In the bank all was disorder and excitement. One of the shots that had been fired was lodged in the teller who had attempted to resist the thieves. His condition was not serious, however, and he was able to add his incoherent story to the other tales told by the people who had been present.
Virginia, when she joined the girls to go home, was flushed and excited.
“You certainly acted quickly,” she declared admiringly. “The town owes you a vote of thanks. They would have gotten away sure if you hadn’t tripped them.”
“Catching bandits is just one of the things we do,” laughed Phyllis. “You ought to really see us in action.”
“I had use for my rope before I thought I would,” Gale said smilingly. “I haven’t even learned how to use it yet--when we catch two bandits.”
Back at the ranch the three of the Adventure Girls would have said nothing about their part in the robbery, but Virginia promptly declared them heroines and told with harrowing details every bit of the robbery, including the shooting of the bank teller.
The girls who had remained at home were utterly chagrined to think that they had missed any excitement whatever and promptly began to think of means to have some more.
Chapter III
GALE’S ADVENTURE
The Arizona night was cool, the sky studded with stars. In the living room the girls from the East were toying with the radio and dancing. Gale and Valerie stepped out onto the porch into the cool darkness. Walking a short distance from the house they were enveloped in silence, interrupted only now and then by the noise from the radio. They sauntered to where a giant pine tree spread its sheltering branches overhead.
Valerie coughed as she leaned against the sturdy trunk and a sympathetic gleam entered Gale’s eyes. The girls all knew that Valerie’s health was not of the best, and it was hoped that this month they were to spend here in Arizona would do her good. She liked fun and excitement as well as any of them, but she could not stand too much. She needed to build up a stranger constitution and her friends were sure the western air would help as no medicine could.