Curlytops at Uncle Franks Ranch | Page 5

Barton owned a large ranch near Rockville, Montana. He was Mr. Martin's uncle, but Ted and Janet also called him their uncle.
Now that you have met the chief members of the family, and know a little of what has happened to them in the past you may be interested to go back to see what the matter is with Trouble.
His mother turned him over and over in her arms, feeling of him here and there. Trouble had closed his mouth by this time, having changed his mind about crying. Instead he was very still and quiet.
"Trouble, does it hurt you anywhere?" his mother asked him anxiously.
"No," he said. "Not hurt any place. I wants to wide on Teddy's back some more."
"The little tyke!" exclaimed Mrs. Martin with a sigh of relief. "I don't believe he is hurt a bit."
"The stairs are real soft since we put the new carpet on them," remarked Nora.
"They are well padded," agreed Mrs. Martin. "I guess that's what kept him from getting hurt. It was like rolling down a feather bed. But he might have got his arm or leg twisted under him and have broken a bone. How did he happen to fall?"
"We were playing Red Cross nurse," began Janet, "and Ted was a soldier in a tent and--"
"But how could William fall downstairs if you were playing that sort of game?" asked her mother.
"Oh, we weren't playing it then," put in Ted. "We'd changed to another game. I was a wild Western bronco, like those on Uncle Frank's ranch, and I was giving Trouble a ride on my back. I gave a jump when I was near the stairs, and I guess he must have slipped off."
"There isn't any guessing about it--he did slip off," said Mrs. Martin with a smile, as she put Trouble in a chair, having made sure he was not hurt, and that there was no need of telephoning for his father or the doctor. "You must be more careful, Teddy. You might have hurt your little brother."
"Yes'm," Teddy answered. "I won't do it again."
"But we want to play something," put in Janet. "It's no fun being in the house all day."
"I know it isn't. But I think the rain is going to stop pretty soon. If you get your rain-coats and rubbers you may go out for a little while."
"Me go too?" begged Trouble.
"Yes, you may go too," agreed his mother. "You'll all sleep better if you get some fresh air; and it's warm, even if it has been raining."
"Maybe we can take Nicknack and have a ride!" exclaimed Teddy.
"If it stops raining," said his mother.
Ted, Jan and Trouble ran up and down in front of the house while the rain fell softly and the big drops dripped from the trees. Then the clouds broke away, the sun came out, the rain stopped and with shouts and laughter the children ran to the barn next to which, in a little stable of his own, Nicknack, the goat, was kept.
"Come on out, Nicknack!" cried Janet. "You're going to give us a ride!"
And Nicknack did, being hitched to the goat-cart in which there was room and to spare for Janet, Ted and Trouble. Up and down the street in front of their home the Martin children drove their pet goat.
"Whee, this is fun!" cried Ted, as he made Nicknack run downhill with the wagon.
"Oh, Teddy Martin, don't go so fast!" begged Janet.
"I like to go fast!" answered her brother. "I'm going to play Wild West. This is the stage coach and pretty soon the Indians will shoot at us!"
"Teddy Martin! if you're going to do that I'm not going to play!" stormed Janet. "You'll make Trouble fall out and get hurt. Come on, Trouble! Let us get out!" she cried. Nicknack was going quite fast down the hill.
"Wait till we get to the bottom," shouted Ted. "G'lang there, pony!" he cried to the goat.
"Let me out!" screamed Janet, "I want to get out."
At the foot of the hill Teddy stopped the goat and Janet, taking Trouble with her, got out and walked back to the house.
"What's the matter now?" asked Mrs. Martin from the porch where she had come out to get a little fresh air.
"Ted's playing Wild West in the goat-wagon," explained Janet.
"Oh, Ted! Don't be so rough!" begged his mother of her little son, who drove up just then.
"Oh, I'm only playing Indians and stage coach," he said. "You've got to go fast when the Indians are after you!" and away he rode.
"He's awful mean!" declared Janet.
"I don't know what's come over Ted of late," said Mrs. Martin to her husband, who came up the side street just then from his store.
"What's he been doing?" asked Mr. Martin.
"Oh, he's been pretending he was a bucking bronco, like those