them that I want
them to pick out a good cook for me. Not that I am too lazy to do the
cooking myself, but because we will need a good, strong colored woman to
do household and laundry work."

"Sensible!" remarked Fred.

"Then bring one or two young ladies down with you," he added.

"Oh, you needn't bring anybody down vet. I'm not becoming lonesome yet
by any means. I don't believe I would ever get lonesome with chickens
and cows and pigs and, ducks to look after."

"My, sister! are you going to take all that responsibility on your
shoulders?"

"Yes, for I'm going to be boss of the entire ranch, boys and all."

"Good! Good!" exclaimed Fred.

"Fred, don't whoop until you get out of the woods," said Terry, "for you
will soon find out her style of bossing. You will find her sitting on
the fence somewhere yelling to you to do this and to do that, and be
quick about it. I know what it is to work for a girl boss, so I will be
sure that we'll get competent help if it can be had. I want to do a
little bossing myself."

As soon as Evelyn could fix up five or six pounds of the rich, golden
butter, pressed into pound cakes, Terry took the bucket in which she had
placed them and waited for the first freight train that came along.
Nearly a score of trains passed the ranch every twenty-four hours, going
either east or west, it was about an hour's ride from the ranch to
Crabtree. Terry sent the cakes of butter to the ladies whom Evelyn
wanted to have them and delivered her message to the effect that she
would be glad to have them find her a good, all-around cook and house
servant.

Mrs. Westervelt, the wife of the railroad superintendent, said that she
knew a cook who would fill the bill.

"Send for her at once, please, madam, and tell her to get ready to move
down to the ranch within a day or two. We will give her good wages and,
besides, allow her to make money out of the cowboys by doing their
washing, if she wishes to."

"Mr. Olcott," she asked, "did your sister make this butter?"

"No, she hasn't started that yet, but let me tell you there is no woman,
North or South, who can beat her at butter making."

CHAPTER VII.

FRED AND TERRY AFTER CATTLE THIEVES.

Terry, being a good judge of musical instruments, went to a music store
in Crabtree, ran his fingers over the keys of half a dozen different
pianos, and quickly made his selection. Then he purchased a splendid
violin, paying seventy-five dollars for it, whi