“I’m tired of being a squaw,” she said plaintively, “an’ I’m tired of walking the plank an’ I want to be something else an’ do something else.”
Joan was the only girl whose existence the Outlaws officially recognised. This was partly owing to Joan’s own personal attractiveness and partly to the fact that an admiration for Joan was the only human weakness of their manly leader, William. Thus Joan was admitted to all such games as required the female element. The others she was graciously allowed to watch.
They received her outburst with pained astonishment.
“Well,” said Ginger coldly, “wot else is there to do an’ be?”
Ginger felt that the very foundation of the Society of Outlaws was being threatened. The Outlaws had played at Red Indians and Pirates since their foundation.
“Let’s play at being ordinary people,” said Joan.
“Ordinary people——!” exploded Douglas. “There’s no playin’ in bein’ ordinary people. Wot’s the good——?”
“Let’s be Jasmine Villas,” said Joan, warming to her theme. “We’ll each be a person in Jasmine Villas——”
William, who had so far preserved a judicial silence, now said:
“I don’ mind playin’ ornery people s’long as we don’ do ornery things.”