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[Illustration: AS THE MAD HORSE CIRCLED HER, THE GIRL STRUCK AGAIN AND
AGAIN. Page 171]




                             Ruth Fielding
                             In the Saddle

                                   OR

                            COLLEGE GIRLS IN
                            THE LAND OF GOLD

                                   BY

                            ALICE B. EMERSON

               Author of "Ruth Fielding of the Red Mill,"
                 "Ruth Fielding on Cliff Island," Etc.

                             _ILLUSTRATED_

[Image]

                                NEW YORK
                         CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
                               PUBLISHERS




                            Books for Girls
                          BY ALICE B. EMERSON
                          RUTH FIELDING SERIES
                       12mo. Cloth. Illustrated.


                 RUTH FIELDING OF THE RED MILL
                 Or, Jasper Parloe's Secret.

                 RUTH FIELDING AT BRIARWOOD HALL
                 Or, Solving the Campus Mystery.

                 RUTH FIELDING AT SNOW CAMP
                 Or, Lost in the Backwoods.

                 RUTH FIELDING AT LIGHTHOUSE POINT
                 Or, Nita, The Girl Castaway.

                 RUTH FIELDING AT SILVER RANCH
                 Or, Schoolgirls Among the Cowboys.

                 RUTH FIELDING ON CLIFF ISLAND
                 Or, The Old Hunter's Treasure Box.

                 RUTH FIELDING AT SUNRISE FARM
                 Or, What Became of the Raby Orphans.

                 RUTH FIELDING AND THE GYPSIES
                 Or, The Missing Pearl Necklace.

                 RUTH FIELDING IN MOVING PICTURES
                 Or, Helping the Dormitory Fund.

                 RUTH FIELDING DOWN IN DIXIE
                 Or, Great Times in the Land of Cotton.

                 RUTH FIELDING AT COLLEGE
                 Or, The Missing Examination Papers.

                 RUTH FIELDING IN THE SADDLE
                 Or, College Girls in the Land of Gold.


               Cupples & Leon Co., Publishers, New York.

                          Copyright, 1917, by
                         Cupples & Leon Company

                      Ruth Fielding in the Saddle

                          Printed in U. S. A.




                                CONTENTS

               CHAPTER                                 PAGE
                    I. What Is Coming                     1
                   II. Eavesdropping                      9
                  III. The Letter from Yucca             18
                   IV. A Week at Home                    26
                    V. The Girl in Lower Five            35
                   VI. Somebody Ahead of Them            44
                  VII. A Mysterious Affair               52
                 VIII. Min                               58
                   IX. In the Saddle at Last             67
                    X. The Stampede                      75
                   XI. At Handy Gulch                    82
                  XII. Min Shows Her Mettle              94
                 XIII. An Ursine Holdup                 100
                  XIV. At Freezeout Camp                109
                   XV. More Discoveries                 117
                  XVI. New Arrivals                     124
                 XVII. The Man in the Cabin             134
                XVIII. Ruth Really Has a Secret         142
                  XIX. Something Unexpected             151
                   XX. The Mad Stallion                 159
                  XXI. A Peril of the Saddle            167
                 XXII. Ruth Hears Something             177
                XXIII. More of It                       185
                 XXIV. The Real Thing                   192
                  XXV. Uncle Jabez Is Converted         199




RUTH FIELDING IN THE SADDLE




CHAPTER I--WHAT IS COMING


"Will you do it?" asked the eager, black-eyed girl sitting on the deep
window shelf.

"If Mr. Hammond says the synopsis of the picture is all right, I'll go."

"Oh, Ruthie! It would be just--just scrumptious!"

"_We'll_ go, Helen--just as we agreed last week," said her chum, laughing
happily.

"It will be great! great!" murmured Helen Cameron, her hands clasped