. "I thou

n 'em," said Uncle Fred. "But mine isn't that kind.

g go dry? That used to happen to the spring where we

in-say in a dry, hot summer. The spring on Three Star Ra

it?" asked D

. "None of my cowboys can tell what makes it, and the Indians

Bunker. "But we finally found out what it was, and very simple it

be full of fine water. We use it for drinking at the ranch house and for watering some o

n there is trouble. Everybody is sorry then, for we have to haul water fro

queer thing?" as

taken away. I suppose you could call it stolen, though I don't like to think that any of my neighbors would steal. I used to

re taken?" asked Mrs. Bunker, while the six litt

me. I don't know

rink up all the w

far end of the ranch. It is a puzzle to me; about as much of a puzzle a

eers about the spring," remarked Daddy

are water-engineers just as others are steam or electrical engineers. I thought I'd ask them the reasons for springs going dry. Some of them ma

while I was attending to that, and coming on here

een any yet?" a

a day or so. But I stopped

ed the doorbell rang again. This time it could not b

the door, could be hea

Bell, is it?" she said. "Well, come in an

d. "I hope it isn't any bad news from m