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"If I thought you wouldn't fall off " "I fall off?" sniffed Tad, contemptuously. "I'd like to see the pony that could bounce me off his back. Huh! Guess I know how to ride better than that. Say, Chunky, remember the time when the men from Texas had those ponies here brought them here to sell?" Chunky the third boy of the group nodded vigorously.
In his excitement he dropped the hat in attempting to pass it to the guide, deluging the unconscious Tad with the cold water. Tad gasped and coughed, a liberal supply of the water having gone down hist throat. "Clumsy!" growled Lige. "Get some more, but don't let go till I get hold of the hat this time."
Splash did not answer, of course, but he wagged his tail as he always did when he was with his friends. "I guess it couldn't have been anything," Mr. Brown went on. "Maybe a squirrel or chipmunk was looking for some crumbs in the dining-tent, and knocked down the pans. I'll just take a look out there to make sure." Mr. Brown and Uncle Tad went outside the tent. Splash did not go with them.
The flap was suddenly jerked aside and the face of the chief appeared in the opening. "How," greeted Chief Willy. "How," answered Tad rather sullenly. "What do you want?" "Paleface want eat?" "You ought not to have to ask that question. So you can talk English just a little bit? Chief, when are you going to let me go away from here? It will only get you into trouble if you try to keep me.
And you, Dyke, black-listed engineer, discharged employee, ruined agriculturist, wait till you see your little tad and your mother turned out of doors when S. Behrman forecloses. Wait till you see 'em getting thin and white, and till you hear your little girl ask you why you all don't eat a little more and that she wants her dinner and you can't give it to her.
Stacy was wide awake now. Together the lads crawled cautiously away, every nerve on the alert. Over by the pit of live coals the uproar was, if any thing, louder than before. The boys gave that part of the camp a wide berth. "Now get up and run!" commanded Tad. "Raise your feet off the ground, so that you won't fall over every pebble you come to."
Old Scotch and Jenks ain't never run onto each other at our house, but I've fixed it." Tad grinned gleefully, as he made this declaration. "Fixed it, how?" asked Frank. "Why, I writ 'em both a letter, askin' 'em to call to-night at eight o'clock, and I signed Nancy's name. I made the letters jest a little spooney, but not too much so. I'll bet they'll be tickled to death, and they'll come sure."
But the smiling face of the boy angered him, and the cowman's rope squirmed through the air. Tad ducked, allowing the lariat to shoot on over him. It fell harmlessly on the other side of his pony and a quick pressure of the spurs took boy and pony from under it. With a "yip-yip" Tad rushed at his opponent.
We surely ought to be happy!" laughed Tad, with flashing eyes. "Any boy with those two things wouldn't change places with a king, would he, fellows?" "No!" answered the Pony Riders at the top of their voices. "Not even for a whole monarchy!" Lige was beset by a perfect clamor of questions as to when they were to have a chance to try the guns on real game.
"I think we had better walk for the present," suggested Tad. "We shall stiffen up if we ride in our present overheated condition." Ned nodded. "I can't be much lamer than I am. I feel as if I had a broken hinge in my back," he declared. They started on, moving with extreme care that they might not meet with another such disaster.
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