reservation, but there's
none here now."

The six little Bunkers watched the cowboys ride away to put their horses
out to grass and wash themselves for supper, or "grub," or "chuck," or
"chow," as they called it, giving the meals different names used
according to the place where they had worked before.

"I'm glad they weren't Indians," said Laddie to Russ, as they went in
the ranch house where Uncle Fred lived.

"Pooh! I wasn't afraid!" said Russ.

"No, I wasn't either," went on Laddie. "But I don't like Indians to come
at you the first thing. I was glad they were cowboys."

"If they'd've been Indians I'd've lassoed 'em!" declared Russ.

"How could you, when you didn't have a lasso?"

"I'm going to make one," declared Russ.

"I'll help you lasso," offered Laddie.

"Pooh! you don't know how," said Russ. "But I'll teach you," he added.

"Come in and wash yourselves for supper," called Mother Bunker to the
two boys, who had stayed out on the porch to see if the cowboys would
again ride their horses around so wildly and shoot off the guns which
made so much noise. "You must be hungry, Russ and Laddie."

"I am," Laddie admitted.

"So'm I," agreed Russ.

Into Uncle Fred's ranch house went all six little Bunkers. They liked
the place from the very first. It was different from their house at
home.

The room they went into first extended the width of the house. It was
"big enough for the whole Bunker family and part of another one to sit
in, and not rock on one anothers' toes," Mother Bunker said. Back of
this big apartment, called the living-room, was the dining-room. Then
came the kitchen, and, off in another part of the house, were the
sleeping-rooms. The ranch house was only one story high, and it was, in
fact, a sort of bungalow. It was very nice.

Even though it was away out on the plains Uncle Fred's house had some of
the same things in it that the Bunkers had at home. There was running
water, and a bathroom, and a sink in the kitchen.

"The water comes from the mysterious spring I told you about," said
Uncle Fred when Mrs. Bunker asked him about it. "We pump it up into a
tank with a gasolene engine pump, and then it runs into the bathroom or
wherever else we want it. Oh, we'll treat you all right out here, you'll
see!"

"I'm sure you will," said Mother Bunker.

The children were washed and combed after their long journey, and then
Uncle Fred led them out to the dining-room.

"Who does your cooki