Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

The Ranch Girls at Rainbow Lodge The Ranch Girls' Pot of Gold The Ranch Girls at Boarding School The Ranch Girls in Europe The Ranch Girls at Home Again The Ranch Girls and their Great Adventure The Ranch Girls and their Heart's Desire The Ranch Girls and the Silver Arrow The Ranch Girls and the Mystery of the Three Roads

The Ranch Girls at Home Again

The Camp Fire Girls at Sunrise Hill The Camp Fire Girls Amid the Snows The Camp Fire Girls in the Outside World The Camp Fire Girls Across the Sea The Camp Fire Girls' Careers The Camp Fire Girls in After Years The Camp Fire Girls on the Edge of the Desert The Camp Fire Girls at the End of the Trail The Camp Fire Girls Behind the Lines The Camp Fire Girls on the Field of Honor The Camp Fire Girls in Glorious France The Camp Fire Girls in Merrie England The Camp Fire Girls at Half Moon Lake The Camp Fire Girls by the Blue Lagoon

The Ranch Girls at Home Again

The Girl Scouts of the Eagle's Wing The Girl Scouts in Beechwood Forest The Girl Scouts of the Round Table The Girl Scouts in Mystery Valley The Girl Scouts and the Open Road

The Ranch Girls at Home Again

[Illustration: "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, RALPH MERRITT?" SHE DEMANDED]

Copyright, 1915, by THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO.

CHAPTER PAGE I. THE RACE 9 II. AN UNANSWERED QUESTION 21 III. THE ENGINEER OF THE RAINBOW MINE 30 IV. OLIVE COMES HOME 40 V. THEIR RIDE TOGETHER 51 VI. THAT SAME AFTERNOON 66 VII. "COURAGE MAKES THE MAN" 79 VIII. THE MIDNIGHT CONFERENCE 91 IX. A DILEMMA AND A VISITOR 100 X. CROSS PURPOSES 110 XI. A DINNER PARTY 121 XII. TWO CONVERSATIONS 134 XIII. A VISIT TO RAINBOW MINE 146 XIV. THE EXPLOSION 155 XV. AN UNFORTUNATE DISCUSSION 165 XVI. A DESERT STORM 187 XVII. OLIVE'S REMORSE 200 XVIII. JACK SURRENDERS AT LAST 210 XIX. RAINBOW CASTLE 221 XX. A PARTY AT THE NEW HOUSE 230 XXI. MAIDS AND MEN 240 XXII. OLD FRIENDS AND SOMETHING MORE 254

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, RALPH MERRITT?" SHE DEMANDED _Frontispiece_ PAGE "SHE HAD HEARD THAT MASTERFUL TONE BEFORE" 84 "THE STARS HAD DISAPPEARED AND BEYOND THE UNIVERSAL GRAYNESS THERE WAS NOW A FAINT ROSE LIGHT" 211 "YOU WOULD HAVE MARRIED ME ANYHOW" 241

AN hour before sunset a number of persons were standing in a small group facing the western horizon. But although the prairie was covered with a crop of young grass, a pale green mirror to reflect the colors of the sun, they were not looking at the landscape but toward two figures on horseback, a girl and a boy who were riding across country as rapidly as their horses could carry them.