me along to see what
they were up to.

"These yere pestiferous chilluns!" exclaimed the colored man, trying to
mop up the flood. "And dem cups was near 'nough to las' me clear to
Texas."

"All right--all right, Sam!" rejoined Daddy Bunker, giving the colored
man a generous tip. "You get some more cups and some more ice, and call
it square. I expect I'd better tie a halter to each one of my children
for the rest of the journey so as to keep track of them. I can't trust
them out of my sight any more."

It was not quite as bad as that, although daddy was really annoyed by
what Mun Bun and Margy had done. They were old enough to know mischief
from play, and he told them so. Mun Bun looked pretty sober when he got
back to the party.

"Aren't we going to get to that wanch-place pwetty soon, Muvver?" he
asked Mrs. Bunker. "'Cause if we ain't, I'd rather go back home. There
aren't any nice plays here on this train. And I'm tired of it."

"I suppose you are tired of it, dear," his mother said, taking him upon
her lap. "We are all pretty tired of it. But after another night's sleep
we shall be near our journey's end."

This news was eagerly received by all the little Bunkers. Even Russ and
Rose were tired of traveling by train. After a certain time, riding in
the steam cars grew very wearisome. The Bunker children were active by
nature, and Russ liked to build things. He missed the attic and the
woodshed at home.

The train rocked on into the Southwest, and while the children slept it
covered several hundred miles. After they got up and were washed and
dressed and had breakfasted, the bags were packed, for they did not
expect to open them again until they reached Cavallo.

They stared out of the windows, watching the prairie country slide past,
now and then passing small herds of cattle, as well as many little towns
at which the train did not halt.

"I suppose Cowboy Jack will come with ponies and we'll all have to ride
horseback," said Rose. "I don't know that I can stick on very well."

"You did at Uncle Fred's," Russ told her.

"But maybe I have forgotten how," his sister said doubtfully.

But Rose need not have worried about riding pony-back on this occasion.
When the train stopped at Cavallo and they all got out there were no
horses waiting for the Bunkers at all. The town did not look like a
cattle-shipping place. And there was not a cowboy in sight!

CHAPTER XIII

A SURPRISE COMING

There was a