sight of her signal, plunge down the trail and
through the muddy creek, straight to the ranch house door. She knew that
it was some one whom she had never seen before in her life, but it did
not make the least difference to her.

"Won't you come in here?" she begged. "The door is open. There are some
Indians trying to steal a girl away--" Frieda drew her blonde head back
inside the window, just in time to see the stranger stalk into their
room.

"Put the girl down," he commanded Josef in a tone of authority. Nothing
loath, the Indian boy returned Olilie to her chair. The newcomer then
spoke to the surly Indian woman. "You and your son leave this ranch at
once. It was fortunate that I learned that you were coming here this
morning. I rode over just in time."

The young man had brown hair and eyes. His face was quite pale. He did
not look in the least strong, but there was something in his quiet
manner that showed he was accustomed to being obeyed.

"We come back to get my girl, when she well," the Indian woman
threatened, as the door closed behind her.

There was an awkward silence when the Indians had gone. The young fellow
immediately lost his grown-up manner and seemed very uncertain and shy.
He colored and held his new cowboy hat in his hands.

"I am awfully glad I turned up in time to help you drive those people
out of the house," he declared. "I happened to hear that they were
coming over to your ranch to take the Indian girl away from you to-day.
If there had been anybody to send over to tell you, I wouldn't have come
myself," he ended. "Will you please tell the older Miss Ralston this. I
won't intrude on you any longer. Good-bye."

Jean laughed and held out her hand. "Please don't go quite yet," she
said. "At least stay until we thank you. I know who you are and Jack
will be just as grateful to you as Frieda and I are. You must not think
she is always so unfriendly. Aren't you Frank Kent, the English fellow
who is the guest of the Nortons? Jack told us about you But you see the
Nortons are--"

"Yes, I understand," Frank Kent answered quickly. "At least I have been
told what the trouble is between you, but I hope it may be a mistake. I
can't believe Mr. Norton and Dan--" Frank stopped. Jean's and Frieda's
cheeks were crimson. He realized that he had no right to talk about
their private affairs. Aunt Ellen was looking at him suspiciously.

Frank Kent bowed. "I think I had better go," he announced. Just as