Ruth Fielding at Silver Ranch

and white steer. And Jane Ann, on her bay mustang, was right up with the leaders in the wild rush. It was indeed

n't she just wonde

red The Fox, in her biting way. "She was almost born on h

ore-than breath-breathing!" gasped Heavy

addle with ease now, and she was beginning to learn to swing a rope; Ike was teaching her. Tom could really

er and above their monthly stipend. But Jane Ann Hicks worked for the fun of it, and because she desired to show her Eastern

and finally one of the punchers got in an awkward position and Old Trouble-Maker made for him. The man couldn't pull his pony out of the way as the steer made a

lf free of the stirrups and escaped the terrible horns of Old Trouble-Maker. The steer thundered on, paying no furt

rdinarily Old Trouble-Maker should have gone down to his knees with the shock; but the Indian's pony stumbled just at that a

er making a spring into the sea-and when he landed-well! it was fortunate that t

Jib scrambled up, and Old Trouble-Maker thundered on across the plain, having been scarcely retarded by the Indian's atte

tedly swing his lariat around his head and catch his nearest neighbor across the shoulders with the slack! This neighbor uttered a howl of rage and at once "ran amuck"-to the great hilarity of the onlookers. It was no fun for the fellow

he bunch of excited horsemen all the time. It was evident to Ruth, who was watching the game very earnestly from the rear, that this Jimsey had determined to capture the prize and

the end, he dropped it at the moment when Old Trouble-Maker had just dodged another rope. The steer fairly ran into Jimsey's noose. The puncher snubbed

down!" shrieked B

is sister observed. "Th

to the automobile, I wouldn't cry any if his neck

ed out of the saddle and ran to the floundering steer with an agility that delighted the spectators from the East. How they cheered him! And his mates, too,

Trouble-Maker flung his huge body around. The "yank" was too much for the pony

pony. "Wait till I get this yere critter t

g the saddle sideways. The pony naturally was startled and he jumped to one side. In an instant the big steer was nimbly on his feet, and flung Jimsey ten feet away! Bellowing w

steer sped across the plain faster than he had ever run before, and in