"Maybe so. But…" began Joy.
"And so I say," continued Shirley, "let Bet lead the way and we'll follow. If it's treasure, we'll help her dig. And if she goes in for fancy bronco busting, that's O. K. too."
"Oh, Shirley, don't say that! You make me feel responsible and I don't want that. Let's not make any plans at all. Just be ready to do whatever comes our way. That's always more fun." Bet liked to have the thrill of unexpected adventure, hoping that something new would come their way.
"I have my heart set on teaching some of you to rope a steer," Kit spoke up.
"Sure! It wouldn't do at all for them to go back east before they'd learned that," agreed Tommy, his eyes glowing at the prospect of showing off his skill with the rope.
"It isn't as hard as it looks," Kit encouraged the girls.
"I imagine we'll find it harder than it looks," laughed Bet as she tore herself away from the map. "It doesn't look a bit difficult when that rope twirls through the air. I've seen it in the movies and once I tried it with the clothes line but I couldn't do more than get the rope around my own neck. I know I'll never learn."
"Before the summer is over, Bet, you'll be a regular cowboy. I'll teach you myself," Tommy asserted.
"And I don't want to be taught. I'm sure I'd hate it," exclaimed Joy.
"Nobody will learn if we are going to get interested in treasure maps and that sort of thing," pouted Kit.