“I was hoping she’d break her neck!” muttered Joe to Bud Hyslop. “Just as I was getting the did man interested, she had to spoil everything! But I’m not through! He’s got to take my word against hers!”
“Sure!” answered Bud. “Terry Mapes is no good at a business deal. She’ll not convince Peter Langley!”
While Bud and Joe looked on sullenly, Terry landed on the mountain at some distance from the astonished old couple, who hurried along the trail to reach her.
“He’s a brave man whoever he is,” said Mary Langley. “Jumping from the sky like that! It scares me to think of it!”
“I wonder why he’s coming here?” asked Peter Langley.
Terry was just picking herself up and rubbing a bruise on her arm, as the old couple scrambled up the rocky ledge.
“Bless me, if it isn’t a girl, and a pretty one! Did you have to jump out of that plane?”
“Yes,” replied Terry with a laugh. “I had to jump! I had to get here before twelve o’clock and that was the only way I could do it. I’m Terry Mapes and I’ve come to take up the option on the flying field.”
Peter Langley stared at the girl in astonishment. “You did that? You brave, brave girl!”
Mary Langley was brushing Terry off and helping her to get out of her parachute harness. “Come along to the house,” she said. “I’ll make you a cup of good strong coffee to brace you up, though goodness knows it would take more than that to bring me to, if I’d jumped from a plane! What are girls coming to! When I was young I’d never have dreamed that girls could do a thing like that!”