're safe now," he admitted. "How did you get lost, and
where from?"

"I got lost from Uncle Godfrey's ranch."

"Do you mean old Godfrey French's ranch?"

"I mean Mr. Godfrey French's ranch," she corrected him. "You'll take me
there, won't you, like a nice boy?"

The boy snorted. The ranch in question was nearly ten miles distant. Of
course she would ride his pony. He did not in the least mind the
walking, but it meant that he would have to leave the deer until the
next day, and meat was needed at home. However, there was no help for
it.

"I suppose I'll have to," he said with the candor of his age. "How did
you get lost?"

Her explanation was commonplace. She had gone for a ride in the morning,
and the mountains had seemed closer than they were. Tiring she had
dismounted, and had been unable to catch her pony. She had followed him
until finally he had disappeared, by which time she was hopelessly
confused.

"Then," she said, "I walked and walked, and I found a lot of paths, but
they didn't seem to go anywhere. I--I was frightened. And then I heard
two shots and I ran as hard as could, and when I saw you I was
frightened again. But now of course it's all right."

The boy grunted. It was just like a girl to let her pony get away, and
get lost, and follow cattle trails all over the country instead of
taking her bearings and striking for home as any intelligent being would
have done. Girls were fools, anyway. They were always getting into
trouble, and dumping themselves down on a man to be looked after. If old
Godfrey French was her uncle, why in blazes didn't some of the French
boys take care of this kid? They hadn't anything else to do.

The boy had little or no use for the French family, which held itself a
little aloof from most of the inhabitants of the district. It consisted
of Godfrey French, his four sons and one daughter. The sons were young
men. They were all big, powerful young fellows, and one of them, Gavin,
was reputed to be the strongest man in the neighborhood. The daughter, a
long-limbed slip of a girl who rode like a cow-puncher, was about the
boy's age. Though Godfrey French had a ranch it was worked scarcely at
all. The boys did not like work, and apparently did not have to. Godfrey
French was reputed to have money. His ranch was a hang-out for what were
known as "remittance men", young Englishmen who received more or less
regular allowances from home--or perhaps to keep away from home. There