Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders on the Great American Desert

e Overland girls, they discovered Grace Harlowe calmly

legs. She can't help herself. Drag the man

Mrs. Gray!" beg

N

iss Br

ed when we fell with the bronco. Hol

moving Elfreda from her perilous position. They stood Miss Briggs on her feet, Grace su

feel now!"

" was J. Elfreda's

as hanging down their backs, their uniforms were covered with d

see if all your joints f

ong as I live," complained Miss Briggs. "D

u will sit down I will see what I can

beside the dazed, but conscious, cowboy whose clothing was in tatters and

ing a bottle of smelling salts, held it to his nostrils. The cowboy quickly came out of his daze. One arm w

ft your arm

is face twisting with pain

t this poor fellow to town as quickly as possible. I will make

ant to go back to Elk Run,

question of you," replied

tter than to ask,"

een broken in properly at the start. We shall be in better for

h!" grunt

," soothed Hippy Wingate. "Wherever this out

the worst," comp

as she got up after having arranged a sl

derably rumpled and both very tired after their lively experience. The cowboys, having loaded their inju

w and then scowling observingly at his charges. Of Grace and Elfreda he had no doubts, for, in his

time, the party was riding fast, but the ponies, though alre

he mountains?" called Anne, who was suf

guide. "It will be worse than

mma. "I shall expi

looming larger now, and looked cool and invitin

as they neared the range, pointing to a thi

Ping should have chow read

this evening, do yo

were in a hurry to

to get into the real phase of our journey, and eager to know w

it," replied the

" questioned the

, the burning heat of the day, the deadly, sweet silence of the night when all the stars c

urged

h, where the great, gaunt gray wolves loom up in the night seeking what they may kill and eat, or where a step in the dark may be your last should you tread on a deser

u, though none knows better than you the perils that lurk there for the

iss Briggs. I am not so

ng, you will find that, though some of

shows me that I don't have to worry about you and Miss Briggs. Did y

oked her

t a pace that would make my legs weary trying to keep up with you.

aughed

ribly shy of snakes and- and-well, I d

ckled under

ke. I just caught a glimpse of Ping. I reck

girls," Grace called b

g's smoke yo

rs shouted with laughter, and Hi indulged in the hearty, soundles

wafted down to them, heavy with, odors of mountain and f

Wingate, as they fell into single file an

that's our Celestial being singing a lul

the song. The guide pointed to a rock, behind which Ping was cooking supp

s he saying?" won

version of 'Little Jack Horn

nod

I want to hear it. Perha

arted on a song he ordinarily kept i

as Emma began to laugh.

tto voice that was al

how he Clismas pie; He put inside t'um, Hab catchee

later Ping appeared at the top of the rock, clad in a white linen suit, the blouse, with its wide-flowing sleeves, being cut in native

d and scraped and smiled and sh

Is supper ready?" ca

nt's hesitation, which, being freely translated, meant, "Supper is ready, high Heaven-born

u win," was the way Hip

of Ping Wing, met them. Horses were quickly unsaddled and tethered, then the guide introduced his charges. Ping shook hands w

Harlowe, which she interpreted correctly, Ping having meant

u. Is mes

ce!" he questioned, touching the

r. Wingate was an aviator, and the other young ladies work

No likee war. Belongee too m

g? You mean you did n

e over?" smiled t

li

e better him and at this junctu

ustle some grub for us, for we may

mess kits of the party and soon produced a really fine

pretty tired?" q

me that she would be glad never to look at a saddle again, and Em

right here and go on to the desert some time to-morrow. W

hey be permitted to stay where they were and have a good night's rest, so it

a heap of interest in what we were here for, where we were going and what we proposed to do, and said that the best thing for you ladies to do would be to turn about an

make no difference in our plans. Ping m

e shook

' only he expressed it with some further words to emphasize his point. There

This outfit can take care of any ba

! What's that!"

trouble!" cr

ght the Overlanders to their feet. There was a quick rush toward the scene of the disturbance, th