“Yes,” answered John, slowly. “Yes, indeed.” “Do you want to look for him after this dance?” “Yes, I suppose so,” said the young man, wearily. Somehow, he seemed to have lost interest in everything. At the conclusion of the dance, the young men found each other, and the girls were introduced. Jack explained that he had simply run over from Atlantic City for the evening, and that even now he must hurry back. “Well, I’m glad to see you’re not grieving much!” he added, as he left them. He winked significantly at John. John flushed, and turned away, suggesting to Dorothy that they find his mother and start for home. For now, whether he liked it or not, Marjorie would hear about Dorothy Snyder. CHAPTER VIII. THE STAMPEDE. Marjorie and Ethel were awake the next morning long before the other scouts opened their eyes. Dressing cautiously in their riding breeches and flannel shirts, they hurried out to meet the Hilton boys at the appointed place. “I have a horse for each of you,” said Bob, “as you see. But if you don’t like them, you don’t need to keep them. There are certainly plenty of horses.” “I think they are fine!” remarked Ethel, stepping up to stroke them. “Come, let’s mount them, Marj!” “My, what long stirrups!” said Marjorie, as she got up on her horse. “Yes, they all ride that way out here,” said Bob. “It’s more comfortable than the English fashion--if you are riding a long distance.” “Oh, we’ll have to learn to ride all over again, I guess,” said Marjorie. “But please be sure to tell us any little pointers you can. We want to ride like Westerners, don’t we, Ethel?” “Indeed we do!” agreed the other girl. “Well, I think you both ride remarkably well,” said Bob, who had been watching them with admiration. “There are a lot of Eastern girls who come out here who hardly have an idea how to sit on a horse.” The day was clear and beautiful, and the girls breathed in the pure, dry air with a feeling of exhilaration that they never experienced in the East. How good it was to be on a horse again, away from every care in the world! The blood tingled in their veins; it was joy just to be alive! Marjorie decided that she could not have given this up for a whole summer with John Hadley at a poky little seashore or mountain resort. As they rode along, the girls kept their eyes alert to see everything. The elevation of the land, the clearness of the atmosphere, and the absence of trees made it possible for them to get a good view of the country for miles around. The vastness of it all impressed them, as nothing had ever done in the East. “We’ll ride out and encircle the farthest horse,” explained Bob, “and gradually drive them towards the ranch.” “I should think you’d lose your horses all the time,” remarked Ethel; “when there are no fences to keep them in. They might so easily wander to another ranch, and get mixed up with the horses there.”