t of their sight. They could play with the ponies about the house, for
the fields were mostly unfenced. And the ponies were certainly great
play-fellows. Laddie was sure that Pinky was a most intelligent horse.

"If we had known just how to talk to him," declared Laddie, "I am sure
he would have told us all about Rose and where he had left her that
day."

"Maybe he would," said Rose, though she spoke rather doubtfully. "But I
slipped right out of that saddle, and I am not going to ride him any
more. I would rather drive Brownie hitched to the cart."

"You mean Dinah, don't you?" asked Margy.

"I guess she means Cute," said Vi.

"Oh, no! Oh, no!" cried Mun Bun. "Let _me_ name that pony. I want to
call him Jerry. I want to call him after our Jerry Simms at home in
Pineville."

And this was finally agreed upon. All the Bunker children liked Jerry
Simms, who had been the very first person to tell them stories about the
army and about this great West that they had come to.

"I guess Jerry Simms would have known all about this moving picture the
soldiers and Mr. Black Bear's Indians are making," Russ remarked. "And
mayn't we all go and act in it, Daddy?"

Russ talked so much about this that finally Mrs. Bunker agreed to go
with the children to see the representation of the Indian attack on the
fort. The six little Bunkers looked forward to this exciting proposal
for several days, and when Mr. Habback sent word that the scene was
ready to "shoot," as he called it, the children could scarcely contain
themselves until the party started from the ranch house.

It was to be a grand picnic, for they took cooked food and a tent for
Mother Bunker and the children to sleep in. Russ and Laddie rode their
ponies, and all the rest of the party crowded into one of Cowboy Jack's
big blue automobiles when they set out for a distant part of the ranch.

"I know we'll have just a bully time," declared Russ Bunker. "It will be
the best adventure we've ever had."

But even Russ did not dream of all the exciting things that were to
happen on that picnic.

CHAPTER XXIII

MOVING PICTURE MAGIC

It was rather rough going for the big car, and the little Bunkers were
jounced about a good bit. Russ and Laddie trotted along on their ponies
quite contentedly, however, and did not complain of the pace. But Vi
began to ask questions, as usually was the case when she was disturbed
either in mind or body.

"Daddy, why do we jump up a