e, just as if
the little horse had on one white stocking.
"Gid-dap!" cried Russ to Star.
"Gid-dap!" called Laddie to Stocking.
And off and away, over the plain, the two ponies galloped.
"They sure are two nice little boys," said Bill Johnson to Mrs. Bunker,
as they watched Laddie and Russ ride away.
"Yes, they try to be good, though they do get into mischief now and
then," answered the little boys' mother.
On and on rode Laddie and Russ, their ponies trotting over the grassy
plain. The day was warm and sunny, and the two boys were having a grand
time.
"I wish I was an Indian," said Russ, with a sigh, as he let his pony
walk a way, for it seemed tired.
"I'd rather be a cowboy," said Laddie.
"But Indians can live in a tent," went on Russ. "And if they don't like
it in one place they can take their tent to another place. If you're a
cowboy and live in a house, like Uncle Fred's, you have to stay where
the house is."
"Yes," said Laddie, after thinking it over a bit. "You have to do that.
I guess maybe I'll be an Indian, too."
"Let's both make believe we're Indians now," proposed Russ.
"We'll pretend we're out hunting buffaloes," agreed Laddie.
"And if we see any of Uncle Fred's cattle we'll make believe they are
buffaloes and we'll lasso them," went on Russ.
"Yes, and we'll shoot 'em, too," declared Laddie.
"Only make believe, though!" exclaimed his brother. "I wouldn't want to
shoot a cow really."
"No, I wouldn't either. But do Indians have guns, Russ?"
"Course they do. Didn't you hear Bill Johnson tell about how he saw a
whole lot of Indians with guns?"
"Oh, yes. Then we'll be gun-Indians, and not the bow-and-arrow kind."
"Sure!" agreed Russ. "We'll get some sticks for guns."
They stopped on the edge of the woods to get sticks that would answer
for guns. Then, after resting in the shade for a while, they rode on.
"Woo! Wah! Hoo!" suddenly yelled Russ.
"What's the matter?" asked Laddie, looking around at his brother, who
was riding behind him. "What did you yell that way for?"
"'Cause I'm an Indian!" answered Russ. "You have to yell that way, too.
Indians always yell."
"Oh, all right. I'll yell," said Laddie. "I thought maybe you'd hurt
yourself. Oh, hoo! Doodle-doodle-oo!" he shouted.
"Hey, that's no way to yell like an Indian!" objected Russ.
"Why isn't it?"
"'Cause it sounds more like a rooster crowing. Yell like this: 'Wah-hoo!
Zoo! Zoop! Wah! Wah!'"
"Oh,
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