gh some half dozen other cars to their own.
"Betty, I feel as if I couldn't wait to see your beautiful ranch."

"I wonder," said Grace as they dropped into their seats once more, "if
those cowboys are really as good-looking as you say, Betty. I must
admit," she added, as she viewed the rather monotonous landscape
petulantly, "I haven't seen anything that looks like a cowboy yet."

"Goodness, hear the child!" cried Betty airily. "She hasn't been near a
ranch, yet she expects to see whole droves of cow-punchers----"

"Look," Mollie interrupted, grasping her arm. They were slowing down at
a station and there were no less than three picturesque looking young
fellows loitering about the place. One was astride an extremely nervous
horse that shied as the train puffed to a standstill and rose on his
hind legs as though trying his best to shake his rider off. "There's a
real show for you," Mollie cried joyfully. "How does that look to you,
Gracie? True to life?"

"Um, that's better," admitted Grace, while the girls craned their necks
for a better view of the horseman. "Now if they only have that sort of
thing at Gold Run----"

"Well, we'll have a chance to find out pretty soon whether they do or
not," broke in Betty, the thrill of suppressed excitement in her voice.
"Dad says we ought to get there in an hour."

"An hour!" wailed Amy, as the train jolted on its way once more and the
romantic group on the station were lost to view. "And I thought we were
almost there!"

But the hour passed more quickly than the girls had anticipated, for the
view from the car windows, becoming more and more interesting, absorbed
their attention. As a general rule the country was flat, but now and
then in the background could be caught glimpses of heavily wooded
mountain ranges that would offer chances for all sorts of adventures to
the four eager Outdoor Girls.

"I wonder if there are wild animals in those woods," said Amy, her eyes
widening at the thought. "Real ones."

"You don't suppose they import stuffed ones, do you?" asked Grace dryly.

"Of course there are wild animals--lots of 'em," said Betty, feeling
more and more gloriously excited as they neared their destination.
"Maybe we can borrow a gun or two from the cow-punchers and have a shot
at 'em--animals, I mean, not cow-punchers," she explained, with a
giggle.

On top of these rather wild imaginings came Mr. Nelson, telling them it
was time to get their things together, for