The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle; Or, The Girl Miner of Gold Run

wlinson, the head cowboy, assisted pleasantly. The latter introduced them to several oth

f the bunk houses which, with their rude wooden cots built into the side of the walls, their scanty and rather severe furnit

ess Andy himself took a part, and the girls gasped with dismay and later with admiration as the boy ran alongside a vicious looking ani

ried Amy, clutching Betty in terr

ntly, beside herself with excitement. "Don't you s

er grit and skill and dauntless courage

opped so suddenly that the man was almost flung over his lowered head and the girls held their breath, but Andy recovered himself and touching the spurs to the beast's belly,

his back had maddened him past bearing, he began to buck and to plunge and to rear himself on his hind legs in a desperate ef

'S BACK AS THOUGH HE

irls in the S

that horse's back as though he had been a part of him, and when the outraged beast tried to thr

inny of pain. Then it jumped high in the air, and once more began its furious ra

eaten, would have stopped he dug the spurs in and drove him on, on, until

ything hurt, shouted to Andy Rawlinso

e cried. "You've beaten

flung himself from his mount, while the beautiful

ulted the low railing and approached t

warm impulsiveness. "I never saw finer riding.

t he looked at Betty

mpressions you get sometimes. Now I kind o' thought you was mad

ained gravely. "He was game, as you say, and

t her with admiring app

for the sake of the hoss. A hoss that's a bad actor is mighty like a mad dog. It has to be killed-or broke. So we break 'em. But now," h

rly while Andy called to some of the cowb

will you, Jake?" he said to one of

corraled the four horses Andy had selected an

k of white upon him anywhere. He and Betty seemed to form a mutual admiration society on the instant, for with a gentle whinny he cantered up to the girl and began nosing inquisitivel

le. "You and I are going to be great little pals, aren't we? You perfec

which they had all been enjoyably regarding the little sce

her," laughed Mollie, and promptly turned h

te filly with whom Amy

ank while the latter turned her dainty head and regarded the girl ou

the horse called Nabob, who was, by a strange coinci

his?" she cried, turning joyfully to Andy Rawlinson w

a grin, "seems like you a

taken immediately to the sorrel, who had apparently been given no name. He was a skittis

ing eyes and nervously twitching ears. "I don't like 'em too tame, old boy. And by the way," she added, s

g. They had brought their riding tags in preparation for their summer in the saddle, and when they had slipped into the tight breeches, and

ranch on their splendid mounts, the ranc

hen Andy said they was four girls comin' from the city to visit us I was plumb skeered. But

de that evening for they were out of practice and they k

n Andy Rawlinson was with them as guide and protector. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson rode, too, but, not being as stren

a little tired of Andy's chaperonage, and at Moll

icked a fly from Old Nick's side, thereby causing him to shy wildly. "We know our way about a

like to have Andy around all the time, any more than you do, Mollie, but I'm no

and as Amy and Grace seemed for once to be of her mind, Betty

re their mounts were tethered at the edge of the woodland. And oh, what a glorious s

fear of losing their path and they urged their horses to

k of clouds and the wind was rising threateningly. And so they were caught fair

driving rain and moaning wind? They checked th

t seemed to be the outline of a little shed

ng and tying Nigger to a tree a little off the path. "Mayb

nock, then paused uncertainly, her hand uplifted. For above the beat of the rain and the shrill whine of the wind came a strain of music, mournful,

" Betty murmured, then rapped ge