
Jacqueline Ralston is a head‑strong ranch girl who loves the wide‑open prairie and the hum of daily chores at her family’s ranch. One crisp autumn morning she rides out alone to inspect a new corral, only to realize she’s strayed from the familiar trail as the sun dips behind distant, snow‑capped peaks. With her trusty pony Hotspur and a modest supply of food, she faces the quiet, rolling fields that suddenly feel both beautiful and bewildering.
As dusk settles, a sudden rustle in the woods reveals a young rider, Dan Norton, who confronts her with suspicion and a sharp tongue. Their tense exchange hints at an uneasy rivalry that could turn into an unexpected partnership, especially when Jacqueline’s determination clashes with Dan’s pride. Together they must navigate the wilderness, the hidden paths, and the challenges of frontier life, all while the ranch’s overseer Jim and her sisters watch anxiously from afar. The story captures the spirit of adventure, friendship, and the resolve of a young woman learning her own limits on the open range.
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (302K characters)
Series
The Ranch Girls Series
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Emmy, Darleen Dove and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2010-08-11
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1876–1958
Best known for lively girls’ adventure series, this American children’s writer filled her books with travel, friendship, and wartime service. Her stories helped shape early 20th-century popular fiction for young readers, especially the Camp Fire Girls, Ranch Girls, Red Cross Girls, and Girl Scouts books.
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