noon
The girl , scarcely heeding his words , took the ring , and in a mock-heroic sort of way kissed and slipped it on to her engagement finger , a gleam of mischief in her eyes , at which action Cameron , stung almost to madness , smothered a groan , and strode across the porch , his spurs clanking on the floor , gathering up his hair rope as he went . With one hand on the pommel of the saddle and the other on the pony 's mane , he leaped lightly into his seat without aid of stirrup and , bringing the coil of rope down on the animal 's flank , went off down the line of wire fence on a dead run , and soon turned out of sight around a low hill in the valley . The girl watched him in silence until he was lost to view , and then , with a gay laugh , turned into the room , saying , `` Poor Cam , what fun it is to tease him ! '' A moment later , when Juan appeared at the door with her horse , she pulled on her pretty buckskin gloves , and with a `` Goodbye , Mary , I 'll be home by noon , '' to the heavy-faced cook , who stood watching her from the door of the log kitchen , she rode off almost as fast as Cameron , but in a different direction . Three months before these happenings George Hull had gone down to the little railroad station , some thirty miles from the ranch , to meet his wife 's only sister , who was coming to spend the summer with them in Arizona , and from her first day she had taken to the life like a duck to water . She was a fearless horsewoman , and never so happy as when out on the range riding with the cowboys , if they were there , or alone if they were not . Nell Steele was a warm-hearted , impulsive girl , but she could no more help making a slave of every man she met than she could stop breathing .