Water is not very plentiful on the prairies. In fact, it is so scarce that often men and horses get very thirsty. But the Curlytops were lucky in finding a spring among the rocks on Ring Rosy Ranch. It was not a very large spring, and it was well hidden among the big stones, which, is, perhaps, why it was not visited by many of the ponies and cattle. They come in large numbers to every water-hole they can find.
Jan and Ted, having come out of the dark cave-like hole, where the poor, sick pony lay, began their search for water, and, as I have said, they were lucky in finding some.
It was Jan who discovered it. As the Curlytops were running about among the rocks the little girl stopped suddenly and called:
"Hark, Teddy!"
"What is it?" he asked.
"I hear water dripping," she answered. "It's over this way."
She went straight to the spring, following the sound of the dripping water, and found where it bubbled up in a split in the rock. The water fell into a little hollow, rocky basin and there was enough for Ted and his sister to fill their hats. First they each took a drink themselves, though, for the day was warm.
Their hats were of felt, and would hold water quite well. And as the hats were old ones, which had been worn in the rain more than once, dipping them into the spring would not hurt them.
"I guess the pony'll be awful glad to get a drink," said Jan to her brother.
"I guess he will," he answered, as he walked along looking carefully where he put down his feet, for he did not want to stumble and spill the water in his hat.
"Look out!" exclaimed Janet, as her brother came too close to her. "If you bump against me and make my arm jiggle you'll spill my hatful."
"I'll be careful," said Teddy.
They spilled some of the water, for their hats were not as good as pails in which to carry the pony's drink. But they managed to get to the cave with most of it.
"You can give him the first drink," said Teddy to his sister. "I found him, and he's my pony, but you can give him the first drink."
Janet felt that this was kind on Teddy's part, but still she did not quite like what he said about the pony.
"Is he going to be all yours?" she asked.
"Well, didn't I find him?''
"Yes, but when I found a penny once and bought a lollypop, I gave you half of it."
"Yes, you did," admitted Teddy, thinking of that time. "But I can't give you half the pony, can I?"
"No, I guess not. But you could let me ride on him."
"Oh, I'll do that!" exclaimed Teddy quickly. He was thinking it would be a hard matter to divide a live pony in half.
"Course I'll let you ride on him!" he went on. "We'll get Uncle Frank to let us have a saddle and some of the cowboys can teach us to ride. And I'll let you feed and water him as much as you like. I'm going to call him Clipclap."
"That's a funny name," remarked Janet.
"It's how his feet sound when he runs," explained Teddy. "Don't you know—clip-clap, clip-clap!" and he imitated the sound of a pony as best he could.
"Oh, yes!" exclaimed Janet. "They do go that way."
"I haven't heard this one run," added Teddy, "'cause he's sick and he can't gallop. But I guess his feet would make that sound, so I'm going to call him Clipclap."
"It's a nice name," agreed Janet. "But I guess we better give him a drink now. He must be awful thirsty."
"He is," said Teddy. "Hear him groan?"
The pony was again making a noise that did sound like a groan. He must be in pain the children thought.
"Go on—give him your drink, Janet," urged Teddy. "Then I'll give him mine."
Janet was afraid no longer. She went into the cave ahead of her brother, and as the pony was lying down Janet had to kneel in front of him with her hat full of water—no, it was not full, for some had spilled out, but there was still a little in it.
The pony smelled the water when Janet was yet a little way from him, and raised his head and part of his body by his forefeet. Though clear, cold water has no smell to us, animals can smell it sometimes a long way off, and can find their way to it when their masters would not know where to go for a drink.
"Oh, see how glad he is to get it!" exclaimed Janet, as the pony eagerly sucked up from her hat the water in it. The little animal drank very fast, as if he had been without water a long while.
"Now give him yours, Teddy," Janet called to her brother, and he kneeled down and let the pony drink from his hat.
"I guess he wants more," Janet said as the sick animal sucked up the last drops from Teddy's hat. "It wasn't very much."
"We'll get more!" Teddy decided. "Then we'll go for a doctor."
"Where'll we find one?" Janet asked.
"I know where to find him," Teddy answered.
Once more the children went back to the spring and again they filled their soft hats. And once more the pony greedily drank up the last drops of water. As he finished that in Ted's hat he dropped back again and stretched out as if very tired.
"Oh, I hope he doesn't die!" exclaimed Janet.
"So do I," added her brother. "I'd like to have a ride on him when he gets well. Come on, we'll go find the doctor."
Shaking the water drops from their hats the Curlytops put them on and went out of the cave into the sunlight. Led by Teddy, Janet followed to the top of the pile of rocks.
"Do you see that white house over there?" asked Teddy, pointing to one down the road that led past the buildings of Ring Rosy Ranch.
"Yes, I see it," Janet answered.
"That's the place where the doctor lives," went on Ted.
"How do you know?" demanded Janet.
"'Cause I heard Uncle Frank say so. Mother asked where a doctor lived, and Uncle Frank showed her that white house. I was on the porch and I heard him. He said if ever we needed a doctor we only had to go there and Doctor Bond would come right away. He's the only doctor around here."
"Then we'd better get him for our pony Clipclap!" exclaimed Janet. "Come on, Teddy."
"If we had our goat-wagon we could ride," said the little boy, as they walked along over the prairie together. "But I guess we've got to walk now."
"Is it very far?" asked Janet.
"No, not very far. I've never been there, but you can easy see it."
Truly enough the white house of Doctor Bond was in plain sight, but on the prairies the air is so clear that distant houses look nearer than they really are.
So, though Ted and Janet thought they would be at the doctor's in about ten minutes, they were really half an hour in reaching the place. They saw the doctor's brass sign on his house.
"I hope he's in," said Teddy.
As it happened Doctor Bond was in, and he came to the door himself when Teddy rang the bell, Mrs. Bond being out in the chicken part of the yard.
"Well, children, what can I do for you?" asked Doctor Bond with a pleasant smile, as he saw the Curlytops on his porch.
"If you please," began Teddy, "will you come and cure Clipclap?"
"Will I come and cure him? Well, I will do my best. I can't be sure I'll cure him, though, until I know what the matter is. What seems to be the trouble?"
"He's awful sick," said Janet, "and he groans awful."
"Hum! He must have some pain then."
"We gave him some cold water," added Teddy.
"Yes? Well, maybe that was a good thing and maybe it wasn't. I can't tell until I see him. Who did you say it was?"
"Clipclap," replied Teddy.
"Your little brother?"
"No, sir. He's a pony and he's in a cave!" exclaimed Teddy.
"What? A pony?" cried the surprised doctor. "In a cave?"
"Yes," went on Janet. "We gave him water in our hats, and he's going to be Ted's and mine 'cause Ted found him. But will you please come and cure him so we can have a ride on him? Don't let him die."
"Well," exclaimed Doctor Bond, smiling in a puzzled way at the children, "I don't believe I can come. I don't know anything about curing sick ponies. You need a horse doctor for that."
Ted and Janet looked at one another, not knowing what to say.
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