Part 8 (2/2)

CHAPTER VII

A SUDDEN STORM

The girls spent the rest of that day getting acquainted, at which agreeable task Andy Rawlinson, the head cowboy, assisted pleasantly The latter introduced them to several others of the ranch hands, all of ere as picturesque and good-natured as Andy himself

Escorted by Rawlinson and followed by the adirls were introduced to the interior of the bunk houses which, with their rude wooden cots built into the side of the walls, their scanty and rather severe furniture, and the ro trophies fastened to the bare boards of the walls, filled the girls with curiosity and interest

Then on to the corrals, where soed for the sole benefit of the visitors In this dangerous business Andy hiasped with disside a vicious looking ani hi there, seeravitation

”Oh, he surely will be killed!” cried A Betty in terror

”That horse will throw him----”

”Keep quiet, can't you, Amy?” cried Mollie impatiently, beside herself with excite before?”

Then followed such an exhibition of sheer grit and skill and dauntless courage as none of the girls would ever forget

The vicious brute raced , nostrils dilated, but still thepersistence Then he stopped so suddenly that the irls held their breath, but Andy recovered hi the spurs to the beast's belly, sent it flying round the corral oncenostrils were blood red with the effort, but the spirit of the beast was still unbroken

Around and around the ring he plunged, the other horses galloping wildly fro on his back had e and to rear his in a desperate effort to throw hiirls that Andy Rawlinson surely must be killed

[Illustration: HE CLUNG TO THE HORSE'S BACK AS THOUGH HE HAD BEEN A PART OF HIM

_The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle_ _Page 64_]

But Andy Rawlinson had not spent his twenty-eight years in the saddle for nothing He clung to that horse's back as though he had been a part of hied beast tried to throw himself over backward for the second tih

A cruel blow of his spurred heel brought the beast alh in the air, and once an its furious race with thisso tenaciously to his back

Andy rode hi, beaten, would have stopped he dug the spurs in and drove hiasps and his legs trembled under hi hurt, shouted to Andy Rawlinson as h?” she cried ”You've beaten hi his pleasant s himself fro, head hung in shame----

”Ga and approached the girls ”Fought like a thoroughbred”

”And you onderful,” cried Betty, with her war We were all afraid you were going to be killed”

Andy was pleased, but he looked at Betty rather quizzically

”Strange,” he drawled, with a set soht you was mad at me, the way you called out to stop Anyways, you looked mad”