ut no other spectators allowed."

Half an hour later Jo was gazing at her as one gazes at some marvelous
performer, but his awe and admiration were expressed in a simple but
effective phrase:

"Oh, baby, but you can put it over them all!"

That afternoon when the Kingdon household came down to occupy the row of
raised seats erected in the "field," Pen was missing. Her absence was a
mystery until the following typed programs for the day were handed out:

OUTLAW HORSE SHOW
TOP HILL PARK

------

JO GARY, Champion Rider of Top Hill, will
ride TURN TURTLE and PINCH HITTER.

SLEEPY SANDY will ride BATTLESHIP GRAY and
BABY DOLL.

JAKEY FOURR will ride PICKLED PETE and PIKER.

GENE DOSSEY will ride HIAWATHA and WHIZZ.

------

MISS PENNY ANTE
(Miss Penelope Lamont)
Will ride _anything brought into the ring_!

------

GREAT EXHIBITION OF ROUGH RIDING by the most
notorious riders of the West. Only the most
unmanageable animals will be ridden.

Kingdon's eye-glasses came off with a sense of shock.

"This will never do, Margaret!" he exclaimed. "Those crazy boys have no
sense. They'll bring out some of those wild horses, and that meek-looking,
little daredevil friend of Kurt's will call any bluff. She mustn't be
allowed to ride."

His wife restrained him as he started away.

"I feel confident that she can do--anything. She told me she could ride."

"Well," he replied resignedly, "I always have left everything regarding
girls to your judgment, so I suppose I must now, but I am surprised at
you."

The children were thrown into a state of excitement on deciphering Pen's
part in the coming feats.

A bugle sounded.

Into the ring rode the four slim, young top riders of the ranch force,
chaparajos and sombreros being much in evidence. They gave the usual
stunts in the typical Western way on a track tramped as hard as asphalt,
the tattoo of hoofs making the hard earth ring in the soundless
atmosphere. Their feats, singly and together, were marvelous, but there
was lacking to the onlookers the charm of novelty, as they had long been
accustomed to these and similar exhibitions of horsemanship.

Everyone's heart beat a little faster with expectancy, therefore, when
there came another blare of the trumpet. Into the ring cam