The Curlytops at Uncle Frank's Ranch; Or, Little Folks on Ponyback

g leather "pants," as Teddy said afterward, and some of whom had on trousers that seemed to be made from the fleece of sheep, swung their hats in th

n as the noise died down a little and the cowboys were waving thei

course the cowboys sometimes have real bullets in their 'guns,'

them shoot?"

jumped from their horses and went to the bunk house to wash and get ready for supper, "a ranch is just like a big pasture that your Grandfather Martin has at Cherry Farm. Only my ranch i

o watch my cattle and horses, to see that they do not run awa

irie fire will make them run and again it may be bad men-thieves. The cowboys have to stop the cattle from running away, and they do it by firing revolvers in front of them.

y did?" asked Ted

fun with you-see if they could scare you, maybe, be

y, perhaps forgetting a little. "I lik

th a shake of her curly head. "And

ame from. It means, I guess, that their feet are tender because they walk so much and don't ride a horse the way cowboys do. You see out here

in street cars and in your automobiles, and I suppose that's why the

ke it. But I'm going t

" exclai

Uncle Frank? We hasn't got Nicknack, but maybe you

es here. But I guess ponies will suit you children better. When you Curlytops learn to ride you can

Frank!" cried Mrs. Martin. "

Mr. Barton with a la

y! I wants a w

h me when I learn

" responde

me out of the ranch house and welcomed the Curlytops and

Janet and Teddy. "And here's one I've never seen," she we

. Hop Sing has sup

artin. "That sounds like a n

ook," explained Aunt Millie, "a

ddy, as they all went into the house, where the bagg

. Not that we wouldn't have them, for they're nice bo

in?" asked Janet, loo

at all nice, though some of them do look like pictures when they wrap themselves around in a red

a collision!

of the night,

out of my bed!"

was told. Meanwhile Hop Sing, the Chinese cook, cried out

e led the way to the table. "Come on, folks. I expect you all hav

t?" asked A

ven Circle O

said my branding sign looked just like a ring-round-th

isn't frizzy like Ted's and Janet's-let me see you eat until you get as fat as a Ring Rosy yourselves.

nd Hop Sing, looking into the dining-room now and then from where he wa

lens eat v

maid, as she carried in more of the foo

de were the other buildings, some where the farming tools were kept, for Uncle Frank raised some grain

some time, listening to the talk of the older folks, and feeling very happy that the

o trouble doing this as many times as her brother did. Jan was a regular boy, in some things. But th

sted Jan. "My legs feel funny yet

eefully. "That's the time

's so much to look at here that it's easy to forge

does

oes,

does

" and Janet was

eir mother. "That isn't nice. W

getter's better'n

Janet. "I can forget

good thing to do," said Mr. M

Jan. "I thought it was a forgett

finger at the two children. "Be nice now. Amuse yourselves in some quiet

Ted, now that the forget-memory dispute was over, was

lves, the two Curlytops, not being noticed by the others, slipped off the porch and walked towar

many cattle on a cattle ranch. But the cowboys who do not want their horses which they ride t

ee here," said Teddy, as he

"It's lots of fun

of the ranch buildings and came in sight of a new corral. In it were a number of little h

de one," sighed

rank wouldn't like it, nor mother or f

ow," said Ted. "Anyhow,

without a sadd

horse's back has a bone in the middle of it, a

u know?" a

me sit on his horse and I felt the bo

kman's horse w

've got to have a saddle to ride a hors

le Uncle Frank'll give y

rother, "Oh, see how

tle horses had indeed all come to the side of the corral fence nea

'pose they wan

e hungry," an

ing it to the horses that stretched their necks over the top rail of the

re were so many horses, and they all seemed to like the grass so mu

t, pointing to one pony, larger than the others, who was always first

an't get any," said her brother.

ery time I hold out some grass

for a minute a

to keep the big horse

" aske

he fence, and hold out your bunch. The big horse will com

tle pony won't ge

feeding the big horse I'll run up and give the little

to the little horse at the other end of the corral, And he ate it, but only just in time, for the big p

Janet said it was growing late and they had better go

one of the big fields a number of horses and cattle could be seen, and riding out near them were

k!" asked Teddy as he stood on the

n't, you'll have to go a good way to get off my ranch. But let me tell you now, not to g

asked

, don't go off by yourselves, that's all," and Uncle F

could not go off by themselves

se of the Indians

fraid of them,"

ason, the foreman-came walking up to the porch. He walked in a funny

aking off his hat and waving it t

le Frank's greeting.

" answered the foreman. "I've go