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"Well, all medicine isn't bitter," laughed Doctor Bond, "though some very good kinds are. However, I wouldn't know whether to give this Clipclap pony bitter or sweet medicine." "Maybe you could ask one of the cowboys," said Janet. "I heard Mr. Mason Jim, Uncle Frank calls him telling how he cured a sick horse once."
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. "And what are we going to do all night?" asked another cowboy. "Well, we'll keep on hunting, of course.
"Maybe they'll make us go back." "Well, if they do we'll have some fun, anyhow," said Teddy, laughing. "Gid-dap, Clipclap." "It's a good thing we've two ponies instead of one goat," remarked Janet, after they had ridden on a little farther. "Course it is," agreed Ted. "We couldn't both ride Nicknack, though he could pull us both in the wagon." "Maybe he'd be afraid of Indians," suggested Janet.
"No, I don't guess he would," answered Teddy, after some reflection. "Nicknack's a brave goat. I like him. But I like Clipclap, too." "And I like Star Face," added Janet "He's an awful nice pony." On and on the ponies trotted, carrying the Curlytops farther and farther from the Ring Rosy Ranch house. But the children were not afraid.
Clipclap was wandering farther off than Teddy liked and he jumped up and hurried after his animal. As he caught him Teddy saw something on the ground a little way off. It was something round and black, and, now that the moon had come up, he could see more plainly. "What's the matter, Teddy?" Janet called to him, as she saw him standing motionless, after he had taken hold of Clipclap's bridle.
In fact both ponies were very pretty and friendly and it would be hard to say which was the better. Janet liked hers and Teddy liked his, and that is the best thing I can say about them. No one came to claim Clipclap. Though Uncle Frank spoke to a number of other ranchmen about finding the sick pony, none of them had ever seen Clipclap before as far as they knew.
Often, perhaps, if Janet had urged Star Face on she would have beaten her brother, for Clipclap still felt a little weak, now and then, from his illness. One day a cowboy came in, riding hard from a far-off part of the ranch. "I guess something is the matter, Jan," said Teddy, as they saw the horseman gallop past. "What?" she asked as they noticed him talking to the foreman.
"We found a pony!" cried Janet. "And he's sick!" added Teddy. "And his name is Clipclap!" exclaimed the little girl. "And he's mine but Janet can have half of him, and we got him water in our hats," came from Teddy. "And we got the doctor, too!" went on his sister. "Well, I should say you'd put in quite a busy day," chuckled Uncle Frank. "Now let's hear more about it."
So they went out to the stable where their ponies were kept, and there one of the cowboys kindly saddled Clipclap and Star Face for the little Curlytops. Uncle Frank had given orders to his men that they were to let the children have the ponies whenever it was safe to ride, and this was one of the nicest days of the summer.
"Yes, I guess you did," admitted Teddy, getting up and brushing the dust off his clothes. "But I'd 'a' beaten you, only my pony stumbled and he threw me over his head. I went right over his head; didn't I Janet?" "Yes, you did, Teddy. And you looked awful funny! But I'm glad you're not hurt." "So'm I." "What made Clipclap stumble?" asked the little girl.
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