the
girls' faces had become. "Oodles of foxes and bears and raccoons and
things. Why, how would you expect to get pretty furs when you wanted
them if those things didn't exist? Cheer up, Amy dear. We're a long way
from being lost in the woods without a gun!"

A minute later the girls lost interest in everything but the immediate
present. For, in the distance, but distinctly visible, loomed a long low
ranch house which the silent driver beside Mrs. Nelson deigned to admit
was on Gold Run Ranch.

"You see it, girls?" cried the lady, turning a beaming face to the
girls. "You know, I feel just like a little girl with a beautiful new
toy."

"And we're awfully glad you've got the toy, Mrs. Nelson," said Grace,
fervently.

"Look," cried Mollie suddenly. "Your father and that cowboy are turning
off from the main road. That must be where the ranch begins. Oh, girls,
oh, girls, I'm glad I came!"

A few minutes later their jolting buckboard turned in after the two
horsemen, and since the new road proved to be nothing but two deep ruts
worn in the grass and as the ponies attached to the buckboard showed
considerable excitement at coming near home, the girls found themselves
holding on to each other convulsively to keep from being thrown out on
the stubbly grass at the side of the road.

"Whew, I'm glad that's over!" exclaimed Mollie, as the driver drew in
the rearing horses and spoke to them soothingly. "Come on, girls," she
added, making ready to jump out. "I'm going to remove myself from this
buckboard before one of those horses decides to sit in my lap."

The girls laughed and followed her with alacrity.

"Oh," cried Betty, hugging Amy ecstatically, simply because she happened
to be the nearest one to hug. "There are the horse corrals over there!
And, oh, girls! look at the cows, dozens and dozens and dozens of 'em.
Mother," she cried, turning wide-eyed to the latter, "do all those
'anymiles' really belong to you?"

"I presume they do, dear," said Mrs. Nelson, her own face flushed with
excitement. "I can't quite take in the amazing truth of it yet."

They were standing beside the first of a long line of low buildings that
seemed little more than glorified sheds and which the girls decided must
be the "bunk houses" for the ranch hands.

And while they were wondering if it would be possible to slip over to
the corrals for a closer look at the horses, Mr. Nelson sauntered up to
them, with handsome Andy Rawlinson keep