now, as
Cowboy Jack strode around the railroad station, again carrying Mun Bun,
and they all trooped after him.

"Got something that beats cayuses," declared Cowboy Jack. "What do you
think of _these_ for cow ponies?"

What he pointed out to them were two great, eight-cylinder touring-cars,
both painted blue, and behind the steering-wheel of each a smiling
Mexican who seemed as glad to see the Bunker children as Cowboy Jack was
himself.

"Pile in! Pile in!" said Cowboy Jack in his great voice.

He gave Mun Bun over to Mrs. Bunker, who got into one car with daddy and
the hand baggage. But he put all the other children into the tonneau of
the other car and got in with them. It was quite plain that he was fond
of children and proposed to have a lot of fun with the little Bunkers
who had come so far to visit him.

"I've got a lot to show you youngsters," he said to Russ and the others
when the cars started. "And I have a surprise for you out at my ranch."

"What is the surprise?" Vi asked. "Is it something we can eat? Or is it
a surprise we can play with?"

"You can't eat my surprise," said Cowboy Jack, with one of his widest
smiles. "But you can have a lot of fun with it."

"What is it?" asked Vi again.

"If I tell you now, it won't be a surprise," replied the ranchman. "So
you'll have to wait and see it."

They drove through the town in the automobiles, and it seemed a good
deal like an Eastern town after all. People dressed just the same as
they did in Pineville and there was a five-and-ten-cent store painted
red, and a firehouse with a motor-truck hook-and-ladder just like the
one at home. Russ and Laddie thought maybe they would not have any use
for their cowboy and Indian suits after all.

But by and by the motor-cars got clear of the town and struck into a
dusty road on which there were no houses at all. In the distance Rose
spied a moving bunch of cattle. _That_ looked like a ranch; but Cowboy
Jack told her that his ranch was still a good many miles ahead.

The little Bunkers liked riding in these big cars, for the Mexicans
drove them very rapidly. The road was quite smooth and they kept ahead
of the dust, except when they passed some other vehicle. The dust was
very white and powdery, and Margy and Laddie began to sneeze. Then they
grabbed each other's right little fingers, curling the fingers around
each other.

"Wish!" cried Violet eagerly. "Make a wish--both of you."

"What--what'll I wish?" st