re to help us enjoy our vacation," put in
Fred.

"Dot's nice, Fred. I tink I vas going to haf a fine time alreatty. And I
need him," went on Hans Mueller. "Since I come from de war back from
Europe, where I fights for Uncle Sam, I work like a steam horse in mine
delicatessen stores. But so soon like Songpird says come out here and
meet dem Rovers and you udder friends, I say to my clerks, 'you got to
run dem stores by yourselfes alreatty yet awhile. I go oud to Pig Horn
Ranch and git some fresh air mine lungs in.'"

"You'll get the fresh air all right enough," announced Spouter. "And
we're mighty glad you're here," he added, and then led the way into the
house.

CHAPTER XXV

PROFESSOR DUKE'S SECRET

The girls had already returned from the woods and met Uncle Hans, as they
called him.

"I got somet'ing by mine trunk in for you young ladies," said Hans
Mueller, with a broad smile. And later on when his trunk arrived he
presented each of them with a bottle of the highest grade of olives. He
also had some olives for Mrs. Powell, for use on the table.

"I import dem olives myself alreatty yet," he vouchsafed. "Nopody by
Chicago has olives half so goot."

"I knew you'd be surprised to see Uncle Hans here," declared Songbird
Powell. "And I knew an outing on the ranch would do him a world of good.
He has been confining himself too closely to business since he got back
from the war."

"It was grand of you, Uncle Hans, to fight for Uncle Sam," declared
Martha.

"And vhy, I like to know?" demanded Hans Mueller. "Since I come by der
United States over I been just such a goot American like anypody."

"That's the way to talk, Uncle Hans!" cried Jack, and slapped him on the
shoulder.

The next day the young folks took great pleasure in showing Hans Mueller
around the place.

"He vas chust like a farm, only different," remarked the delicatessen
man. "Dot iss a nice lot of cows you got, Songpird. I dink dos cows vould
make apout a million pounds of frankfurters, not?" and at this remark
there was a general laugh.

A few days later Jack noticed that Songbird Powell seemed to be worried
over something. The owner of Big Horn Ranch held an earnest consultation
with Joe Jackson, and then the foreman of the ranch rode off in hot
haste, accompanied by two of his cowboys.

"What's the matter--is something wrong?" questioned Jack of Spouter.

"Four of our best horses are missing," answered Spouter. "The men are not