"If a horse has got four legs he can be ridden," declared the girl from the ranch, succinctly.
"Take the off one on my team, then——"
"That old plug? I guess not!" exclaimed Ann, and was off.
She unharnessed one of the pitching, snapping mustangs. "Whoa—easy! You wouldn't bite me, you know," she crooned, and the mustang thrust forward his ears and listened.
She dropped off the heavy harness. The bridle she allowed to remain, but there was no saddle. The English teacher came to her senses, suddenly.
"That creature will kill you!" she cried, seeing what Ann was about.
"Then he'll be the first horse that ever did it," drawled Ann. "Hi, yi, yi! We're off!"
To the horror of the teacher, to the surprise of Old Dolliver, and to the delight of the other girls, Ann Hicks swung herself astride of the dancing pony, dug her heels into his ribs, and the next moment had darted out of sight down the wood road.