No one else would have any object in molesting him or the others." Her voice hardened again as her mind dwelt upon the circumstances.

"It must have been you!" she finished sharply.
Whereupon Pink gave her a distressed look that made Miss Hallman flush unmistakably.

"I'm just about distracted, this morning," she apologized.
"I took it upon myself to see these settlers through--and everybody makes it just as hard as possible for me.

Why should all you fellows treat us the way you do?
We--" "Why, we aren't doing a thing!" Pink protested diffidently.

"We thought we'd take up some claims and go to ranching for ourselves, when we got discharged from the Flying U.We didn't mean any harm--everybody's taking up claims.