"Oh, dear! Father and Nails have gone!" exclaimed Horace as he
counted the ponies in the corral while the others were unsaddling.
"Now we can't go with them. I was afraid that was what father
intended when he didn't wait for us."

"But Buster and Blackhawk are here, and there is one more pony than
before," returned Larry.

"That doesn't prove anything. Ned told me Nails brought in three
extra ponies with him," said Bill.

"Then you have known all the time that father and Nails were gone
and never told us?" demanded Horace.

"It was because I didn't know for certain where they had gone that
I said nothing," replied his brother. "Ned was away when they
arrived and departed. Here comes mother; you can find out from
her."

After returning Mrs. Wilder's greetings and giving her a brief
account of the trip, Horace asked:

"How long have father and Nails been gone? I think it was mean of
them to give us the slip like that."

"But they haven't gone to the hills yet," returned his mother.
"Your father has ridden over to the Three Stars and Nails has gone
to Tolopah."