cried Teddy.

"Yes, we will!" echoed his sister.

After supper Uncle Frank began to tell a Western story of things that
had happened at his ranch. He told of Indians having taken some of his
ponies, and of how he and his cowboys chased and caught the Red-men and
took back the little horses.

"We didn't want them to steal our ponies," he said.

"Daddy didn't want that lame boy to take the pocketbook in his store,
but the lame boy did," said Janet, who was fast falling asleep.

"What made you think of that?" asked her father.

"Oh, I was just thinking," answered the little girl. "Maybe that lame
boy was hungry like Uncle Frank said the Indians were."

"Maybe," agreed her mother. "But it isn't sure he took the pocketbook.
You never found out who he was, did you?" she asked her husband.

"No, the poor fellow seemed to be too frightened to come back. I hope
nothing happened to him. I'd rather lose the money than have him hurt,
though, of course, I wouldn't want to learn that he would take what was
not his. But now, Aunt Jo, it's your turn to tell about your new
bungalow."

So Aunt Jo began her story, and by the time it was finished Teddy and
Janet were ready for bed, where Trouble had gone long before.

"Still snowing," said Uncle Frank, as he went to the back door and
looked out. "I imagine this is the biggest storm you folks in the East
ever had."

"Yes, it is," agreed Daddy Martin.

The house was soon dark and quiet, while outside the cold wind blew and
the snow piled in big drifts.

Janet and Teddy had fallen asleep, wondering what had happened to their
pet goat, and the first thing they asked, on awakening in the morning
was:

"Is Nicknack here?"

"We haven't seen him," answered their mother. "But daddy and Uncle Frank
are going to dig for him after breakfast."

When the meal had been finished it was found that the snow had stopped,
at least for a time, and that the weather was a little warmer. Janet and
Ted were allowed to play out in a cleared place in the yard.

"Part of the tunnel caved in during the night," said their father, "and
we'll have to dig it out before we can get to Nicknack's stable. But
we'll call you as soon as we find him."

It took some time to dig through the snow, and while their father and
Uncle Frank were doing this Ted and Janet made a little hill in the yard
and slid down that on their sleds.

Then they saw Uncle Frank coming toward them.

"Did you find Nicknack?" ca