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The horses trotted And the exercise soon warers In rew more ht now becaside the flank of Bo's, she could scarcely see Bo Froht froht

Helen had not ridden a horse for more than a year, and for several years she had not ridden with any regularity Despite her thrills upon reeably surprised, for the horse, Ranger, had an easy gait, and she found she had not forgotten how to ride Bo, having been used to riding on a farht be expected to acquit herself adht they would have been in but for the thick, coht was, Helen could dimly make out the road underneath It was rocky, and apparently little used When Dale turned off the road into the low brush or sage of what seeher, and yet no slower The horses kept to the gait of the leaders Helen, discovering it unnecessary, ceased attelooave Helen uneasiness, until closer approach proved them to be rocks or low, scrubby trees These increased in both size and nuressed Often Helen looked back into the gloom behind This act was involuntary and occasioned her sensations of dread Dale expected to be pursued And Helen experienced, along with the dread, flashes of unfamiliar resentment Not only was there an attee, but even her personal liberty Then she shuddered at the significance of Dale's words regarding her possible abduction by this hired gang It seeh to Dale and his allies The West, then, in reality was raw, hard, inevitable

Suddenly her horse stopped He had coside Bo's horse Dale had halted ahead, and apparently was listening Roy and the pack-train were out of sight in the gloom

"What is it?" whispered Helen

"Reckon I heard a wolf," replied Dale

"Was that cry a wolf's?" asked Bo "I heard It ild"

"We're gettin' up close to the foot-hills," said Dale "Feel how much colder the air is"