had something to eat, even if it was not
supper time, and then they went with Captain Roy to look at the ponies
again.

"Oh, look how they run to the fence to meet us!" cried Rose, as some of
the ponies in the corral trotted toward the captain and the children.

"That's because they think I have a bit of bread and sugar for them,"
said Captain Roy.

"Have you?" asked Violet.

"Yes. I hardly ever come out without bringing them something," answered
the old soldier.

He reached over the fence to pat the glossy necks and soft noses of the
ponies, feeding them bits of dried bread, of which he seemed to have a
lot in his pockets.

"Bill Johnson saves me all his old crusts for the ponies," Captain Roy
said to Russ. "And if you bring the little horses something to eat each
time you come out they'll like you all the more, and get very tame."

"I'll do it," said Russ.

They stood looking at the ponies for some little time, and then Russ
decided he wanted to make a boat and sail it in the creek that was not
far from the ranch house.

"I'll sail one, too," said Laddie.

"And we'll take our dolls down by the creek and let them have a bath,"
said Rose to Violet.

"You don't mean a real bath?"

"No, just make believe."

"All right. Only I think I'll make a boat. Su-San doesn't need a bath.
She had one once when we were at home. But I'll take her along so she
can see the water."

"We'll all go down to the bank of the creek and sit there in the shade
until Daddy and Uncle Fred come back," said Mrs. Bunker. "That will
make the time pass more quickly."

"I hope they bring back the lost cattle," said Rose.

A little later the six little Bunkers were walking with their mother
down toward where a creek flowed through the Three Star Ranch. It was
not a very large one, but it had enough water in it to give hundreds of
cattle a drink when they were thirsty. When the spring went dry the
water from the creek had to be used in the ranch house. But, as Uncle
Fred had told the children, there was a tank full of spring water that
might last until the dry spell had passed.

Russ and Laddie and Vi--Vi keeping Su-San near by--made some boats out
of old pieces of wood they picked up around the ranch house. These boats
they tied strings to, and let float down the creek, pulling them back
from time to time and starting them off on another voyage.

Mrs. Bunker sat on the grassy bank, in the shade of a willow tree, while
Mun Bun and