an catch them. Want to come along?" he asked Daddy Bunker.

"Where are you going?"

"To see if we can find the lost cattle. Maybe we can catch the men who
drove them away."

"Oh, let me come!" begged Russ. "Maybe I can lasso 'em!"

"They might lasso you!" laughed his father. "No, you had better stay
here. We'll soon be back."

"Oh, Daddy, please?"

"Not this time, Sonny," answered his father.

So Uncle Fred and Daddy Bunker, with some of the cowboys, saddled their
horses and started off to look for the lost cattle.

"I wish I could go!" sighed Russ, as he watched the horsemen riding off.

"So do I," echoed Laddie. "We could maybe help catch 'em. Mother,
couldn't we go?"

"They'd be more likely to catch you, just as the calf did," said Mother
Bunker. "Wouldn't they, Captain Roy?"

"Yes, indeed," answered the old soldier, smiling at the children. "Men
who take cattle that do not belong to them are very likely to be bad
men, and they would not be nice to the six little Bunkers. You stay with
me, and you may come out and see the ponies again, though I won't
promise you can ride on them."

"Are you going to feed them?" asked Mun Bun.

"No, they feed themselves on the grass in their field," said the
captain.

"I don't like to eat grass," said Mun Bun, shaking his head.

"Neither do I," added Margy.

"Why, I do declare! I believe you're hungry," laughed Captain Roy. "And
it's two hours until supper. Come on, we'll go see what Bill Johnson has
in his cupboard."

"Could I come, too?" asked Russ. "I--I guess I'm hungry."

"So'm I," put in Laddie.

"Me, too!" added Violet.

"Come on, all of you!" laughed Captain Roy. "It's almost as easy to feed
six as it is two," he added to Mother Bunker.

"Oh, it's too bad to bother you," she said quickly.

"No bother at all!" exclaimed the old soldier. "I know I used to want my
rations when I was in the army, and I guess there isn't much difference
nowadays. Come along, little Bunkers!"

Soon the children were having bread and milk, with a dish of canned
peaches in addition. There were big cases of canned peaches in Bill
Johnson's kitchen, and when Russ asked him why he had so many the cook
said:

"Well, the boys seem to like 'em more than anything else. It's hard to
get fresh fruit out on a cattle ranch, so I keep plenty of the canned
stuff on hand. Often a cowboy will eat two cans at once when he comes in
from a ride very hungry."

So the six little Bunkers