The cowmen wiped their eyes, then gave her a cowboy yell. Stacy Brown rose and bowed low in acknowledgment, which brought a loud guffaw. The dance that had been so rudely interrupted on a previous occasion was then resumed, and thirty minutes later the gathering broke up, every cowboy face wearing a broad grin. The Overlanders surely had brought sunshine to the Circle O ranch.
As all hands strolled out into the open, Emma walking at the side of Two-gun Pete, gazing up soulfully into his embarrassed face, Elfreda Briggs pointed to a cloud of dust far down the valley, a cloud that was rolling rapidly towards them.
“That looks like a young tornado,” observed Stacy.
“I reckon thet’s it, and on a hoss, too,” said Idaho.
“On a horse?” wondered Emma.
“Yes. You’ll see when it gits heah. Wait!” chuckled Idaho.
The Overland party now watched the cloud with new interest, and the cowboys laughed as they observed the puzzled expression on the faces of their guests.
“It is someone on a horse. You can’t fool me,” cried Emma.
“Yes, and it is a girl, too,” added Elfreda.
The rider came on like an incipient whirlwind, her mustang on a run. She shot by the spectators and went on for some distance, then, circling out into the valley, came dashing up to them and flung herself from the saddle.