Page:From the West to the West.djvu/216

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"We'll see what can be done," said the Captain, thoughtfully. "I Ve left the saloon wagon to the last, hoping somebody would come along who could spare us a few more steers. We Ve thrown away everything we can do without. But we'll get the cattle."

"It's lucky we Ve got the money the teamsters paid us to get back after they deserted us/' said Jean. The Captain's face brightened.

"Why, surely!" he cried. "I had forgotten all about the financial end of that incident. You have a business head on you, my girl!"

"Here it is," cried Marjorie. "It is in our greatgrandmother's silver spectacle-case. Jean put it there."

"Sure enough," said her father. "Your great-grandfather carried that tarnished and battered spectacle-case all through the Revolutionary War. It is indeed a lucky find."

In less than an hour another train of dilapidated wagons came along, accompanied by half-a-dozen loose oxen and a discouraged cow.

Then for the first time the faces of Mrs. Benson and Mrs. McAlpin brightened. During all the hurry of the day they had wandered aimlessly about, steadfastly refusing to accept any assistance until the Ranger family should first be provided with oxen.

"Now, as we can get cattle enough to move one of our wagons, Jt is our time to make preparations for a start," said the Little Doctor.

"Did you think for a minute that you'd be abandoned to your fate? "asked Captain Ranger.

"We didn't allow ourselves to think at all; we just waited and trusted."

In less than an hour what was left of the Ranger outfit was in motion. And a sorry-looking outfit it was indeed.

One of Mrs. McAlpin's wagons was abandoned after she had discarded everything of appreciable weight that