ide to make. It's too much for
a girl to tackle--combin' the hawses outa them little brushy draws. They
like to git in there away from the flies, in the heat uh the day. But yo'
all better not tackle it, even if Bill lets yuh. I don't guess he would,
though."

"Bill," said Mary V with a little tilt to her chin, "does not enjoy the
privilege of 'letting' me do things. I shall ride wherever I please. And
it is possible that I may please to bring in what horses are in the
red-hill end of the range. I'm sure I don't see why I shouldn't, if I
like."

"Well," said Tex, "that country's plumb hard to ride. It takes real work
to bring in hawses from there. I wouldn't tackle that, if I was you; I'd
ride out where it's easier."

"Oh, would you? Well, thank you very much for the advice, I'm sure." Mary
V looked back, saw the other boys jogging closer, and held Jake in to
wait for them. She did not want to tell Tex that she certainly would make
it a point to ride the red-hill side of the range. There was probably
some sly, secret reason Tex did not want her to go over that way. She
remembered that she had seen the Mexican coming from that direction both
times. Certainly, there must be some secret reason. Tex was afraid
she might find out something.

Mary V waited for the boys, and talked to them prettily, and wondered
aloud where her dad was all this time, and hoped he had not had a
puncture or anything. Because, she said, it was bad enough for his temper
to have to drive the flivver, without any bad luck to make it worse.

She was particularly nice to Bill, and forced him to confess that she
really got along perfectly all right with Jake. She comported herself so
agreeably, in fact, that Bill was reconciled to her coming and paid no
attention when she presently swung off to the southeast, saying that she
wanted to get a picture of a perfectly ducky giant cactus which she had
seen through her glasses one day. Indeed, the dismal honking of the
machine called Bill back to the trail, where Sudden came jouncing along
like a little, leaky boat laboring through a choppy sea. Bill rode off
without noticing Mary V at all.

It was a little after noon, and the boys were eating dinner at the camp
set up close to the creek at Sinkhole cabin. Sudden, sprawled in the
shade of the wagon, was staring glumly at the sluggish little stream,
smoking his after-dinner cigar and trying to formulate some plan that
would promise results where results