His father was to return to the ranch from New York, stopping over at St.Paul, on his way, to buy supplies.

And as the snow was not too deep for sleighing, Whitey drove down to the Junction, with Bill Jordan, to meet Mr.Sherwood.And outside Whitey was all wrapped up in a buffalo coat, and inside he was so warm with excitement that the coat seemed hardly necessary.
Now, of course, Whitey was awfully glad to see his father, and to hear the news about his mother and sisters, and about Tom Johnson, and George and Bobby Smith, and others of his boy friends.

But after he had heard all this there was another thing that naturally came to his mind.

Mr.
Sherwood would not come back to the ranch without bringing Whitey some sort of present, and his father was singularly silent about what this was.

In fact, he had not said anything about it at all.