Margaret fairly held her breath when she saw Virginia dismount and enter the open door. Would she come out again? What would she find in there? Margaret shuddered at these thoughts.
One minute passed, then two, and Virginia did not appear. Ought Margaret to race to the ranch for help? Another minute, which seemed an hour long to the waiting girl, and then, to her great relief, Virginia appeared in the open door and beckoned to her. By her side was the small boy who had been on the roof.
As Margaret rode up, Virginia hastened out to meet her and there were tears in the eyes that were lifted to her friend.
“What is it, Virginia? Is someone in trouble?” Margaret asked anxiously.
“Yes, dear, in great trouble,” was the reply. “A little mother is lying in there, unconscious, and the three babies, the oldest but nine, are almost starved. Oh, how thankful I am that we did not pass them by.” Then, brushing away her tears, she added: “Margaret, dear, please ride home as fast as you can and ask Slim to come at once with the car. I will take this little family back to the ranch.”
Margaret did as she was told, and was soon riding as she had never ridden before. Suddenly she saw a horseman appear on the sand hill trail. He was riding slowly when she first noticed him, but upon seeing her, he urged his horse to a gallop. Margaret was terrorized! What if it should be that dreaded outlaw? She tried to urge Star to greater speed, but although she did not turn, she could tell that the horseman was overtaking her.
A few moments later, when the galloping tread of the pursuing horse was close behind her, the eastern girl, drew rein and whirled about that she might know the worst or the best, and it sure was the latter for the supposed “outlaw” was no other than Slick Cy, the kindly cow-boy from the Slater Ranch.
“Miss Margaret,” he exclaimed as he rode alongside, “yo’ all look scared like. Didn’t yo’ all know who ah was?”
She tried to urge Star to greater speed for the horseman was overtaking her.