B. M. Bower

“ They turned up the cañon, skirting it to the very foot of one of the steeper hills. Shelton was beginning to think of starting home from very boredom—only the Sunbeam Ranch, with its sun-baked area of sand and its little, squalid cabins and no human being on the place, unless Burney were home, spelled a boredom more complete than this.
"This hill's full of caves," Vida informed him apathetically, pointing a grimy hand to a rugged slope. "I used to be around here seven or eight years ago—before Goliath had anything to do with the Sunbeam, or poppy went into sheep. ”

“ Vida interrupted hotly. "But he ain't going to make that work, not with us. We've got just as much right here as he has, and we ain't afraid of him just because he's big as all outdoors. Goliath, that's what I call him—and coming around trying to fight with the jawbone of an ass, too! He's a coward. I ain't afraid of him—I'd stand up to forty more just as big as he is."
Shelton laughed. "Vida is the feminine of David, didn't you say? David and Goliath—oh, say, that's rich! I must write that home to the folks. A girl-David at that. Where's your sling-shot?" ”

“ He always comes around and tries to propose, when he gets about so full, and poppy has to chase him off. The last time, I set old Whimper on him." She turned away to study the bold wall of rocks opposite. "There's lions in these hills—panthers, maybe you'd call 'em—and now and then a black bear; and all kinds of lynx and bobcats and coyotes and things. But there ain't any spooks—I guess it wouldn't take more'n a bobcat to put you Sunbeamers on the run, though! I s'pose maybe they seen a coyote and thought it was a spook."
"After that," sighed Shelton, with exaggerated reproach. ”

“ It is true she was not pretty; and back home, or anywhere else where there were other girls to choose from, I don't suppose Shelton would have troubled to speak two sentences to her under any circumstances. But she was a girl, and she was the only one in that part of the country. And Shelton really had nothing much to do at the ranch, and had not learned to ride well enough to be trusted out on the range with the men. Burney was particular about not letting him even attempt to ride any horse save Dutch, who was at least eighteen years old and considered absolutely safe. ”

“ I hate the sight of sheep and I hate old clothes and living away out here away from everything a girl likes. But sheep's the only thing poppy sees good money in; and this is about the only place that ain't overstocked already. ”

“ Her eyes blazed at him from under her old felt hat that her father had cast aside. "Do you think I like to live like a squaw, and tie my hair up with a grocery string, and wear——" She gave an unexpected little sob, wholly feminine and disarming. "I'm living this way so poppy can get ahead of the game enough to afford something better. ”

“ CHAPTER V. Of course, since Shelton had been warned to stay away from Spook Hills, he was crazy to go again as soon as possible. Burney might have known that, if he had stopped to consider the matter at all; for he must surely have known a little bit about human nature. There was another reason—the girl. ”