spent your days and nights out of doors?" she
queried.

"Oh, lots of times. When Jack and I were little girls uncle used to take
us camping with him," Jean answered indifferently, not daring to trust
herself to glance at the other girls.

The night was delicious and Jean's and Frieda's violet beds near Rainbow
Lodge were adding an unaccustomed fragrance to the desert air.

"Let's walk down to the rancho. I should like to ask Jim why he sent
those gypsies away so soon this afternoon, even before their horses had
time to rest," Jack proposed carelessly.

Jean and Jack each slipped a hand in Ruth's, as they set out for their
stroll, for she was far more timid than any one of the ranch girls; and
Olive and Frieda followed close behind. Near the rancho, where Jim and
the cowboys lived, a sound of singing and the low scrape of a fiddle,
greeted them.

Jack put her fingers to her lips and gave their familiar whistle, but
Jim did not answer; then Jean joined in, and the four girls finally
whistled in unison.

A man's figure appeared at the front door of the rancho. He was one of
the cowboys, who explained that Jim had disappeared immediately after
dinner without a word to anyone and no one knew where he had gone nor
when he meant to return.

On their way back to the Lodge Ruth happened to glance idly across one
of the near-by alfalfa fields and saw the figures of two men plainly
silhouetted against the horizon. One of them she recognized as Jim
Colter.

"There is Mr. Colter over there talking to some one, girls," Ruth
declared.

"Then let's walk over in his direction. Jim will soon see us coming and
join us," Jack suggested.

But Jim apparently did not see the girls approaching him, he was so
deeply engaged in conversation. Once he raised his arm as though he
meant to strike the man with him, but a moment later his arm dropped
limply at his side. Frieda laughed aloud, for the two black shadows
looked like huge dolls.

"I think we had better turn toward home, children," Ruth proposed
hurriedly. "I don't believe Mr. Colter is going to look toward us and I
don't think he will want to be interrupted if he does." But at this
moment the man with Jim slipped quietly away in the darkness and Jim
strode forward to Ruth and the ranch girls. It was impossible to see his
face clearly, but it was evident there was something most unusual in his
bearing--a subtle change that could be felt rather than seen.

"What are you doi