t after the storm, and thus relaxed her nerve tension but
Bet had not had any such relief. As a result of the strain she found
herself irritated by Joy's nonsense and got out of the way to avoid a
quarrel.

It was two days later when the girls started on their trip to Saugus.
The first faint flush of dawn was in the sky as they set out, the
exhilarating air acting as a stimulant. Even the horses seemed to feel
it as they tossed their heads and pawed the ground when the girls were
getting ready to start. The restless animals were as eager to be off
as their riders, and at the first touch of the reins they sprang
forward as if for a race.

"Take it easy, Powder," laughed Kit as she tightened the rein and drew
up the horse's head. "You have a full day to show how clever you are."
Kit talked to the pony as if it were a human being and the horse seemed
to respond to whatever mood she was in. He slowed to a prancing trot,
high-stepping along the level like a spirited race horse.

Kit leaned over and patted his neck with pride as she called: "Look,
Bet, isn't he a beauty?"

"He is!--That is in looks. But I don't like his disposition. You are
welcome to ride him." Bet laughed aloud in her joy as she made her
pony dance along the trail.

"But if Powder didn't act up like a perfect fiend at times, I'd be
bored to death with him. I like them naughty. I hate a horse without
any spirit. Powder keeps me on my toes all the time." Kit ran her
finger along the horse's mane and with a spring Powder reared and
bucked, and did all the things that an untamed bronco would do when he
was first introduced to the saddle.

"You can have it all to yourself," said Bet, as Kit finally brought her
quieted horse to a standstill. "I like riding, but I don't want to be
a bronco buster."

Although they planned on being in the town by noon, the girls carried a
lunch strapped to their saddles. A rest and a bite to eat along the
way was half the fun and they had not gone more than a mile before Joy
was digging into the little bag that hung from the horn of her saddle.

By ten o'clock when the other girls were ready for a rest and something
to eat, Joy was down to the bottom of the bag.

"Never mind, Joy, you can have half of mine. Mother always puts up
enough for an army."

"Aren't we ever going to get there?" complained Joy, as she squatted in
the scant shade of a mesquite tree and ate some fudge.

"Five miles more!" Kit annou