"No, I only get de eggs," promised Baby William.

"And please don't lasso them, or you'll break them," put in Aunt
Millie; but Janet thought her "eyes laughed," as she later told Teddy.

"No more lasso?" asked Trouble, looking at the rope his aunt had
taken from the rooster's long neck.

"No more lasso!" exclaimed Mrs. Barton, trying not to smile, for the
sight of the rooster, caught the way he had been, made even the older
folks want to laugh. Ted and Janet did laugh, but they did not let
Trouble see them. If he had he might have thought he had done
something smart or cute, and he would try it over again the first
chance he had. So they had to pretend to be sharp with him. The
rooster was not hurt by being lassoed.

Afterward Trouble told how he did it. With the slip-noose of the
rope in one hand and holding the rope's end in the other, Baby
William walked quietly up behind the rooster and tossed the loop over
its head. Then he pulled it tight and started to run, as he had seen
the cow ponies galloping to pull down a horse or steer that needed to
be branded or marked with the sign of the Ring Rosy Ranch. The
rooster was very tame, often eating out of Aunt Millie's hand, so he
was not afraid to let Trouble come up quite close to him.

One day, about a week after the Curlytops had found Clipclap in the
cave, Jim Mason said he thought the pony was well enough to be
ridden. Clipclap was brought out in the yard and Teddy and Janet went
up to him.