Produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

GRACE HARLOWE'S OVERLAND RIDERS ON THE GREAT AMERICAN DESERT

BY

JESSIE GRAHAM FLOWER, A. M.

ILLUSTRATED

CHAPTER I—WHEN THE COWBOYS LAUGHED

Picking out the ponies for the desert journey. The Overland girlsmeet Hi Lang. Grace selects an "outlaw" pony. "Don't reckon you'llbe able to stick on him," warns the guide. Grace Harlowe flingsherself into the saddle, braced for the shock.

CHAPTER II—AN "OUTLAW" MEETS HIS MATCH

Grace fights a stubborn battle with the vicious bronco. "Lookout!" yells the guide. "Wall, ef thet don't beat the Dutch!"exclaims a cowboy. A fainting conqueror. Cowboys voice theiradmiration of the Overland girl, and Bud offers his services inthe event of trouble.

CHAPTER III—A THRILLING MOMENT

Enthusiastic plainsmen give Grace a Mexican lasso. The start forthe desert. A rousing good-bye that ends in disaster. Elfreda andGrace accomplish a difficult feat. "Hang on! We'll stop him!" Therunaway bronco is thrown. "They're caught!"

CHAPTER IV—PING WING MAKES A DISCOVERY

Elfreda confesses to being "all mussed up," and gives first aid toan injured cowboy. The lure of the desert. Welcomed at their firstcamp by Ping Wing. The Chinaman as a songbird. The Overland Eidersare aroused by cries and shots.

CHAPTER V—STALKING A MOUNTAIN MYSTERY

Ping uses a frying pan and a can of tomatoes as his weapons.Scooting for a mysterious foe. "Put up your hands! I have youcovered!" Grace Harlowe exchanges shots with her adversary, thensuddenly sinks out of sight.

CHAPTER VI—INTO THE GREAT SILENCE

Hi stalks an unseen enemy and wings him. The hole in the mountain.
"The hound! He hit her! I'll kill him for that!" Grace,
unconscious, is carried into camp. "This is not a gunshot wound!"
Bullets are fired into the camp of the Overlanders.

CHAPTER VII—THE FIRST DESERT CAMP

Hi Lang shows his charges how to make a campfire on the desert. Awater hole is found. "Some one is trying to poison us!" groansHippy. The guide warns the campers against scorpions. Emma Deanwishes she had gone to the seashore.

CHAPTER VIII—CALLERS DROP IN

Amid scenes of desolation. "A party of horsemen coming this way!"The Overland party prepares for trouble. Hippy is doused by a wilddesert rider. "Get off my desert!" orders Lieutenant Wingate. Theleader is kicked into a water hole. The battle at the water hole.

CHAPTER IX—PIRATES GET A HOT RECEPTION

Bullets fly fast in the desert camp. Grace protests against HiLang's order to shoot the attackers' ponies. Miss Briggs dressesthe wounds of the victims. The guide reads danger signals in thesky.

CHAPTER X—WHEN THE BLOW FELL

"It's here!" mutters Hi Lang. Enveloped in a wild desertsandstorm. "Down! Everybody down!" Overland girls nearly buriedunder drifting sands, and camp equipment is wrecked and blownaway. "The water hole is lost!" announces the guide.