It's such a nice
day for riding you couldn't blame them for going. Or one of their
ponies may have gone lame and have to walk slowly. That would make
them get here late."
"Suppose they should be hurt?" asked Mother Martin, anxiously.
"Oh, I don't suppose anything of the sort!" and Aunt Millie laughed.
But Mother Martin did not feel like laughing.
At last, however, when it began to get dark and the children had not
come, even the cowboys left at the ranch--those who had not ridden on
the trail after the Indians--said it was time something was done.
"We'll go out and find 'em," said Baldy. "The little tykes have got
lost; that's about all. We'll find 'em and bring 'em home!"
"Oh, I hope you can!" exclaimed Mrs. Martin.
"Sure we will!" cried Baldy. "Won't we, boys?"
"That's what we will!" cried the cowboys.
The men started out over the prairie right after supper, carrying
lanterns, not so much that they needed the lights as that they might
be seen by the lost children.
"Hello, Curlytops! where are you?" called the cowboys.
But no one answered them. Teddy and Janet were far away.
The cowboys rode as far as the pile of rocks where the spring
bubbled up. There Baldy, swinging his lantern to and fro, said he
thought he could see the marks of the feet of Star Face and Clipclap
among those of other ponies, but he was not sure.
"We'll have to come back here and start out early in the morning
when we can see better," he said.
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