The blizzard took heavy toll over all that part of the state. But Los Ranchos suffered less than most ranges because the cattle were in excellent shape and better able to weather such exposure. The wisdom of Mr. Daniels in acquiring the new piece of range was shown, for the cattle had had fresh grazing for a month before the blizzard; also, that tract of land happened to be protected from northerly winds, and ranged up into the foothills where there were many sheltering canyons. Raquel, Pancho Esquibal, Angel, Russ and Jami, in a week’s time covered all the lowlands and found not more than twenty casualties. “We’ll have no trouble rounding up our thousand head, or more,” Russell told her. They were in the middle of February then. One day the cold weather was gone. The sun shone with surprising heat, the roads were dried up. Raquel drove into town for the mail. She had not been in for a month, although some one went for the mail every week. There was a big packet, but Raquel did not open it after she saw a letter to her mother on top. She turned and flew straight back to the ranch. Mom was in the kitchen with the lambs, now frisking blithely in the life-giving sunshine that poured through the door. The two other little lambs of the blizzard night, Luisita and Josefita, more languid, but not so white, played beside them. “You read it, Raquel.” Mom’s hand shook as she held out the letter. Dad had made his second trip over on cattle transports. Both times they had narrowly escaped being attacked by submarines, and Dad was full of the stupidities of some folks when it came to handling cattle. “I don’t blame the poor critters none for bein’ seasick,” wrote Dad, “and I wished for Raquel many a time to help me try to quiet them with that way she has when they get frightened. “Now, Raquel, as soon as you meet the note, deliver the Government as many steers as you can as soon as possible. You’ll be gettin’ a request some time this spring, so be ready. These boys have to eat if we’re goin’ to win this war. Why, I talked with a soldier that said he hadn’t had anything but fudge for a week!” At that Raquel laughed until she was weak. But the letter had stirred her seriously with a passionate desire for action. The winter seemed as if it would never end. But now the time was coming for which they had been waiting. In two weeks they would begin to pick out their cattle for shipment. Now the real test for her was at hand. She felt somehow that it was going to be a test; that unforeseen obstacles were waiting. But if other women and girls were taking the place of men all over the country, doing things that they never had done before, she, Raquel Daniels, brought up on the range, used to handling cattle all her life, would be pretty good for nothing if she couldn’t do her bit. And then she opened the letters from Anne and Miss Carter which came in the same packet.