Ruth Fielding at Silver Ranch

his sleeves rolled up displaying muscular arms, and twinkling eyes under the flapping brim of his great hat. While he "snubbed" the big ste

ant me to, I'll jest natwcher'ly cinch my saddle on Old Trouble-Maker an' ri

my friends. I'll introduce you and the boys to

nded Mr. Hicks. "I 'low the next bunch that goes to the

be in the can than on the hoof. He's made a plumb nuisance of himself. Yo' goin'

with his chum, Bob Steele, was already jacking up the rear axl

get upon his four feet. Then he swooped down upon the steer, gathering up the coils of his rope as he rode, twitched the noose off

bunch of cattle now disappearing in the dust-cloud, and the foreman spurred his calico

ye-ow!

ose cattle out of the way," s

ont seat. "I just didn't realize before that cattle on the range a

Jane Ann was quite excited over her home-coming; anybody could see that with half an eye. She clung to her unc

ure" now that he was back in Montana. The young fol

red the car over the rough trail. "And just as kind and considerate as he

t to have named his niece 'Jane Ann.' That wa

with the two chums. "I know the 'pinanner' has gone on ahead, as he promised Nita. And carpet

verandahed house, covering a good deal of ground, with cookhouses and other outbuildings in the rear, and a big corral for the stock, and bunkhouses for the men. It lay in a beautif

e," said Madge Steele, to the ranchman. "W

" explained Mr. Hicks. "We sometimes git some

"Maria" and Hicks sent her back to the kitchen to hurry supper. But everybody about the place, even Maria's husband, the "hors

it?" demanded Heavy, poking Jane Ann with her f

came back, anyway," she acknowledged. "And I'm awfull

idn't really expect either Ruth or Mary Cox would come. Mary's got s

randa of the ranch-house after removing the traces of travel and getting into the

whole lot of money, too, as he has-is a serious matter. Uncle Jabez co

you'd find an excuse for a dog's running mad, I do be

ess I know what you mean, and thank you for the compliment. I only hope that

e turned to listen to the chums. Her sharp eyes spark

here partly because that mine he invested in

Helen. "A

e whether it is a real mine, or not. You see, he is very close mouthed, as well as close in

to buying one for Aunt Alvirah. Now, you must know he was pretty smart to talk money right out of Uncle'

he young man made his sale so quickly gave Uncle Jabez a very good opinion of his abi

ilver?" as

e was the oldest, and the only boy, and his mother and the girls depended upon him. Their circumstances were cramped, and if he could not work this Tintacker Mine he did not know how he should support

demanded H

tters have been unanswered. That's ever since some time last winter. You see, uncle hates to spend more money, I suppose. He maybe doesn't know how to have the mine searched for. But he to

for she held a grudge against the girl of the Red Mill, and had, on several occasions, been very mean to Ruth. On the other hand, Ruth ha

in that mysterious silver horde, Jane Ann called them all to supper. A long, low-ceiled, cool apartment was the dining-room at Silver Ranch. Through

ob, and Jennie Stone and Mary Cox, beside Ruth Fielding herself. It was a merry party and they sat long over the meal; before they arose from t

ready to slip out o' the box and we'll lift it into the other room-there's

ped clear across the continent ahead of the private car that had brought the party to Bullhide. The jarring it had undergone

ike singing; give 'em something they can join in

, and they played for Ruth some of the more difficult pieces that the latter had learned at Briarwood-for Ruth Fielding pos

t the home corral just then. Altogether Mr. Hicks paid wages to about sixty punchers and hor

and then Jane Ann urged Jib Pottoway to come to the piano. The half-breed w

urself in yere and tickle these ivories a whole lot. Th

and sliding onto the piano bench that had been deserted by Madge. He was a tall, straight, big-boned young man

en they met Cornell three years ago. Why, he's an educat

punched cattle for a while," chuckled Bo

he played well. Most of the tunes he knew were popular ditties and by and by he warme

n, suddenly. "Give us that 'Prayer' y

r Ranch broke in with a baritone roar and gave them "The Cowboy's Prayer." Ike possessed a mellow voice and the boys hummed in c

g feet in wool socks on another chair, enjoying all the music. "What's happened the pinanne

galloping hoofs had shut the ranchman up. A pony was approaching on a dead run, and the next m

cried Hicks, leap

e foreman as he clumped

e exodus of the visitors. There was plainly something of an exciting nature at hand

use Johnny the boys have chased two or three times. He's plumb loco, that feller is-oughtn't to be left at large.