ad, vine-covered piazza of the ranch hous

ne from home," exclaimed the latter as

u'd brought your father and mother with you. W

e brothers

r. "I'm real glad, though of course it isn't as though your father needed

to be afraid we would be obliged to go, and we should have if the telegram had bee

something seemed to urge me to ride in the other morning, and when I arrived Con Brown hollered to me

ed Bill. "Come on in and change your du

moke, despite their ride over the plains, as the brothers seized their

your advice not t

u don't have to put on a collar from one week's end to another. But if you had brought a lot of

ow her son had taken such effective measures to prevent his being obli

rtable. Around three sides ran the piazza, from which French windows, extending f

e house, and through the vines they could look across th

d Bill. "We'll wait there till you are d

had traveled, and bathed, glad of the opportunity to remo

they lived in Bramley," observed Tom when

the only change I can see," returned his brother. "Horac

l as Tom and Larry appeared with the ligh

except, of course, our straw hats. You don't

you'd get sunstruck out on the plains.

azza Tom espied a five-bar fence ab

friend's gaze. "We don't keep our ponies in barns out here. The horses

the boys walked toward a long b

this part of the country, but they are a lively lot. It's a good thing they are with the cattle. You'll have a chance to ge

is experience at the crossing in Oklahoma. But

the younger of the Alden boys as he caught sight o

is indeed fortunate the boys are awa

a half-moon because this is the Half-Moon Ranch. When any of our ponies or cattle go a

put it on?

ou can stay till fall, when we have a round-

life, the two brothers decided to use their ey

line of bunks built in two tiers against the wall opposite the door. A big stove

e wagon sheds, which contained three or

ll. "She doesn't like to ride, bu

ich pegs had been driven. "You want to remember them, especially when the

declared Tom and

d our ponies in the

always insists that each man put his pony in the corral himself

orses when you want t

o

the quickest way is to take some oats in a pan," declared Horace. "We

m. That makes me think, I've saved a couple of dandy lariats for you. Cross-eyed Pete, one of our boys, made

to learn?" i

we came out. We can do pretty well. But you ought to see Cross-eyed Pete! He's the best of

ssoes, however, Mrs. Wilder call

man, clad in white, glided noiselessly into the room and

Larry and this is Mr.

ask you to do,

s cook, washman and g

bowed gravely to

be careful what you ask Hop Joy to do. If you disturb him w

the boys try to steal his doughnuts. Um-m, but Hop can make doughnuts! You tw

p Joy, eh?" answered Mr. Wilder, smiling. "I've often wondere

oked had subsided Mrs. Wilder as

s were related, and when Larry finished the account

have been making fun

seems to

e are not many men, let alone lads, who can say t

to be surprised as th

now him?" q

ad man. He hasn't done an honest day's work for five years. People say he is a train robber, and I've always believed he was a cattle thief, too. F

der's suspicions, they we

y recalled to the boys that they had enti

f the timid German boy at the same ti

as not lessened whe

Did you call him? Did

'm afraid I have imposed on your kindness, but I asked Bill and Horace to let the German boy come to your ran

om, as though unwilling his brother should

e. "Tolopah wouldn't agree with him very well. We've plenty of room and perhaps

have the matter settled so pleasantly, an

m and Larry were initiated into the mysteries of throwing a lasso. T