"Oh, have some mercy on the poor beast," put in Ernest. "Think of his having to answer to the name of Calico. Why don't you call him gingham apron or something really choice?" "Allee samee, his name's Calico. If you want to call yours, Star of the Night or Aladdin or something high falutin, you just can." Jane set her lips firmly. She didn't specially care for Calico but she wasn't going to be laughed out of it. "That will do, children, it's time to be off." Dr. Morton suited the action to the word by clucking to the team of bays he drove, and the procession started. They reached the station in good time. Both Ernest and Chicken Little wanted to stay on their mounts and dash up beside the train, but their father forbade it. "Those ponies have never been properly introduced to an engine, and I don't wish to take you back in baskets. You can show off sufficiently going home." So the ponies were left with the teams at a safe distance from the railroad. The train was twenty minutes late and it seemed an age to Chicken Little. "I don't see why you always have to wait for nice things, while the unpleasant ones come along without ever being asked," she complained. "What about the ponies? Do you class them with the unpleasant things?" queried her father. "But here comes the train." Jane watched it puff in with a roar and a rattle and sundry bangs, her eyes strained for the first glimpse of Katy and Gertie, Alice and Dick. She really didn't know which one she wanted to see worst. "Bet Sherm will be the first one out," said Ernest. "Bet you Katy will!" But it was Dick who hailed them first, before he turned to help down the little girls. Alice came next, with Sherm who was still rather bashful, bringing up the rear loaded down with satchels and lunch baskets. Katy and Gertie fell upon Chicken Little instantly and Alice had to embrace the whole bunch, because they kept on hugging and kissing Jane, laughing hysterically. "Here, where do I come in?" Dick rescued Jane from her friends and gave her a resounding smack himself. After which he held up his hands and exclaimed: "Say, Doctor Morton, what do you feed these infants on to make them grow so fast? Jane's a half head taller than either Katie or Gertie and we thought Sherm would surely top Ernest. In fact, we had our money on him to beat any of your mushroom Kansas effects, but Holy Smoke, I have to look up to Ernest myself." Alice and Katie and Gertie were looking at Jane's riding habit, Gertie in considerable alarm. "We don't have to ride to the ranch on horseback, do we?" Before the doctor could reassure them, Frank replied gravely: "Of course, what did you expect in Kansas? We've brought six horses and we thought two of the girls could ride in front of Dick and myself. It's only nine miles and the horses don't gallop all the way." The girls looked panic-stricken, even Alice seemed a little dazed, Frank was so very plausible. Dick helped him on delightfully.