erked their heads at Jack in a greeting intended to be
exceedingly polite. Jack understood and returned the men's bows with her
best smile. She did not desire to let Jim make the affair with Dan too
serious if she could help it, but she had rarely seen their overseer so
deeply angry in her life.

An Eastern girl and most Western ones would have been horrified at
Jacqueline Ralston's present position. She was standing, a quiet and
attentive listener, in a group of five uncultured men. One of the
cowboys was Josef, the Indian Laska's son, the other a Mexican, and but
one of the three an American. They were all angry and lawless and only
one of the five her friend, yet Jacqueline did not think of her position
as unusual. She was far too much interested in what was about to take
place to think of herself at all and knew that not one of the cowboys
would touch her and she was not in the least in fear of Dan. Jacqueline
Ralston was not like a girl with a father and mother to care for her.
She had been brought up with the ideas of a pioneer woman and was trying
to run a ranch and to make a living for herself, her cousin and sister,
and if there was any danger that threatened their property or them, she
must know what it was and must do what she could to prevent it. Jack
was leaning on a rail of the fence. Her hat had fallen on the ground and
her face was white, yet it held a look of quiet power and strength
remarkable in a girl so young.

Jim was aggravatingly slow. He was facing Dan Norton while the cowboys
hung over the pickets. Dan had ceased to struggle, but still refused to
look either at Jim or Jack.

"Our little talk ain't going to take but a few minutes, sonnie, if you
will answer my questions straight from the shoulder," Jim drawled. "Did
any of you feel a bit of a shock, say like an earthquake, a few minutes
back? It 'peared like the ground near Rainbow Creek had gotten tired of
not being heard from for some time past and had suddenly swelled up and
bust."

Jim pointed toward the lake only a few yards from them. Jack was
startled to see how much lower the water was. Could it have fallen an
inch in such a little while?

Dan shook his head scornfully. "Earthquake! No, you are off your base,"
he sputtered. "That is, at least I did feel a slight motion, but it
didn't amount to much. I don't see how you can hold me responsible for
an earthquake. Say fellers, Jim Colter is pretty far gone isn't he, if
he thinks I am