_Chapter_ I Bess Fletcher’s First Western Acquaintance 11 II The Golden Glimpse 21 III Henry West’s Ideal 28 IV The Hesitating Lariat 38 V The Motley Spectators at Polson 43 VI _HW_ Ranch 46 VII “I Would Have Done More for an Injun” 53 VIII Bess Learns the Real Cause of the Accident 59 IX “Helen” at the St. Ignatius Mission 65 X A Western Tragedy 76 XI The Miracle of Womanhood 87 XII An Indian in the Moonlight 97 XIII A Frantic Herd 105 XIV The First Visit of Dave Davis 117 XV A Journey Up Flathead Lake 130 XVI “Mon Desir” and the Box of Roses 137 XVII Bess Fletcher’s New Gun and Its First Victim 144 XVIII Mauchacho Wins the Race 153 XIX The Strength of a Beaded Belt 166 XX The Camping Trip and “Peter Pan” 181 XXI The Trout Deal 191 XXII A Pseudo Squaw 198 XXIII An Unusual Proposal 206 XXIV Why a Cheek Blanches 213 XXV Berenice Morton’s Arrival 221 XXVI A Wedding Day 235 XXVII “I—am—but—an—Indian” 244 XXVIII A Winter’s Vigil 250 XXIX The Brand _HW_ 255 XXX “When You Can Forget” 268 ILLUSTRATIONS Bess Frontispiece Sunset on Flathead Lake 211 _To all who know the Golden West, And those who fain would feel Its charm and mystery, and test Its worth, which is so real; To all who love God’s mountains, His vast expanse of plain, His forests, lakes and fountains, And the secrets they contain— This book is humbly given._ —TIN SCHREINER. THE BRAND CHAPTER I BESS FLETCHER’S FIRST WESTERN ACQUAINTANCE For two days the westbound train had hurried over the prairies as if it understood the heart of the girl and strove to gratify her impatience for a glimpse of the mountains. She sat at the car window and gazed fascinated at the scenes which were so new and strange that she forgot the coach with its tired people—forgot even her brother, who sat with his book, bored and indifferent to the flying panorama.