they were within a few
minutes of Gold Run.

"I know how long it takes you girls to put a hat on," he laughed. "So I
think you had better start right away."

Then--Gold Run! with the dash for the door and Grace running back to
rescue a half-empty but still precious candy box and Mollie wanting to
know if Amy would please stop pressing her suitcase in the middle of her
back----

Someway, Mr. Nelson managed to get them all safely to the station
platform, whereupon he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Whew! that's the hardest job you ever gave me, Rose," he remarked to
his wife, with a chuckle.

Here, as at most of the other stations, was a handful of cowboys who had
come to meet the train. One of these, a handsome young fellow, detached
himself from the rest and approached Mrs. Nelson, sweeping off his
sombrero as he did so.

"Mrs. Nelson, ma'am?" he asked in a soft drawl that captivated the girls
immediately.

Mrs. Nelson smiled assent and the young fellow indicated a buckboard
drawn up to the station.

"I brought the wagon," he said, with a grin that showed a beautiful set
of white teeth. "An' some saddle hosses, thinkin' you might like to
ride----"

However, the ladies decided on the buckboard, which was driven by a
shy-eyed, sandy-haired young fellow who gave the girls one frightened
glance and looked swiftly away again, for all the world, Mollie said
afterwards, as if he expected them to bite him.

Mr. Nelson elected to ride horseback with Andy Rawlinson, which was the
name of the good-looking cowboy.

As the driver chirruped to the horses and they clattered over the bumpy
road, Grace turned to Betty with a smile.

"I have realized the ambition of a life time!" she said dramatically. "I
have seen one handsome cowboy!"

CHAPTER VI

AT THE RANCH

To the girls, that jolting ride was like an adventure straight from the
Arabian Nights. The fact that they were squeezed four in a seat which
was meant to accommodate only three, served to dampen their enthusiasm
not a trifle. Mrs. Nelson, riding in front with the bashful driver,
vainly sought to engage him in conversation. After repeated failures she
settled down to enjoy the ride in silence.

A dozen yards or so ahead of them Andy Rawlinson and Mr. Nelson cantered
up the dusty road, their horses' hoofs making the dust fly in a white
cloud.

"Goodness!" sneezed Betty, extracting a small handkerchief from her
pocket and applying it to her nose, "I