"Bad news, is it?" asked Uncle Frank. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope
none of the boys is sick. Nobody been shot, has there, during the
celebration?"

"Oh, no, the boys are all right," answered the foreman. "But it's bad
news about some of your ponies--a lot of them you had out on grass over
there," and he pointed to the west--just where Ted and Janet could not
see.

"Bad news about the ponies?" repeated Uncle Frank. "Well, now, I'm
sorry to hear that. Some of 'em sick?"

"Not as I know of," replied Jim. "But a lot of 'em have been taken
away--stolen, I guess I'd better call it."

"A lot of my ponies stolen?" cried Uncle Frank, jumping up from his
chair. "That is bad news! When did it happen? Why don't you get the
cowboys together and chase after the men who took the ponies?"

"Well, I would have done that if I knew where to go," said the foreman.
"But I didn't hear until a little while ago, when one of the cowboys I
sent to see if the ponies were all right came in. He got there to find
'em all gone, so I came right over to tell you."

"Well, we'll have to see about this!" exclaimed Uncle Frank. "Who's the
cowboy you sent to see about the ponies?"

"Henry Jensen. He just got in a little while ago, after a hard ride."

"And who does he think took the horses?"

"He said it looked as if the Indians had done it!" and at these words
from the foreman Ted and Janet looked at one another with widely opened
eyes.

"Indians?" said Uncle Frank. "Why, I didn't think any of them had come
off their reservation."

"Some of 'em must have," the foreman went on. "They didn't have any
ponies of their own, I guess, so they took yours and rode off on 'em."

"Well, this is too bad!" said Uncle Frank in a low voice. "I guess we'll
have to get our boys together and chase after these Indians," he went
on. "Yes, that's what I'll do. I've got to get back my ponies."

"Oh, can't I come?" cried Teddy, not understanding all that was going
on, but enough to know that his uncle was going somewhere with the
cowboys, and Teddy wanted to go, too.

"Oh, I'm afraid you couldn't come--Curlytop," said the foreman, giving
Teddy the name almost everyone called him at first sight, and this was
the first time Jim Mason had seen Teddy.

"No, you little folks must stay at home," added Uncle Frank.

"Are you really going after Indians?" Teddy wanted to know.

"Yes, to find out if they took any of my ponies. You see," went on Uncle
Frank, speak