ck unless you are positive that no
other rider is ahead of you on either hand. Better take your rabbit head
on; then the danger of shooting into some of the rest of us will be
eliminated."

Sue sniffed at this. She had no gun, of course, but almost wished she
had--and she said as much to one of her friends. She'd show that range
girl that she couldn't boss her!

"Why! that's good advice about using our guns," said this girl to whom
Sue complained, surprised at the objection.

"Pooh! what does she know about it? She puts herself forward too much,"
replied the girl from Boston.

It is probable that Sue would have talked about any other girl in the
party who seemed to take the lead. Sue was used to being the leader
herself, and if she couldn't lead she didn't wish to follow. There are
more than a few people in the world of Sue's temperament--and very
unpleasant people they are.

But it was Frances who got the first jack. The creature came leaping
down the slope, having broken cover at the brink and quite unseen by the
rest of the hunters.

This was business to Frances, instead of sport. If allowed to multiply
the jack-rabbits were not only a pest to the farmers, but to everybody
else. Frances raised the light firearm she carried and popped Mr.
Longears over "on the fly."

"Glory! that's a good one!" shouted Pratt, enthusiastically.

"A clean hit, Frances," said Mrs. Edwards. "You are a splendid shot,
child."

Miss Boston sniffed!

The dogs did not bay. But in a minute or two a pair of the rabbits
appeared over the rise, and then the two long-legged canines followed in
their tracks.

"Wait till the jacks see us and dodge," called out Frances, in a low
tone. "Then you can fire without getting the dogs in line."

Mrs. Edwards was a good shot. She got one of the rabbits. After several
of the others snapped at the second one, and missed him, Frances brought
him down just as he leaped toward a clump of sagebrush. Behind it he
would have been lost to them.

"My goodness!" murmured Pratt. "What a shot you are, Frances!"

"She's quite got the best of us in shooting," complained one of the
other girls. "She'll bag them all."

Frances laughed, and spurred Molly out of the group, "I'll put away my
gun and use my rope instead," she remarked. "Perhaps I have a handicap
over the rest of you with a rifle. Father taught me, and he is
considered the best rifle shot in the Panhandle."

"My goodness, Frances," said Pratt