at midnight, she said:

"Dear me, Rhoda, what perfectly lovely times you can have out here
in the wilderness. I never danced with so many nice boys before. I
never would have believed Rose Ranch was like this."




CHAPTER XVI

EXPECTATIONS


After this Nan and Bess and Grace, as well as Walter, were well
acquainted with the "boys" about Rose Ranch. At least, they knew
all those employed within easy riding distance of the ranch house.

It was later that they learned they had met none of "Dan's bunch."
That was the crowd that had ridden away the very morning after the
visitors had arrived at the ranch. The outfit headed by Dan
MacCormack had gone to round up a horse herd many miles from
headquarters.

Mr. Hammond and several other ranchmen of the vicinity allowed
their horses to run wild in the hills for a part of each year. The
larger part, in fact.

"You see, they get their own living up there, on pasturage that
they never could be driven to," Rhoda explained to the girls.