The Curlytops at Uncle Frank's Ranch or Little Folks on Ponyback   By: Howard Roger Garis (1873-1962)

HOWARD R. GARIS

[Illustration: "YOU'VE GOT TO GROAN AND PRETEND YOU'VE BEEN SHOT." The Curlytops at Uncle Frank's Ranch Page 7 ]

THE CURLYTOPS AT UNCLE FRANK'S RANCH

OR

Little Folks on Ponyback

BY

HOWARD R. GARIS

AUTHOR OF "THE CURLYTOPS SERIES," "BEDTIME STORIES," "UNCLE WIGGILY SERIES," ETC.

Illustrations by JULIA GREENE

NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY

THE CURLYTOPS SERIES

By HOWARD R. GARIS

12mo. Cloth. Illustrated.

THE CURLYTOPS AT CHERRY FARM Or, Vacation Days in the Country

THE CURLYTOPS ON STAR ISLAND Or, Camping Out With Grandpa

THE CURLYTOPS SNOWED IN Or, Grand Fun With Skates and Sleds

THE CURLYTOPS AT UNCLE FRANK'S RANCH Or, Little Folks on Ponyback

CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, New York

COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY

THE CURLYTOPS AT UNCLE FRANK'S RANCH

Printed in U. S. A.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I TROUBLE'S TUMBLE 1

II NICKNACK AND TROUBLE 13

III OFF FOR THE WEST 28

IV THE COLLISION 40

V AT RING ROSY RANCH 55

VI COWBOY FUN 63

VII BAD NEWS 72

VIII A QUEER NOISE 87

IX THE SICK PONY 101

X A SURPRISED DOCTOR 114

XI TROUBLE MAKES A LASSO 122

XII THE BUCKING BRONCO 140

XIII MISSING CATTLE 153

XIV LOOKING FOR INDIANS 167

XV TROUBLE "HELPS" 175

XVI ON THE TRAIL 189

XVII THE CURLYTOPS ALONE 196

XVIII LOST 209

XIX THE HIDDEN VALLEY 222

XX BACK TO RING ROSY 237

THE CURLYTOPS AT UNCLE FRANK'S RANCH

CHAPTER I

TROUBLE'S TUMBLE

"Say, Jan, this isn't any fun!"

"What do you want to play then, Ted?"

Janet Martin looked at her brother, who was dressed in one of his father's coats and hats while across his nose was a pair of spectacles much too large for him. Janet, wearing one of her mother's skirts, was sitting in a chair holding a doll.

"Well, I'm tired of playing doctor, Jan, and giving your make believe sick doll bread pills. I want to do something else," and Teddy began taking off the coat, which was so long for him that it dragged on the ground.

"Oh, I know what we can do that'll be lots of fun!" cried Janet, getting up from the chair so quickly that she forgot about her doll, which fell to the floor with a crash that might have broken her head.

"Oh, my dear !" cried Janet, as she had often heard her mother call when Baby William tumbled and hurt himself. "Oh, are you hurt?" and Janet clasped the doll in her arms, and hugged it as though it were a real child.

"Is she busted?" Ted demanded, but he did not ask as a real doctor might inquire. In fact, he had stopped playing doctor.

"No, she isn't hurt, I guess," Jan answered, feeling of her doll's head. "I forgot all about her being in my lap. Oh, aren't you going to play any more, Ted?" she asked as she saw her brother toss the big coat on a chair and take off the spectacles.

"No. I want to do something else. This is no fun!"

"Well, let's make believe you're sick and I can be a Red Cross nurse, like some of those we saw in the drugstore window down the street, making bandages for the soldiers. You could be a soldier, Ted, and I could be the nurse, and I'd make some sugar pills for you, if you don't like the rolled up bread ones you gave my doll."

Teddy Martin thought this over for a few seconds. He seemed to like it. And then he shook his head.