s he carried. "But how can you give medicine to a horse,
Jim? You can't put it on his tongue, can you?"

"No, but I've got a long-necked bottle on purpose for that, and it's
easy to pour it out of that bottle down a pony's throat. You mix up the
dose, Doc, and I'll give it to the little animal."

This was done, but the Curlytops were not allowed in the cave when the
men were working over the pony. But, in a little while, the foreman and
Doctor Bond came out.

"Well, I guess your pony will get better," said the physician. "Jim gave
him the medicine that will get the poison out of him, and in a day or so
he'll be able to walk. But you'll have to leave him in the cave until
then."

"Can't we take him home?" Teddy cried.

"Oh, no!" exclaimed the foreman. "But I'll send one of the men over with
some straw to make him a soft bed, and we'll see that he has water to
drink. He won't want anything to eat until he gets better. The doctor
will come to see him to-morrow. Won't you?" he went on to Doctor Bond.

"Indeed I will!" promised the doctor, for he had taken a great liking to
the Curlytops.

"Whose pony is it?" asked Daddy Martin.

"It's mine!" exclaimed Teddy quickly. "Mine and Jan's. We found him and
his name's Clipclap."

"Well, that's a good name for a pony," said his father. "But still I
don't know that you can claim every pony you find. This one may belong
to Uncle Frank."

"No, it isn't one of my brand," said the owner of Ring Rosy Ranch.
"It's a strange pony that must have wandered into this cave after he
found he was poisoned. I reckon the poor thing thought he'd die in
there, and maybe he would if the children hadn't found him."

"He couldn't have lived much longer without attention," said Doctor
Bond.

"Then did we save his life?" asked Teddy.

"You did, by getting the doctor in time," answered his father.

"Then can't he be our pony?" asked the little boy.

"Yes, I guess he can," answered Uncle Frank. "If nobody comes to claim
him you children may have him. And if anyone does come after him I'll
give you another. I was going to give you each a pony, anyhow, as soon
as you got used to the ranch, and I'll do it. If Ted wants to keep
Clipclap, as he calls him, I'll give Janet another."

"Oh, won't I just love him!" cried the little girl.

"And I'll love Clipclap!" said Teddy.

There was nothing more that could be done just then for the sick pony,
so the Curlytops and the others left him in the c