CHAPTER XXII

AFTER THE TEMPEST


The party had not got away from the scene of the round-up so very
early in the morning; and the detour to reach the herd of antelopes
had taken considerable time. It was therefore well past noon when
the tornado had sent the four schoolgirls scurrying for the old
bears' den.

But by that time it was almost pitch dark outside as well as inside
the cavern. The tornado had quenched the sunlight and made it seem
more like midnight than mid-afternoon.

The situation of the girls in the cavity in the west side of the
gulch might not have been so awe-inspiring had it not been for the
mysterious noise that had echoed and reechoed through the hollow
rock.

Rhoda hobbled the horses in the dark at one side of the cave, and
did it just as skillfully as though she could see. It seemed to the
other girls as though fooling around the ponies' heels was a
dangerous piece of work; but the ranch girl laughed at them when
they mentioned it.

"These ponies don't kick, except each other when they are playing.