“Penny!” called an agitated voice.
Penny relaxed as she knew that it was her chum. “Louise!” she answered, running to meet her.
Rounding a clump of bushes, and walking gingerly on the narrow boards, Louise stopped short as she beheld her friend.
“Why, you’re as white as a ghost!” she exclaimed. “And I distinctly heard you shout! What happened? Did you see a snake?”
“A snake would be mild compared to what I’ve been through. Were you ever eaten alive?”
“Not that I recall.”
“Well, I escaped it by the skin of my teeth,” Penny said, rather relishing the adventure now that the story made such good telling. “I was saved by a mysterious stranger!”
Louise gazed at her chum anxiously and reached out to touch her forehead. “You’re hot and feverish,” she insisted. “This trip has been too much for you.”
“I’m as cool as a piece of artificial ice!” Penny retorted. “Furthermore, I’m not touched by the heat!”
“Well, something is wrong with you.”