er that he
had managed to fix up Mr. Golden's business for him and that it would
soon be time to start East.

"I don't care--much," Rose said, when she heard this. "We have had a
very exciting time, Russ. And I guess I want to go to school again. They
must have coal in Pineville. I should think they would have some by
now."

"I hate to lose my pinto pony," said Russ.

"Can't we take him and Pinky with us?" Laddie asked. "I do wish we
could."

"Can't do that," said daddy seriously. "We have enough pets now for
Jerry Simms to look after."

"I tell you what," said Cowboy Jack heartily. "I'll take good care of
the ponies, little folks, so that when you come out to see me again they
will be all ready for you to use."

"And Jerry, too?" cried Mun Bun. "I like that pony. He doesn't run so
fast."

"And Jerry, too," agreed the ranchman.

So the little Bunkers were contented with this promise.

When they got to the ranch house everybody there seemed very glad to see
them, and Maria, the Mexican cook, had a very nice supper ready for the
six little Bunkers. She seemed to know that she would not cook for the
visitors much longer, and she tried to please them particularly with
this meal. There were waffles again, and all the little Bunkers were
fond of those delectable dainties. Only Mother Bunker would not always
let them eat as many as they wanted to.

But there was something at the ranch besides supper that evening that
interested the children very much. There was some more mail from the
East, and among it a little package that had been registered and sent to
Mother Bunker by Captain Ben from Grand View.

"I guess he has sent Mother Bunker a nice present," declared Rose
eagerly. "Captain Ben likes mother."

"Don't we all like her?" demanded Vi. "I like her very much. Can't I
give her a present too?"

"You are always picking flowers and finding pretty things for me," said
Mrs. Bunker kindly. "I appreciate them just as much as any present
Captain Ben could give me."

"But what is it, Mother?" asked Rose, quite as excited as Vi and the
others.

"We shall have to open it and see," her mother said.

But she would not open the little package until after supper. Perhaps
that is why the little Bunkers were willing to eat fewer of Maria's nice
waffles. They were all eager to see what was in the package. Even daddy
claimed to be curious.

So, when the lamps were lit in the big living room and everybody was
more tha