the storm had passed.

Martha took Scylla's face between her hands and kissed her. Then she
said:

"Wasn't it awful?"

"Oh, Martha," Scylla answered, "I thought every second that we'd be
killed, but there you stood as brave as a lion, and waved those dresses
right in the faces of the cattle. You saved both our lives. I lay here
on the ground for a minute after you took my skirt, and then I got up."

"You _got up_, Scylla! How could you, all alone?"

"I don't know, Martha, but I felt as if I _must_. I tried to rise once,
and fell back. Then the cattle came and I tried again, and all the
weakness seemed to be gone, and I stood right up behind you and stayed
there while the herd went by. I don't feel as I used to--I feel as if
the paralysis had all gone. See, I can get up again,--don't help
me,--all alone."

And, sure enough, Scylla scrambled to her feet. She stood a little
unsteadily on them, but she stood. They were so glad it was true that
they did not try to understand it.

After Scylla's new-found strength had been rejoiced over for a moment,
they began to wonder how they could get home. They knew that they could
not walk--Martha was terribly tired, and Scylla, even if she could stand
up, was not equal to the long tramp back to the ranch, of course. They
were dripping wet. The elation that followed their escape, and the
discovery of Scylla's great good fortune, was followed by a nervous
breakdown on the part of both girls, and they cuddled in each other's
arms on the wet grass, sobbing and frightened, to wait for morning to
come.

Hardly half an hour had passed before they heard horses. Martha stood up
and saw the shadowy form of a rider away off to the right. She tried to
scream, but her overstrained voice was hoarse and husky. Scylla called
out as well as she could, but the horseman rode on. By and by they
changed their course, however, and came near enough for the girls to
make their presence known.

As the horses approached, Martha recognized in the foremost one the big
black form of Dan. Her brother John was on his back, and with him were
men from the ranch.

There were tears in the eyes of the big men as they lifted the girls in
their arms, and started home. They had not expected to find them alive.

Before they went to sleep, the thrilling story of Martha's bravery had
been fully told, and to it had been added the news of Scylla's strange
recovery.

The next day the doctor was called in to see a