I like to have you here!" said Uncle Fred. "Three Star Ranch
would be lonesome if the six little Bunkers went away. Just stay on, and
maybe we'll solve the riddle yet."

They were just going in to dinner, when a cowboy rode up on a pony that
was covered with foam, from having been ridden far and fast.

"What's the matter?" asked Uncle Fred, as he went out to talk to the
man--for cowboys are men, though they are called boys. "Are any more of
my cattle gone?"

"No, but they're likely to be. There's a big prairie fire started some
miles south of here, and the wind is blowing it right this way. We've
got to do something if we want to save the ranch houses from burning!"

CHAPTER XVII

A CATTLE STAMPEDE

"What's that?" cried Uncle Fred. "A prairie fire?"

"Yes, and a bad one, too," answered the man. "I saw it when I was
bringing in those steers you told me to get ready to ship away on the
train. I just left them, knowing they'd keep out of danger, and rode as
fast as I could to tell you."

"That's right! Glad you did!" exclaimed Uncle Fred. "Now we must get to
work right away to stop the fire from burning us out. Come on, boys!" he
called. "Where's Captain Roy?"

"Here I am!" cried the former soldier, as he came out of the dining-room
where he had been helping Margy and Mun Bun get up in their chairs,
ready to eat. "What's the matter?"

"Prairie fire!" answered Uncle Fred. "We've got to stop it coming any
farther this way, or it may burn all our ranch buildings down! No time
for dinner now! We've got to fight the fire!"

"Can I help?" asked Russ eagerly.

"I want to just the same as him!" added Laddie.

"No, you boys must keep out of the way," answered Daddy Bunker. "I'll go
and help Fred," he said to his wife. "You'll have to keep the children
with you."

"I will," answered Mrs. Bunker.

"Oh, you don't need to do that," said Uncle Fred. "The fire is not near
us yet, and if we can plow a wide strip of ground in time, the fire will
come to the edge of that and stop. The older children can stand out of
the way and watch the plowing, if they like."

"Can we see the fire, too?" asked Russ.

"Yes. Though you can't go very close," his uncle answered. "Let them
have a look," he added to Daddy Bunker. "It isn't every day they see a
prairie fire, and they'll never forget it. There will be no danger to
them."

"All right," said Daddy Bunker. "Russ and Laddie and Violet and Rose
may go to watch the plow