?" asked Teddy, as he
saw the little animals turned into the corral and the gate shut on them.

"No, these are some that have been running wild in a field away over at
the far end of my ranch," explained Uncle Frank. "I had them brought in,
as I'm going to ship some away to be sold."

"Come on, we'll go and look at the ponies," called Ted to his sister.
"Are they very wild?" he asked Jim Mason, who had helped the cowboys
bring them to the ranch corral.

"Yes, some of 'em are pretty wild," was the answer. "We had hard work
making them come along. They want to get loose and do as they please."

Ted and Janet climbed up on the corral fence to look at the ponies. A
few were somewhat tame, and allowed the Curlytops to pat them. But
others were very wild, and ran about as though looking for a place to
jump the fence or get out through a hole. But the fence was good and
strong. It was high and had no holes in it.

"Lots of ponies!" murmured Trouble, as he toddled after his brother and
sister to the corral.

"Yes, lots of 'em," agreed Janet. "You'll soon be a big boy and you can
have a pony to ride like brother and sister."

"Trouble want pony now!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, no, not now," Janet said as she helped him get up on the lowest
board of the fence, part of which was wooden, so he could look in
better.

"What they run around like that for?" asked Trouble, as he saw some of
the ponies racing about the corral.

"They want to get out," Janet answered.

"Trouble go help," murmured the little fellow, but Janet either did not
hear what he said or she paid no attention, for just then two of the
ponies had a race together around the corral and she and Ted wanted to
see which would win.

Trouble got down off the fence and went around to the gate. His brother
and sister did not notice him until, all at once, Janet, missing her
little brother, cried:

"Where's Trouble?"

"I don't know," Ted answered. "Maybe he---- Oh, look, Janet!" he
suddenly cried. "The corral gate is open and all the ponies are running
out!"

"Oh, that's right! They are!" Janet then screamed. "But where is
Trouble?"

"I don't know. I guess he---- Oh, there he is!" and Teddy pointed to a
spot near the gate.

There stood Trouble between the fence and the big gate which had swung
back on its hinges.

"Oh, look at 'em run!" cried Janet.

"They're all running out!" added Teddy excitedly. "I wonder who let 'em
loose."

"Maybe it was Trouble," s