imagined miles had been
covered. The desert appeared to heave into billows, growing rougher, and
dark, round bushes dimly stood out. The road grew uneven and rocky, and
when the stage began another descent its violent rocking jolted Bo out
of her sleep and in fact almost out of Helen's arms.

"Where am I?" asked Bo, dazedly.

"Bo, you're having your heart's desire, but I can't tell you where you
are," replied Helen.

Bo awakened thoroughly, which fact was now no wonder, considering the
jostling of the old stage.

"Hold on to me, Nell!... Is it a runaway?"

"We've come about a thousand miles like this, I think," replied Helen.
"I've not a whole bone in my body."

Bo peered out of the window.

"Oh, how dark and lonesome! But it'd be nice if it wasn't so cold. I'm
freezing."

"I thought you loved cold air," taunted Helen.

"Say, Nell, you begin to talk like yourself," responded Bo.

It was difficult to hold on to the stage and each other and the cloak
all at once, but they succeeded, except in the roughest places, when
from time to time they were bounced around. Bo sustained a sharp rap on
the head.

"Oooooo!" she moaned. "Nell Rayner, I'll never forgive you for fetching
me on this awful trip."

"Just think of your handsome Las Vegas cowboy," replied Helen.

Either this remark subdued Bo or the suggestion sufficed to reconcile
her to the hardships of the ride.

Meanwhile, as they talked and maintained silence and tried to sleep, the
driver of the stage kept at his task after the manner of Western men who
knew how to get the best out of horses and bad roads and distance.

By and by the stage halted again and remained at a standstill for so
long, with the men whispering on top, that Helen and Bo were roused to
apprehension.

Suddenly a sharp whistle came from the darkness ahead.

"Thet's Roy," said Joe Beeman, in a low voice.

"I reckon. An' meetin' us so quick looks bad," replied Dale. "Drive on,
Bill."

"Mebbe it seems quick to you," muttered the driver, "but if we hain't
come thirty mile, an' if thet ridge thar hain't your turnin'-off place,
why, I don't know nothin'."

The stage rolled on a little farther, while Helen and Bo sat clasping
each other tight, wondering with bated breath what was to be the next
thing to happen.

Then once more they were at a standstill. Helen heard the thud of boots
striking the ground, and the snorts of horses.

"Nell, I see horses," whispered Bo, excitedly. "Th