And there was no doubt about it. As the group of riders came closer
to the children, whose ponies did not go as fast as the larger
horses, it was seen that they were indeed Indians, many of them
wrapped in blankets. There were men, women, boys and girls, and some
of the smaller children were carried wrapped tightly to their
mothers' backs.

Tip to the ranch rode Teddy and Jan as fast as their ponies would
take them without tossing off the Curlytops.

"Oh, Uncle Frank!" cried Teddy. "They 're coming!"

"A lot of 'em!" shouted Janet.

"What's that?" asked the ranchman. "Who are coming?"

"Indians to take more of your ponies!" Teddy gasped.

For a time there was some little excitement on the ranch, until one
of the cowboys, riding out to see the Indians, came back and said
they were not "wild" ones, but a band that went about selling baskets
and other things they made. They did no harm, and for a time camped
near the ranch, the children, even Trouble, going over to see them.
But for some time the Curlytops did not forget the fright their first
view of the Indians gave them.

In the days that followed Teddy and Janet had many rides on Clipclap
and Star Face, their two nice ponies. Sometimes they were allowed to
go a little way over the prairies by themselves. But when they went
for a long ride Uncle Frank, Jim Mason, their father or some of the