asked Daddy Bunker.

"That's what none of us has been able to find out. The water just seems
to sink down into the ground, as if the bottom had dropped out and let
it all through. Then again, in a day or so, the water comes back again."

"It is queer," said Mrs. Bunker.

"And the worst of it is," said Uncle Fred, "that I may lose most of what
I put into this ranch on account of this spring."

"How?" asked Daddy Bunker.

"Well, I bought this ranch partly because it had such a fine spring of
water on it. There is none better for miles around. But if I wanted to
sell the ranch again, and people heard that the spring went dry every
now and then, they wouldn't pay me as much as I paid. So I would lose.
That's one reason why I'm so anxious to get to the bottom of the puzzle.
As I said, it's like one of Laddie's riddles--I don't know the answer."

"It looks like a regular spring," said Mother Bunker.

"And yet it isn't," went on Uncle Fred. "It's all right now, but an hour
later we may find the water sinking away."

"I'll take some pictures," said Daddy Bunker, who had a camera with him,
"and then maybe we can dig up the ground and find hidden pipes, or
something like that."

"We'll do the digging to-morrow," said Uncle Fred. "Now I want to show
you about the ranch."

So he led them about, showing the six little Bunkers and their father
and mother the different buildings, telling them how he raised his
cattle and sent them to market, and how he sent out his cowboys to hunt
for lost calves.

"There's always something to do on a ranch like this," said Uncle Fred.
"You can keep busy all the while. If one thing doesn't happen another
will. What with the mysterious spring, the bad men taking my cattle now
and then, the Indians running off the reservation and making
trouble--well, you can keep busy."

"Could we see the little ponies?" asked Rose. "I'd like to have a ride
on one."

"So would I!" exclaimed Russ. "I'd like a pony better than a calf."

"The ponies are over this way. I'll show them to you," said Uncle Fred.
"We'll go back by way of the spring. I have some Shetland ponies," he
went on to Daddy Bunker. "I raised a few and may raise more. The larger
children can ride on them while they're at the ranch."

"That will be fine!" exclaimed Mrs. Bunker. "Oh, I'm sure the children
will love it here."

They turned back toward the spring to go to the pony corral.

"I'm thirsty!" exclaimed Russ, as they reached t