t all up so they wouldn't understand it any better
than you do your lawyer's letter," returned Larry.

"That's a bull's-eye," grinned Joe, whose mind was running to
shooting terms.

And as neither their father nor mother interposed any objections,
the boys telephoned the message to the operator at Bramley, who
promised to send it at once.

CHAPTER III

WORD FROM THE WEST

Anxiously the two brothers waited for some news from the West and
in the meantime got ready for the trip to Scotland.

"Oh, I don't want to go to Scotland!" sighed Tom. "I want to go to
the ranch."

"Well, we've got to take what comes," answered his brother.

The boys went down to town and said good-by to their school chums.
All were sorry they were going away and said they would be missed
from the baseball team.

Returning to the farm, their mother met them with a peculiar smile
on her face.

"Any news?" they asked eagerly.

"Yes, word came over the telephone a while ago."

"And what Is it, ma?"

"The Wilders say to come and----"

"Hooray!"

"And not to bring a trunk," finished the mother. "The idea of two
boys going away all summer without a trunk!"

"Of course we won't need a trunk!" declared Tom. "From the time we
reach the ranch till we start for home I don't intend to wear a
white shirt or collar."

"When we get out there we can buy some cowboy outfits," said Larry.
"Hooray for Tolopah!"

The receipt of the message, which had been telephoned by the agent
at Bramley while the boys were on their way back from the town, was
more of a relief than either Larry or Tom was willing to
acknowledge. And they ate their food with greater relish in the
certainty that their dream of going to live on a ranch was to come
true.

Each was absorbed in his own thoughts when the voice of their
father roused them.

"Now that it's decided you are going West," he was saying, "I
reckon I'll go over to Olmsted and make sure about our steamer
tickets. We won't have any too much time in New York. You boys
can go with me if you like."

Glad of the opportunity, the boys finished their dinner quickly and
were soon whirling over the hard clay road behind their father's
span of spirited horses.

"I've decided to give each of you two hundred and fifty dollars,"
said Mr. Alden, as though expressing his thoughts out loud.

"Phew! Two hundred and fifty dollars! That's more money than I ever
had all at once," exclaimed Tom in delight. "