he corral.

"I just got in myself," said Bud. "Been away two days mending fence.
Had to sleep out one night, and we weren't exactly prepared for it.
But I'm mighty glad you've come! We can have some corking times. I'll
get you ponies that'll be--er--better to ride than Tartar," he said,
substituting the word "better" for that of "safer" which, at first, he
had intended to use.

"That's good!" exclaimed Dick. "I don't claim to be any rider, though
I can stick to the saddle once I land there," and he shot a side glance
at his more impulsive brother.

"Oh, I could 'a' stuck if there'd been a _saddle_," declared Nort.
"That was the trouble. I'll ride Tartar yet!" he cried.

"Better go slow," advised Bud. "But there's mother in the door now,
and I can smell grub. She'll be surprised to see you."

"Who's that girl?" asked Dick, as he noticed one standing beside the
stout, motherly-looking woman in the doorway of the ranch house.

"That's my sister Nell," remarked Bud.

"Nell! Say, she has grown!" cried Nort. "I didn't know she was that
big!"

"Oh, this is a good country for growing up in!" laughed Bud. "Here's
Nort and Dick, Mother!" he called.

"Well, land sakes! I never expected to see _you_ two!" cried Mrs.
Merkel, hastily wiping off her mouth with the corner of her apron,
preparatory to kissing her nephews. "Land! But you've grown!"

"Not any more than Nell!" declared Dick, as he kissed his aunt and girl
cousin, an example gladly followed by Nort. For once the fat lad had
beaten his slim brother to it.

"Why didn't you write? We didn't know you were coming for a month yet!
Where's your trunks? How'd you get here? Come in and wash up and
we'll have supper!"

All this Mrs. Merkel showered on the two "tenderfeet" in a breath, at
the same time fairly "shooing" them into the house as a motherly hen
might direct her chickens toward the feeding coop.

"Oh, we just pulled up stakes and lit out," laughed Nort. "We got
tired of the East. Oh, but it's great here!" he exclaimed, as he
looked back before entering the house, and saw, through the clear air,
the wonderful blue sky, and, in the distance, a range of mountains.
"It's just what I dreamed it would be," he softly murmured.

"Glad you like it! We'll have some swell times!" voiced Bud. "But you
want to get those duds off," he added, as he glanced at his cousin's
clothes.

"We sure do!" declared Nick. "We've got outfits in our trunks.
The