end their time more
profitably than in cooling their heels in the station waiting room.

As it was, it was a rather disgruntled set of girls who boarded the
train for Gold Run and allowed Mr. Nelson and the porter to find their
seats for them.

"I don't see why trains can't be on time," grumbled Mollie, as she
peered at the rather distorted image of herself in the narrow mirror
between the windows. "Here it is nearly seven o'clock and I'm as hungry
as a bear."

"Well," said Betty, cheerfully, "something tells me they have a diner on
this train. Come on, girls, let's wash our hands and get something to
eat."

The girls hardly knew which they enjoyed the most, their dinner or the
novel scenery that slipped past them so swiftly. It was their first
venture into this part of the world, and they found the initiation
fascinating.

"The trouble is," complained Amy, "it will be dark before long and we'll
have to miss all this," with an expressive sweep of her hand toward the
car window.

"It is too bad," said Betty, regretfully adding, with a light laugh: "If
we were only like the princess in the story, the members of whose royal
house never slept, we would probably see more of the scenery."

That night the girls proved that Grace was not alone in her fondness for
sleep. There being no more interruptions in the shape of fuming
gentlemen on the trail of runaway daughters, they slept soundly through
the long hours while the train plunged onward through the inky
blackness of the night. They did not stir until the sun, shining on
their faces, roused them to the realization that another beautiful day
had dawned.

That is, it was beautiful up to noon. Then it clouded down, and they ate
lunch while the rain dashed furiously on the windows of the dining car.

"I am thankful we are under cover," said Betty.

"Fancy riding on the ranch in this rain," put in Amy.

"No life in the saddle for me when it rains," broke in Grace.

During the afternoon the girls napped and read. When the time came to
get supper they were glad to see that they had run away from the storm
and the sun was setting clearly.

"Funny, how sleepy one gets," drawled Grace, about nine o'clock. "I'll
not stay up late."

No one wanted to do that, and in less than an hour all were sleeping
soundly while the long train rumbled along on its trip westward.

"And this is the day," breathed Mollie the next noon, as they made their
way from the dining car throu