going to ride
around the barn and ranch buildings, as they had done before, said
nothing to them.

But Ted was no sooner in the saddle than he turned to his sister and
said:

"Jan, why can't we go riding the trail after the Indians?"

"What! We two alone?"

"Yes. We know the way over to the rocks where we found Clipclap in the
cave, and from there we can ride farther on, just like daddy and Uncle
Frank. Come on!"

Janet thought for a minute. She wanted to go as much as did Teddy. It
did not seem very wrong.

"Well, we'll ride a little way," she said. "But we've got to come back
before dark."

"All right," agreed Teddy. "We will!"

And the Curlytops rode away over the prairie.

CHAPTER XVIII

LOST

Clipclap and Star Face, the two sturdy little ponies, trotted bravely
along, carrying Teddy and Janet on their backs. The ponies did not
wonder where they were going--they hardly ever did that. They were
satisfied to go wherever their master or mistress guided them, for they
knew the children would be good to them.

"Do you s'pose we'll find any Indians?" asked Janet after a while.

"Maybe," answered Teddy. "Are you scared?"

"No," replied his sister slowly. "I was just thinking maybe we could
find 'em, and get back Uncle Frank's horses, even if the cowboys
didn't."

"Maybe we could!" cried Teddy. "That would be _great_! Wouldn't daddy be
surprised!"

"And Uncle Frank, too!" added Janet.

"Yes, and the cowboys! Then they'd think we could ride all right!" went
on Ted. "Come on, let's hurry! Gid-dap!" he called to Clipclap.

"Where are we going first?" asked Janet.

"To the rocks, where we found my pony in the cave," answered her
brother, as he patted the little animal on the neck. "The cowboy said he
saw the Indians near there."

"Maybe they're hiding in the cave," suggested Janet.

"No, they wouldn't do that," Teddy decided, after thinking it over
awhile. "They'd be afraid to stay so near Uncle Frank's ranch. Anyhow
the cave isn't big enough."

"It was big enough for Clipclap."

"Yes, but he's a little pony. Anyhow, we'll look in the cave and then
we'll ride on along the trail until we catch up to daddy and Uncle
Frank."

"What'll they say?"

"I guess they'll be s'prised."

"Maybe they'll make us go back."

"Well, if they do we'll have some fun, anyhow," said Teddy, laughing.
"Gid-dap, Clipclap."

"It's a good thing we've two ponies instead of one goat," remarked
Janet, after t