"Oh, don't let's wait," protested Horace. "We can saddle up and go
and meet them. I'll make my pony dance and perhaps that will scare
Hans so he won't care to go."

"All right," laughed Mr. Wilder. "Bring up the ponies. Get
Buster for me."

Running to the wagon shed, the boys gathered the saddles, bridles,
some oats and pans and started for the corral.

Opening the big gate, they entered, closed it and then threw their
saddles on the ground.

"Always close the gate before you start to get your ponies,"
instructed Bill. "Sometimes they cut up, and if they get out onto
the prairie it's the old Harry of a job to catch them again.

"Now put your oats in your pans. Watch Horace and me and you'll
see what to do."

When they had prepared the oat bait, the two Wilder boys began to
beat on the pans, calling Buster and the other ponies by name.

The animals, which were at the farther end of the corral browsing,
lifted their heads and then came trotting toward them, halting
about ten feet away.

"Swish your pans so they can hear the oats," whispered Bill.