ey went to the spring amid the rocks and there began the search. Over
the prairie the riders spread out like a big fan, looking everywhere for
the lost ones. And when they were not found in about an hour Baldy said:

"Well, there's just a chance that their ponies took them to Silver
Creek."

"Where's that?" asked Mrs. Martin.

"It's a stream of water quite a way off," Baldy answered. "It isn't on
our ranch, and we don't very often go there. But if the Curlytops'
ponies were thirsty in the night they might go to Silver Creek, even if
Jan and Ted didn't want them to. I think the ponies went the nearest way
to water."

"Then let us go that way!" cried Mrs. Martin.

Meanwhile Teddy and Janet had awakened. They could look right into the
strange valley through which flowed Silver Creek, though they did not
then know its name.

"And look what a lot of horses!" cried Janet.

"And cows!" added her brother. "I wonder whose they are?"

"Oh, I guess they live on some ranch," Janet said. "Now if we can find
the ranch house we'll be all right."

"We'll look for it," suggested Teddy. "But first we've got to have
breakfast. If I had a match I could make a fire and boil some coffee."

"Let's not bother with breakfast," suggested Janet. "I'm not very
hungry. And if we find the ranch house we can get something to eat
there. Come on, Teddy."

They got a drink at the stream, and then, rolling up what food was left
in the blanket, they got on their ponies and rode away, going around the
valley instead of into it, for Teddy saw that hills closed it at the far
end.

"There's no ranch house in that valley," he said.

The Curlytops had not ridden far before Janet, who had gone a little
ahead of Teddy, cried:

"Oh, look! Here come some cowboys!"

"I guess they belong to this ranch--the one where we saw the ponies and
cows," replied Teddy, as he saw a number of horsemen riding toward them.
The horsemen began to whoop and shout, and their horses ran very fast
toward the Curlytops.

"There's a lady with 'em," remarked Janet.

"They seem awful glad to meet us," went on Teddy. "Look, they're wavin'
their hats."

And so the cowboys were. When the riders came a little nearer Teddy and
Janet rubbed their eyes in surprise.

"Why--why!" Teddy exclaimed. "There's our own Baldy!"

"And there's mother!" fairly shouted Janet. "Oh, Mother! Mother!" she
cried. "Oh, how glad I am!" and she made Star Face run toward the lady
on horseback