give her up to Mr. Hicks.

"And if I took money for telling Mr. Hicks where Nita was, why--why it
would be almost like taking blood money! Nita liked me, I believe; I
think she ought to be with her uncle, and I am sure he is a nice man.
But it would be playing the traitor to report her to Mr. Hicks--and
that's a fact!" concluded Ruth, taking herself to task. "I could
not think of earning money in such a contemptible way."

Whether her conclusion was right, or not, it seemed right to Ruth,
and she put the thought of the reward out of her mind from that instant.
The ranchman had taken a liking to Ruth and when he climbed into the
buckboard he beckoned the girl from the Red Mill to a seat beside him.
He drove the ponies, but seemed to give those spirited little animals
very little attention. Ruth knew that he must be used to handling
horses beside which the ponies seemed like tame rabbits.

"Now what do you think of my Jane Ann?" was the cattleman's question.
"Ain't she pretty cute?"

"I am not quite sure that I know what you mean by that, Mr. Hicks,"
Ruth answered, demurely. "But she isn't as smart as she ought to be,
or she wouldn't have gone off with Jack Crab."

"Huh!" grunted the other. "Mebbe you're right on that p'int. He
didn't have no drop on her--that's so! But ye can't tell what sort of
a yarn he give her."

"She would better have had nothing to say to him," said Ruth,
emphatically. "She should have confided in Miss Kate. Miss Kate and
Jennie were treating her just as nicely as though she were an invited
guest. Nita--or Jane, as you call her--may be smart, but she isn't
grateful in the least."

"Oh, come now, Miss----"

"No. She isn't grateful," repeated Ruth. "She never even suggested
going over to the life saving station and thanking Cap'n Abinadab and
his men for bringing her ashore from the wreck of the _Whipstitch._"

"Great cats! I been thinkin' of that," sighed the Westerner. "I want
to see them and tell 'em what I think of 'em. I 'spect Jane Ann never
thought of such a thing."

"But I liked her, just the same," Ruth went on, slowly. "She was bold,
and brave, and I guess she wouldn't ever do a really mean thing."

"I reckon not, Miss!" agreed Mr. Hicks. "My Jane Ann is plumb square,
she is. I can forgive her for running away from us. Mebbe thar was reason
for her gittin' sick of Silver Ranch. I--I stand ready to give her
'bout ev'rything she wants--in reason--when I git her back thar."

"In