“My neckerchief and my handkerchief. I was so relieved when I saw they understood. Then I realized that they would come right over and land at the foot of the cliff, as near as they could, but I knew we would lose time if I waited for them where I was, and that I’d better try to meet them, so I did.”
“Do you mean to say that you rode right down that sheer cliff?” asked Claudia excitedly grabbing Joanne’s arm.
“Why, yes,” replied Joanne hesitatingly. “It wasn’t so awful, and I have seen movie pictures of Italian soldiers going down much worse places on horseback.”
Smothered ejaculations of “Oh!” were breathed by the girls.
“You’re a perfect wonder!” cried Winnie; “isn’t she, Miss Dodge? I’d no more dare to do that than I would fly.”
“I wouldn’t in the least mind flying,” returned Joanne laughingly, “and I mean to, some day.”
“I haven’t a doubt but you will,” said Miss Chesney with emphasis.
It was on the tip of Joanne’s tongue to say: “At least no one can deny that I can ride,” but she realized that this would sound too boastful and she went off to her tent to get rid of some of the smoke and dust of the afternoon’s adventure.
“I always knew there was lots in Jo,” said Claudia as the heroine went off, “but she certainly is getting ahead by leaps and bounds.”
“Too leapy and boundy for me,” responded Esther Rhodes, who was often inclined to be a little envious; “she’ll get ahead of us all if we don’t look out.”