"Swing y'r pardners," shouted the fiddler, above the din of voices. Down came the bow across the strings, that responded in shrill, piercing notes. Around flew the dancers, their cheeks growing redder and redder. The clatter of the cowboys' spurs, and the tapping of the fiddler's foot kept time to the music. While watching the dancers, Kenneth discovered Jessie Roth, a young Scotch girl, in from the range. As soon as he could do so, he presented her to Esther Bright. Jessie responded to the introduction awkwardly and shyly; but as she looked into Esther's face, she seemed to gain confidence. It was such a kindly, such a sympathetic face. Jessie was a girl Esther had long been wishing to meet, and to interest in better things. She was at heart good, and if wisely directed would undoubtedly exercise a wholesome influence over other girls. As the teacher expressed her interest in her, and what they might do together, Jessie's face beamed. "Mr. Hastings telt me aboot y'r Bible school, an' how ye wantit me tae come. Did ye?" "Indeed I did." "Dae ye want mony mair tae come?" "Yes, as many as you can bring, Jessie." Then the two took seats in the corner of the room, and Esther gave her an enthusiastic account of her plans for the Gila girls. The Scotch girl listened, with an occasional comment. "Do you like the life on the range, Jessie?" "Rael weel! Y're as free as the air!" Here the girl gave her body and arms a swing, as though ready to leap to the back of a running horse. She seemed all muscle. "My mustang's the best friend I hev. I broke 'er mysel'. My! She can gae like the wind!" "You!" said the astonished teacher. "Can you break a horse?" "Can I?" she repeated in amusement. "I'd like tae show ye. I wad like tae tak ye oot on the range wi' me. My, but ye'd like it!" "No doubt. What do you do out on the range?" "Oh, we rides an' rides an' looks after the cattle; we cooks, an' plays cards, an' joshes the boys." Here Jessie laughed. "What a dreary life this must be," thought Esther. She said aloud, "You must find the life monotonous and lonely." "Never lonely, schoolma'am. It's full o' excitement. There's somethin' doin' all the time. Sometime ye sees herds o' antelope, or ye meets a grizzly. It's better'n a dance tae bring down a grizzly." "A bear?" the teacher exclaimed in astonishment. "You don't mean to say you ever killed a bear?" The cowlass's eyes sparkled as she said proudly: "I've shot several, an' other big game too. But the greatest thing on the range is tae see a stampede o' cattle. It's as much as y'r life's worth tae be in their way." The girl, though rough, had a vitality and picturesqueness attractive to the polished New Englander. It was equally certain that Esther was attractive to the cowlass. Jessie left her for a moment, but soon returned, bringing three others with her. After presenting them, she said: "Tell 'em, schoolma'am, what ye telt me." "Tell what, Jessie?"