he's got some candy," answered Jan. "He said the boy gave it to
him."
"I didn't mean for him to _open_ it," the boy said. "I left it in his
seat and I thought he'd ask his father if he could have it. But when I
came to get it, why, it was gone."
"Oh, what a funny little Trouble!" laughed Mother Martin. "He thought
the boy meant to give the candy to him, I guess. Well, Daddy, I think
you'll have to pay for it."
And so Mr. Martin did. The candy was not a gift after all, but Trouble
did not know that. However, it all came out right in the end.
They had been traveling two days, and now, toward evening of the second
day, the Curlytops were talking together about what they would do when
they got to Uncle Frank's ranch.
"I hope they have lots to eat there," sighed Ted, when he and Jan had
gotten off the subject of Indians. "I'm hungry right now."
"So'm I," added his sister. "But they'll call us to supper pretty
soon."
The children always eagerly waited for the colored waiter to come
through the coaches rumbling out in his bass voice:
"First call fo' supper in de dinin'-car!"
Or he might say "dinner" or "breakfast," or make it the "last call,"
just as it happened. Now it was time for the first supper call, and in a
little while the waiter came in.
"Eh? What's that? Time for supper _again_?" cried Daddy Martin,
awakening from a nap.
Trouble stretched and yawned in his mother's arms.
"I's hungry!" he said.
"So'm I!" cried Ted and Jan together.
"Shall we have good things to eat on Uncle Frank's ranch?" asked Teddy,
as they made ready to walk ahead to the dining-car.
"Of course!" his mother laughed. "Why are you worrying about that?"
"Oh, I just wanted to know," Teddy answered. "We had so many good things
at Cherry Farm and when we were camping with grandpa that I want some
out on the ranch."
"Well, I think we can trust to Uncle Frank," said Mr. Martin. "But if
you get too hungry, Teddy, you can go out and lasso a beefsteak or catch
a bear or deer and have him for breakfast."
"Is there bears out there, too?" asked Janet in a good deal of
excitement. "Bears and Indians?"
"Well, there may be a few bears here and there," her father said with a
smile, "but they won't hurt you if you don't hurt them. Now we'll go and
see what they have for supper here."
To the dining-car they went, and as they passed through one of the
coaches on their way Teddy and Janet heard a woman say to her little
gir
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