ty appetite that spurred him to be on time.

At any rate, the Bunkers left Chief Black Bear sitting cross-legged
before a low table on which the Indian women were serving his dinner,
beginning with soup and from that going on through all the courses of a
properly served meal.

"Funny fellow, that Black Bear," said Cowboy Jack to Mr. Bunker. "But
maybe he's got it right. I was brought up pretty nice--silverware and
finger-bowls, and all that sort of do-dads; but part of my life I've
lived pretty rough. Black Bear has set himself a certain standard of
living, and he's not going to slip back. Afraid of being a 'blanket
Indian,' I suppose."

The children--even Russ and Rose--did not understand all this; but they
had been much interested in Chief Black Bear.

"Only, I don't see why he paints up in the daytime and rides such wild
ponies, and all that," grumbled Rose, who, like Russ, did not like to be
mystified.

Whenever they tried to ask the older folks to explain the mystery they
were laughed at. It was Cowboy Jack's mystery, anyway, and Mr. and Mrs.
Bunker did not feel that they had a right to explain to the children all
that they wished to know.

"Figure it out for yourselves," said Daddy Bunker.

"Is it a riddle, then?" demanded Laddie. "It must be a riddle. Why does
Chief Black Bear paint his face, and--and----"

"And take it off with cold cream?" put in Vi. "Why _does_ he?"

"I guess that's the riddle," said her twin. "You answer it, Vi."

But although Vi could ask innumerable questions on all sorts of subjects
she seldom was able to answer one--and certainly not this one Laddie
propounded.

Next morning while the six little Bunkers were at the big breakfast
table in Cowboy Jack's ranch house there again arose a considerable
disturbance outside in front of the house. This time the children were
pretty well over their meal, and they grew so excited that Mother Bunker
allowed them to be excused.

Russ and Rose led the way out upon the veranda. There stood two of the
smiling Mexican houseboys--"cholos," Cowboy Jack called them--and they
bade the Bunker children a very pleasant good morning. Russ and Rose
did not forget their manners, and they replied in kind. But the four
smaller children just whooped when they saw what had brought the
Mexicans to the front of the big house.

One of the men led two saddled ponies while the other held another fat
pony that drew a brightly painted cart with seats in it and