The Adventure Girls at K Bar O

hope?" Janet asked

the others of what had happened to them. She had come to the part in their e

n't," she declared. "I would

of that," Tom reassured her. "Thos

t Gale's shoulders. "First we saw the rock fall and then whe

aid, "that rock didn't fall of

ure?" Caro

Something, I don't know what, made me lo

m being smashed flatter than

sked wonderingly. "Those men didn't ac

"Let's hope they didn'

amp," Jim said sternly. "To-morrow Tom and I will go see thos

s beginning when her voic

against the moonlit sky. Three black mounted figures were picking their way slowly across the trail. In a moment they were swa

. "Evidently you didn't kill

w their trail of course to see in what direction they are heading. I think, Virginia, you

. "We like danger and we don't want to go

all agreed on th

u to argue," Virginia added, as

said with a frown. "Jim and I are responsi

rmed lives. We shall return to the K Bar O when our

e put in. "Do you think she ca

ght with never a protest. I believe Val can

huge boulder had been particularly wearying, without considering that they did it all on top of a day's riding. Val had borne up marvelously well. True she had been near collapse at the end,

l the benefit of a few more hours rest. After luncheon, the party saddled and mounted their horses. After a while, Jim picked up the trail of the outlaws and th

ared and after it had disappeared they sat about the campfire telling stories o

rocedure. Their skins were getting tan

so much," wailed Janet, aft

hant when we get back home,"

The girls had never realized before that nature, untamed by man, could be so lovely. They never realized that just to sit and gaze at a sunset could bring such a thrill. In every way the country was affecting them. Physi

ic as to fill the girls with awe. All the colors of the rainbow were in the rocks and under the influence of the sun and the shadows cast by it, formed pictures of entrancing b

net, scarcely above a whisper, afraid to dis

The Colorado River where it runs through the Canyon there is three

raditional guide bo

e murmured, voicing the

e Petrified Forest. Here they found more to awe and surprise them. Still another day found them at the

. "From now on I shall be a stron

hing and limitless subjects on which to try her skill, Val rode with her pencil and pad in her hands n

beautiful on paper as it really is," sh

e of the Canyon the other day," Gale said. "I

sed aloud, "how you never miss

miss something," Gale agreed,

"Everything is so--big out here. I feel awf'ly small. When I think of the silly things we quarrel over

re long enough, I'm afraid you wou

Kayenta. That's one hundred and seventy-five miles from the nearest telephone. Imagine what t

soda since I came out here," chimed in Janet,

you might pull throu

and there was a concerted rush

s of streams and sunken deserts, marveling how the dull gray and olive of the sagebrush and trees mingled. They learned that many of the mountains were extinct volcanoes and admir

c flat topped pillars rising thousands of feet into the air. A day's ride from Kayenta the riders came upon Betatakin

lived and died here a thousand

she climbed up the worn stone steps to the next level. "I've n

too bad," added Carol, looking back dow

tite," Madge complai

he better," p

dwellers, taking their time to examine everything of interest. The

succeed in coming fairly close to the bull's eye every time they tried. Gale, too, was b

looking up at the trees and the blue sky, thinking how she would hate to

!" Virginia sc

limb of a tree. Jim's horse reared wildly and plunged away as its r

eatened to run away and careened wildly, almost unseating their riders. Meanwhile, Jim was t

nd on her trembling pony's neck. With

hoot," Tom said, raising

cried. "You m

im," Janet said with a shud

only in frightening the ponies more. Jim was fighting madly to

and tendencies of her mount and she had instilled a trust in him for his rider. Now, though he longed to flee from this spot with its danger, he stood quietly obedient to her voice and touch. In her hand

e two. The loop caught a hind leg of the cougar. Immediately it tightened

!" Gale urg

ent low in the saddle, the rope dragging the squirming, struggling mountain lion over the stony ground. Gale did not slow

, and the flesh of his shoulders and arms was streaming with blood. He

so handy," he grinned at her. "Reckon I owe you

ly with a glance for the dust cover

e," Gale replied, dismounti

irst aid treatment had been administered and Jim remounted his horse, they started forward a

ular. "Always something doing. Any time at all you might step on a rattlesnake

d. "It's no worse than back home. There we

Madge murmured. "They at

they ate, Tom and Jim told them of other experiences each had had with animals in the surrounding countr

hing to talk about when we

ie declared. "We've met nearly everyth

aughed. "Do you feel

nimously from

declared. "Tomorrow we get back on K Bar O soil.

ur supplies are running

er trip then?" Caro

commented. "The days have gone so

aid firmly. "Let's hear some more of your

Jim entertained them with memories of the range lands. Valerie and Phyllis retired first. After

Gale began

ged, tossing anoth

t before we camped--was i

xchanged a fl

u think of th

dad talking about rustlers. We didn't mean to listen, but we did. Had that trail

e men who held you prisoner that night in the hills, made that tra

ing to do?" Gale

"We are going to take you girl

e border into Mexico," Jim murmured. "T

e much catching so far. I'll b

othing to worry

to worry abou

to sleep and did not know that long after she retired, Tom and Jim talked seriously and