over in an instant.

Frank found Jack shaking like one in a chill. But she smiled at him
bravely and put out her hand to let him pull her off the ground.

"Perhaps, Frank," she said, forgetting formalities in her thankfulness,
"if I live long enough, I may some day learn to do what I am told.
Please take me back to Olive."

Tricks, exhausted by her wild run, was led back to Jack, a weary and
repentant pony.

Jack was silent and shaken. She followed Frank back to the spot where
they had left Olive, without a word.

The cowboys were returning to the work of branding the cattle and it was
high time the ranch girls started for home. But neither Jack nor Frank
could find a trace of Olive. She had completely disappeared. They rode
over to the spot where they had lunched with Mr. and Mrs. Simpson, but
the automobile party had left for their ranch. Frank inquired of a dozen
cowboys. No one of them had seen Olive.

Jack tried not to cry, but the day's experiences had been too much for
her. She had never been so utterly wretched before.

"Don't worry, Miss Ralston," Frank urged. "I'll bet you anything that
Miss Olive has run across your overseer, Jim Colter, and has returned to
Rainbow Ranch with him."

Jack shook her head despairingly. "Olive would not go away without
telling me, for anything in the world," she insisted. "Besides, Jim
would not leave me here. He is somewhere around, won't you find him?"

Frank insisted that Jack wait in a place of safety a mile farther along
the trail toward their ranch. For an hour Jack walked up and down a few
yards of barren ground, her pony resting near her. The time seemed an
eternity.

By and by Frank arrived with Jim Colter. Jim looked sternly at Jack, but
she was past caring what he said or thought of her.

"Can't you find Olive, Jim?" Jack pleaded.

"I'll do my best," Jim returned. "Mr. Kent will take you home to the
ranch."

"But I can't go without Olive, Jim. I'll stay here until you find her.
She has probably just lost her way," Jack entreated.

"Hope so," Jim repeated shortly. "But in any case, your place is at
home."

Jack hesitated.

"Haven't you made enough trouble for yourself and other people already
to-day, Jack?" Jim questioned keenly. And Jack submissively bowed her
head.

CHAPTER XIX.

NO NEWS.

WEEKS passed and there was no word from Olive. The ranch girls had
almost ceased to talk of her return. They had begun to lose hope.

Immediate