He's been good to me." The woman looked relieved.
"And where you goin', dearie, all 'lone?
What your folks thinkin' 'bout to let you go 'lone this way ?" "They're dead," said the girl with great tears in her eyes.
"Dearie me! And you so young! Say, dearie, s'pose you stay here with me.
I'm lonesome, an' there's no women near by here.

You could help me and be comp'ny.

The men would like to have a girl round.

There's plenty likely men on this ranch could make a good home fer a girl sometime.

Stay here with me, dearie." Had this refuge been offered the girl during her first flight in the wilderness, with what joy and thankfulness she would have accepted! Now it suddenly seemed a great impossibility for her to stay.