The Adventure Girls at K Bar O

between yawns as she stumbled from the tent with Car

t beside the campfire. Jim who had been on his knees poking at the ashes to stir the flames to life got up s

proposed. "Evidently they a

of 'em?" one of the new ar

plied with a serious frown

head, I reckon," Lem

" Virginia murmured. "Why did you l

e border," Lem's partner answered. "

have seen them," Virginia said again and

in' farther," Lem sai

have a bite of breakfa

old snack from our saddle bags. We want to

m sang out as the p

s asked as she, with Ga

ed. "Rustlers stole close to a hundred ca

the cattle up this way,

this way. I hope they catch 'em," Virginia said

getting breakfast ready. Whatever thoughts they m

Bar O and other ranches was coming to a head. Rustlers had been busy too long. Now the ranchers were acting. Instead of going to the ranch for safety from rustlers and bandits, it seemed that the girls were running in

ll again and they could travel at an increased pace. Now there was an undisguised desire to get back to the ranch house prevalent with all of them. Things were undoubtedly happening there and the girls wanted t

nd went off by herself to draw. Gale had not unsad

ginia laughed when Gale started out.

er. Gale was the sort of person who is not dependent upon other people. She could spend a whole day by herself and not be bored with her own company. She couldn't see why some people had to always travel with a crowd, always have a lot of

at plain stretched out to the right while on the left was a forest of cottonwoods and fir trees. There was a narrow trail leading down from her position on the crest of the hill through the woods and she urged her

hool. The next year they started college. As yet the girls had not firmly decided on the school to which they would go after high school days. They were concerned now with ideas of what to do and be when they were finally all through with school. They all firmly resolved that they wanted careers, but just what those careers were to be was a little undecided. Of course it was understood that Val w

asm and ardor she didn't reckon with the long, tedious hours the doctor devotes to his patients, nor the fact that he has little free time for himself. Then, too, she would like to be a sculptor. She liked to model things in clay and she was sure she could chisel interesting things from marble if given the chance. She sighed and urged her horse along a little faster. It was really quite a problem deciding what to be. At any ra

t into an open clearing, rain began pouring down. She could not hope to get back to camp before the worst of the storm broke. If this heavy downpour continued, she would be drenched in a minute. Wildly she looked about for shelter of

room--there was only one--was empty of all but its meager furnishings, a table and two makeshift chairs standing before the fireplace. A saddle and rifle lay in one corner. On the table were a few

but nevertheless they would be fuming with disgust. It was no pleasure camping out when it rained. She looked up at the gray skies, impatient to be off and away from this cabin that filled her with that strange, unreasonable fear. Why should she feel fear the moment she stepped into the place? There was no one here. Not a thing to frighten her. Yet she was filled with a strange uneasiness. Evidentl

herself again sternly. Most likely this cabin had been deserted for a long time. But when she picked up the rifle she knew that wasn't so. The rifle was clean and recently oiled. Too, it was loaded. It was the same make rifle as

d been and looked about wildly for a means of escape. Were they close enough to see her if she slipped out of the door? Of course they were! In the rear wall was a window. She placed a chair beneath it and a moment later was squeezing through the opening. Rain or no rain,

re a little protection from the rain, but even so, when she had been in the open five minutes she was soaked. She had left her slicker in the camp and now she wished fervently she had let it remain rolled behind her saddle. She heard the thunder of hoofs and sound of voices as the men she had eluded dismounted at the cab

he had an idea. It would be a big help to her uncle if she could, in some fashion, determine if these were the men who were stealing cattle from the ranchers. Perhaps, now that she had stumbled upon their cache, she could spy o

ht think it one of their own horses. Still, it would be best to be on the safe side. She led her horse farther into the woods and there tied him to a cottonwood. She was hungry. She remembered she had had only a light lunc

the rustlers and suppose she did make sure of that fact. How was she to notify the authorities? By the time she got back to her camp and told Jim and Tom and they summoned the Sheriff or s