They went to the spring amid the rocks and there began the search. Over the prairie the riders spread out like a big fan, looking everywhere for the lost ones. And when they were not found in about an hour Baldy said:
"Well, there's just a chance that their ponies took them to Silver Creek."
"Where's that?" asked Mrs. Martin.
"It's a stream of water quite a way off," Baldy answered. "It isn't on our ranch, and we don't very often go there. But if the Curlytops' ponies were thirsty in the night they might go to Silver Creek, even if Jan and Ted didn't want them to. I think the ponies went the nearest way to water."
"Then let us go that way!" cried Mrs. Martin.
Meanwhile Teddy and Janet had awakened. They could look right into the strange valley through which flowed Silver Creek, though they did not then know its name.
"And look what a lot of horses!" cried Janet.
"And cows!" added her brother. "I wonder whose they are?"
"Oh, I guess they live on some ranch," Janet said. "Now if we can find the ranch house we'll be all right."
"We'll look for it," suggested Teddy. "But first we've got to have breakfast. If I had a match I could make a fire and boil some coffee."