Ruth Fielding at Silver Ranch

ven up to the uses of a general store and provision emporium; beside it is the schoolhouse. This place on the forked trails is called "The Cros

rows upon rows of tinned preserves (the greatest luxury extant to the cowboy mind), and their credit being good with Lem Dickson, who kept the store, the two cattle herders-while their cayuses stood with dr

keeper, lowering himself into a comfortable armchair

," drawled one of the cowboys. "A

git what he goes after, don't

nn is just as much of a Hicks as Bill himself-you take it from me. She made her bargain b'fore Old Bill got her headed back to the

any man in this State," Lem said, ruminatively. "He's made it;

tways," said one of the cowboys. "D'ye know wha

York City, or Chicago, when he passed along yere," grun

"There was all sorts of trucks and gew-

pia

toway, says he kin play on the thing. But it ain'

id the other cowboy, throwing his empty tin away. "And w

t wi

il by yere in," dr

u, Bud? Old Bill ain't bo

I understand, and Jane Ann's brought a bunch of folks with her that she met down East

ese trails!" grunted t

he air when they sets eyes on the choo-choo wagon," chuckled

uted his mate, alre

had they disappeared behind a grove of scrub trees on the wind-swept ridge beyond the store

a heavy touring car, which came chugging up the rise making almost as much noise as a

he bawled

ill, voice from the open stairway that led

reckon you'll wanter se

ed on the last tread and a lithe, red-haired, pe

bashful Ike Stedman, have you? For if he's come prognosticating around yer

othin' about Ike. This yere's Bill Hicks an' all his cro

ump girl with rosy cheeks and the brightest eyes imaginable; the third person crowded into the front seat was a youth who looked so much like the girl who was running the machine that they migh

snapping black eyes, who wore very splendid clothes as though she was not used to them. With this couple were a big, blond boy and three girls-one of them

rments, stretching her hand out to greet the store

anch on the map yet, or have them punchers o' mine torn the fa

and finally reached and shaking the hand of Mr. William Hicks, owner of Silver Ranch. "But when some of

son," snapped the ranchman's niece, who had been speaking with Sall

y critter I ever was astride of." But he spoke softly

old chuck-waggin from Doosenbe

nodded M

sh-like in your old age, B

wise," retorted the ran

's t

" declared Mr. Hicks, with a delighted chortl

s niece. "What's the

you, Jane Ann," said the storekeeper. "But wha

ranchman. "I never t

e, tossing her head. "Now, Sally, you ride out and see us. These girls from down Ea

a lever and the big

ated her name and preferred to be called "Nita"). "She's taught school here at

over her face as she looked back at the red-haired girl at t

il and the chapparel instantly hid the store and the houses at the Crossing. Right ahead of them was a rolling prairie, several miles in extent. And u

cried Ruth Fielding. "Do you

's only a leetle bunch-can't be more'n five hundred-coming up yere. I reck

e!" cried the stout

antic bellow, a huge black and white steer-wide horned, ferocious of aspect-quite evidently "on the rampage." The noise

de Bill Hicks and his niece. "What kind of a be

isn't the kind of cattle you have here, is it? He lo

ting a bellow, shook his head at the automobile and began to cast the dust up

le-Maker!" crie

tted him," said Tom Cameron, who had

is head and charged for the auto.

let's leave tha

speed again, however, the big b

of cattle-won't she, Mr. Hicks? Why, we'

d Tom. "Why, that Old Trouble-Maker will c