There were many hills and hollows now, much higher and deeper ones
than those near the ranch buildings. Even from the top of one of the
high hills up which the ponies slowly climbed, the Curlytops could
not see the spring rocks.
"Oh, Ted!" exclaimed Jan, "I'm afraid! I want to go back! It's going
to be night pretty soon!"
"It won't be night for a good while," he said, "but I guess maybe
we'd better go back. I can't see daddy, Uncle Frank or the cowboys."
He raised himself in the stirrups and looked across the prairies,
shading his eyes with his hand the way he had seen some of the
cowboys do. Nothing was in sight.
"Come on, Jan, we'll go back," he said.
Clipclap and Star Face were turned around. Once more off trotted the
little ponies with the Curlytops on their backs.
The shadows grew longer. It was not so bright and nice on the
prairies now. Janet kept close to Teddy. At last she asked:
"Do you see the rocks?"
"Not yet," her brother answered. "But we'll soon be there."
They did not reach them, however. On and on they rode. The sun went
down behind a bank of clouds.
"Oh, dear!" sighed Janet, "I don't like this," and her voice sounded
as if she were going to cry.
"We'll soon be back at the rocks, and then I know the way home,"
said Teddy, as bravely as he could.
But they did not reach the rocks. Up the hollows and across the
hills they rode, over the broad prairies, but no rocks did they see.
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