Alice B. Emerson

“ The trip West, into the Hualapai Range of Arizona for the business of making a moving picture of “The Forty-Niners” had already stirred the imagination of Ruth and her two closest friends. But the idea of forming a larger party to ride through the wilds from Yucca to Freezeout Camp was a novel one.
“It will be great fun,” said Helen again. “Of course, old Tom will go along anyway——”
“To chaperon us,” giggled Jennie.
“No. To see we don’t fall out of our saddles,” 13 Ruth laughed. “Now! let’s think about it, girls, and decide on whom we shall invite.” ”

“ Helen admitted. “I feel as though all this red dust and grit had got into my skin and never would get out again. But one can’t rough it and keep clean, too, I suppose.”
“That water in the sluice looks lovely,” confessed Jennie Stone. “I’d dearly like to go paddling in it if there weren’t so many men about.”
“After all,” said Ruth, “although we are traveling like men we don’t act as they would. Tom slipped off by himself and behind that screen of bushes up there on the hillside he took a bath in the sluice. But there isn’t a girl here who would do it.” ”

“ She knew that Min would not put up with any giggling on the part of the “tenderfoot” girls. As for Miss Cullam, that good woman said:
“I’m sure I can stand overalls on a girl as well as I can stand these divided skirts and bloomers that some of you are going to wear.”
“Just think of a girl never having worn a pretty frock!” gasped Helen. “Isn’t that outrageous!”
“The poor thing,” said Rebecca. “But she must be awfully coarse and rough.”
“Don’t let her see that you think so, Rebecca,” commanded Ruth quickly. “She has keener perceptions than the average, believe me! ”

“ This placer mining camp was run on a community basis, and the camp cook insisted upon getting supper for all, and an abundant if not a delicately prepared meal was the result.
“I’m not sure that we should allow these men to go to so much expense and trouble,” Miss Cullam whispered to Ruth and Min Peters.
“Oh, gee!” ejaculated the girl in boy’s clothing. “Don’t let it worry you for a minute, Miss Cullam. We’re a godsend to them fellers. If they didn’t spend their money once’t in a while they’d git too wealthy,” and she chuckled. ”

“ The Briarwood girls and Trix Davenport rode in men’s saddles; as did Min Peters; but Sally Blanchard and Rebecca and Miss Cullam had insisted upon sidesaddles.
“And the mildest mannered pony in the lot, please,” the teacher said to Tom. “I am just as afraid of the little beasts as I can be. Ugh!”
“And they are so cunning!” drawled Jennie. She stepped quickly aside to escape the teeth of her own mount, who apparently considered the possibility of eating her so as not to bear her weight.
“And can you blame him?” demanded Helen. ”

“ Flapjack had been on the ridge since early light. He was taking samples every few rods, and Min was wrapping them up and marking the ore and the stakes. Beyond a small grove of scrubby trees they came in sight of what Flapjack declared was probably the end of the gold-bearing rock. There was a dip into another arroyo and beyond that a mesquite jungle as far as they could see.
“Well, she’s more’n a ha’f a mile long,” sighed the old prospector. “Ev’ry thing’s got to come to an end in this world they say. We needn’t grow bristles about it—— Great cats! What’s them?” ”

“ Helen asked.
“Oh! Edie? I had forgotten about her.”
“Well, I didn’t forget. The mystery piques me, as the story writers say,” laughed Helen. 25 “Do you know that her father is an awfully rich man?”
“Why, no. Edith doesn’t make a point of telling everybody perhaps,” returned Ruth, smiling.
“No; she doesn’t. You’ve got to hand it to her for that. But, then, to blow about one’s wealth is about as crude a thing as one can do, isn’t it?”
“Well, what about Edith’s father?” asked Ruth, curiously. ”

“ Ruth only smiled at this. She had put Tom up to that herself, for she learned from Ann that the Yucca girl knew how to dance.
“Of course she can. There is scarcely a girl in the West who doesn’t dance. Goodness, Ruthie! don’t you remember how crazy they were for dancing around Silver Ranch, and the fun we had at the schoolhouse dance at The Crossing? Maybe we ain’t on to all those new foxtrots and tangos; but we can dance.” ”

“ Far, far away rose the whine of a coyote; and the girls could hear one of the herdsmen singing as he urged his pony around and around the cattle.
“You hear ’em pipin’ up?” said Min, smiling. “Them boys of the Lazy C know their business. Singin’ keeps the cows quiet—sometimes.”
Their own fire died out completely. There was no need for it. By and by Ruth roused Tom Cameron, for it was twelve o’clock. Then both she and Min crept into their own blanket-nests, already arranged. The other girls were sleeping as peacefully as though they were in their own beds at Ardmore College. ”

“ The coupling having broken between two Pullmans, the engine had attached to it only the baggage and mail coaches, the dining car and one sleeping car.
The other Pullmans and the observation coach were stalled on the east side of the river.
“And no more chance of getting over to-night than there is of flying,” a brakeman confided to Tom and the girls. “That bridge will be a charred wreck before midnight.”
“Oh, goodness me! What shall we do?” was the cry. “Can’t we get over in boats?”
“Where will you get the boats?” sniffed Miss Cullam. ”

“ Now the young actress set out to charm Tom again. He was the only young personable male at Freezeout, save the actors themselves, and she knew them. But Tom gave her just as much attention as he did Min Peters, for instance, and no more.
There was but one girl in camp to whom he showed any special attention. He was always at Ruth’s beck and call if she needed him. Tom never put himself forward with Ruth, or claimed more than was the due of any good friend. But the girl of the Red Mill often told herself that Tom was dependable. ”

“ Helen and Jennie had not forgotten their idea of dressing their guide in some of their furbelows. 115
“Just wait till our trunks get to that Freezeout place, along with your movie people, Ruth,” said Jennie. “We’ll just doll poor Min all up.”
“That’s an idea!” exclaimed the girl of the Red Mill, her mind quick to absorb any suggestion relative to her art. “I can put Min in the picture—if she will agree. Show her as she is, then have her metamorphosised into a pretty girl—for she is pretty.” ”

“ Min ran forward to read the names upon them. Flapjack rested on his pick and said no further word.
Of a sudden Ruth heard the sharp ring of a pony’s hoof on gravel. She turned swiftly to see the pony pressing through the mesquite at the foot of the ridge. Its rider urged the animal up the slope and in a moment was beside them.
“What are you doing on my claim and my partner’s?” the man demanded, and he slid out of his saddle gingerly, slipping rude crutches under his armpits as he came to the ground. ”

“ The few days she spent at home were busy ones for Ruth Fielding. Naturally, she and Helen had to do some shopping.
“For even if we are bound for the wilds of Arizona, there will be men to see us,” said the black-eyed girl frankly. “And it is the duty of all females to preen their feathers for the males.”
“Just so,” growled her twin. “I expect I shall have to stand with a gun in both hands to keep those wild cowpunchers and miners away from you two when we reach Yucca. I remember how it was at Silver Ranch—and you were only kids then.” ”

“ Why, he remembers Freezeout when it was a real camp. And I kin tell you there ain’t much left of it now.”
“Oh!” cried Ruth. “Have you seen it?”
“Sure. I been all through the Range with pop. He didn’t have nobody to leave me with when I was little. I ain’t never had no chance like other girls,” said Min, in no very pleasant tone. “Why I ain’t scurcely human, I reckon!”
At that Ruth laughed frankly at her. “What nonsense!” she cried. “You are just as human and just as much of a girl as any of us. As I am. Your clothes don’t even hide the fact that you are a girl. ”

“ Grimes——”
“What do you mean?” snapped the president of the Alectrion Film Corporation. “Do you want to disorganize my whole company again?”
“I want to show you the greatest moving picture that ever was taken!” cried the girl of the Red Mill. “Oh, Mr. Hammond, you must take it! It must be incorporated in this film. Why! it is the real thing!”
“What is that? A joke?” he growled.
“No joke at all, I assure you,” said Ruth, patiently. “You can see them coming through the pass—and beyond—for miles and miles. Men afoot, on horseback, in all kinds of wagons, on burros—oh, it is simply great! ”

“ She certainly had quite forgotten the specimens of ore which had been sent to the Handy Gulch assayer’s office until unexpectedly the report arrived.
Helen and Jennie, as well as Peters and his daughter, were interested in this event. The others of the Ardmore party had only heard of the supposed find and had not even seen the uncovered bit of ledge from which the ore had been taken.
“Why, perhaps we are all rich!” breathed Jennie Stone. “Beyond the dreams of avarice! How much does he say?”
“One hundred and thirty-three dollars to the ton. And it’s ‘free gold,’” declared Ruth. ”

“ I have to be good to Tommy, you know.”
“But he’s only a boy!” cried the twin sister, feeling herself to be years older than her brother after spending so many months at college.
“He was born the same day you were,” laughed Ruth.
“That makes no difference. Boys are never as wise or as old as girls——” 27
“Until the girls slip along too far. Then they sometimes want to appear young instead of old,” said the girl of the Red Mill practically. ”

“ Such fixin’s!” and the girl who had never worn proper feminine clothing sighed longingly at the remembrance of the Ardmore girls’ traveling dresses and hats.
The more Min saw of the Eastern girls, the more desirous she was of being like them—in some ways, at least. She might sneer at their lack of physical courage; nevertheless, she was well aware that they were used to many things of which she knew very little. And there never was a girl born who did not long for pretty clothes, and who did not wish to appear attractive in the eyes of others. ”

“ Ruth said, commiseratingly. “You are in for a bad time, aren’t you? What about this strange and mysterious female in Lower Five?”
But as he related the details of the mystery, about the chauffeur and all, Ruth grew rather grave.
“As we go through to the dining car for breakfast let us see if we can establish her identity,” she told him. “Never mind saying anything to the other girls about it. Just point her out to me.”
“Say! I’m not likely to spread the matter broadcast,” retorted Tom. “Only I am curious.” ”

“ If there are no women the necessity for ties and socks will be done away with. And certain sure most of you college girls will never know how to do either.”
“Hear him!” cried Jennie.
“Infamous!” gasped Rebecca.
“You wait, young man,” laughed his sister. “I’ll make you pay for that.”
But Tom recovered his temper and grinned at them. Then he glanced up at Ruth.
“Come on down, Ruth, and take a walk, will you? Come off your perch.”
The girl of the Red Mill laughed at him; but she did as he asked. “Come on, I’m game.”
“No more walks,” groaned Jennie. ”

“ But Ruth was sympathetic and she seized Min’s unwilling hand.
“Oh, my dear!” she cried under her breath. “I am sorry. Can’t you work and earn money to clothe yourself properly?”
“What’ll I do? The cattlemen won’t hire me, though I kin rope and hog-tie as well as any puncher they got. But they say a girl would make trouble for ’em. Nobody around here ever has money enough to hire a girl to do anything. I don’t know nothing about cookin’ or housework—‘cept to make flapjacks. I kin do camp cookin’ as good as pop; only I don’t use two griddles at a time same’s he does. ”

“ Something might happen to you—rock fall on you, or you git took sick, and then there ain’t nobody to do for you, or for to ride for the doctor.”
“Oh!”
“Men that’s bein’ chased by the sheriff, on t’other hand,” went on Flapjack, frankly, “sometimes prefers to be alone. You git me?”
“I understand,” admitted the girl of the Red Mill. “But don’t let Miss Cullam hear you say it. She will be determined to start back for the railroad at once, if you do.”
Flapjack promised to say nothing to disturb the rest of the party, and Ruth knew she could trust Min’s good judgment. ”