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The locust thickets characteristic of these slopes were thorny and close knit They tore and scratched and stung both horses and riders Ranger appeared to be the ent of the horses and suffered less Bo's white h more than one brambly place On the other hand, some of these steep slopes, were comparatively free of underbrush Great firs and pines loomed up on all sides The earth was soft and the hoofs sank deep Toward the bottoer would brace his front feet and then slide down on his haunches This htened Helen The climb out then on the other side had to be done on foot

After half a dozen slopes surth was spent and her breath was gone She felt light-headed She could not get enough air Her feet felt like lead, and her riding-coat was a burden A hundred ti, she was compelled to stop Always she had been a splendid walker and clilad to be on her feet But she could only drag one foot up after the other Then, when her nose began to bleed, she realized that it was the elevation which was causing all the trouble Her heart, however, did not hurt her, though she was conscious of an oppression on her breast

At last Roy led into a ravine so deep and wide and full of forest verdure that it appeared i after a little way Helen found that leading Ranger doorse than riding hiht in her tracks She was not quick enough to get away froain his broad chest hit her shoulder and threw her flat When he began to slide, near the bottoreat?" panted Bo, froone," panted Helen, in reply

Roy tried several places to cli down the ravine for a hundred yards or more, he essayed another attempt Here there had been a slide, and in part the earth was bare When he had worked up this, he halted above, and called: "Bad place! Keep on the up side of the hosses!"

This appeared easier said than done Helen could not watch Bo, because Ranger would not wait He pulled at the bridle and snorted