Chapter XVI
THE FIRST LESSON
"Now don't be frightened when the horse looks at you," Ricky advisedJanet patronizingly as the five Adventure Girls with Ricky and Gloriawalked to the new stables to meet the other two members of the class andtheir instructor.
"The horse will probably be frightened when Janet looks at it," Carolgiggled shamelessly.
Janet favored them both with a look of utter disgust and settled her hatat a more rakish angle.
At the stables the girls found the two grooms with saddled mounts readyand waiting. Their instructor was already mounted. Several upperclassmen had come down to watch the Freshmen get their firstinstructions. Among them was Marcia Marlette and Gale thanked her luckystars that she knew something about riding. She would not look foolishbefore Marcia. The other two members of the class arrived and the girlstook the reins of their mounts.
"Just watch me," Ricky whispered to Janet. "I'll show you how to mount."
Janet murmured something under her breath which Ricky innocently did nothear. Ricky swung into the saddle with the easy familiarity of beingused to horses. Janet followed suit.
"Excellent!" Ricky applauded. "It almost looked as though you had doneit before."
"I'm crazy about the merry-go-round," Janet explained, coughing away agiggle. "What do we do now?"
"Get the correct hold on the reins," Ricky instructed.
With the most guileless of expressions Carol and Janet, especially, wentthrough the pantomimes of beginners. The upper classmen spectators weregetting a lot of enjoyment out of the scene.
The horses were spirited mounts but easily handled by the girls. At lastthe instructions were beginning to pall upon Carol and Janet. Theydidn't like the leisurely pace they were forced to maintain for theclass as a unit. When they came to an open stretch in the road Carol andJanet urged their horses alongside the instructor. They talked in lowtones for several minutes; finally she nodded smilingly.
"Yipee!" Janet cheered. "Now, Ricky, we'll show you some riding!"
Side by side Janet and Carol spurred their horses on. The mounts, freshand eager, galloped away sending up a cloud of dust in their wake. Rickywatched the two girls in amazement.
"Where did they learn to ride like that?" she gasped to Valerie.
"On the western plains," Valerie laughed. "We spent a summer there.Janet has been bursting to show you."
"Look at them go!" Gloria cried. "They really are good."
"On flat roads, yes," Madge smiled. "Let them come to a jump--and watchout."
"Let's catch them," Gale proposed.
An acquiescent nod from the instructor with a word of caution, and theAdventure Girls with Ricky were off in pursuit of their friends.
Carol and Janet were racing neck and neck down the road. They weretrying recklessly to outrun one another. Their horses seemed to enterinto the spirit of the occasion and raced ahead. The girls bent low inthe saddles. They had not had so much fun since they were in Arizona.
"Race you to the old mill," Janet shouted.
"Be there ahead of you," retorted Carol.
Around a bend in the road ahead there was an old deserted water mill.Its water wheel was still now and the stream from which it had oncesecured current was a mere trickle of water through the woods. The girlshad discovered the old mill on one of their jaunts about thecountryside. Now Janet and Carol decided it would be a good spot atwhich to bring to a close their race.
"They must be heading for the old mill," Valerie cried to Gale as theyfollowed their friends' trail of dust.
Ricky reined in her horse. "Girls, I, was there yesterday," she saidexcitedly. "There is a big oak tree down across the road. If they don'tsee it and jump----"
"Come on." Gale spurred her horse on anew.
She and the others could picture what might happen. Janet and Carolcoming around the bend suddenly, totally unprepared for the tree acrossthe road, might have a bad fall. If their horses did not make the jumpthere would most certainly be an accident. Even if their horses didclear the tree that did not say the girls would. They needed plenty oftime to prepare for a jump and time to think of what to do. Horsemanshipwas not as instinctive with them yet as with Ricky. She could havecleared the jump without hesitating, but not so the other two Freshmen.
Carol, her head down, whispering encouragingly to her horse, felt thatshe was having the most marvelous time of her college term. She hadalways loved thoroughbred horses. Inch by inch her mount pulled ahead ofJanet. Gleefully she observed that at this rate she would win the race.They were rounding the bend of the road. Not much farther to go! Carolglanced over her shoulder at Janet. Her friend was gesticulating wildlyand endeavoring to rein in her horse. Carol mistook her friend'sgestures for enthusiasm and waved in return.
"Look out, Carol!" Janet shouted. "The tree! Jump!"
Janet saw her friend turn. Carol's horse was almost upon the huge trunkof an oak tree lying directly across the road. Carol stiffened, thenbent forward on her horse's neck. Together, in marvelously gracefulform, Carol's mount carried both himself and his rider over the fallentree successfully.
However, Janet, surprised at the appearance of the tree and in hereffort to warn Carol, had neglected to check her own mount. He racedahead. Now it was too late to stop him.
The pursuing girls rounded the bend. Their horses raised a cloud of dustas they were brought to an abrupt halt by their riders.
"Janet!" Madge screamed.
The girls saw Janet's horse try to take the jump. He rose into the airbut with an inexperienced rider his jump was not successful. His hindfeet caught on the trunk, throwing both him and his rider heavily to theground. The horse scrambled to his feet, leaving his rider prostrate onthe ground.
Carol was off her mount in the twinkling of an eye. The other girlsscrambled over or walked around the fallen tree which had caused theaccident.
"Are you all right, Jan?" Carol asked anxiously.
Janet ruefully inspected herself. "I guess I'm all here," sheacknowledged.
"I should have warned you about that tree," Ricky said. "You're really agood rider," she added.
"Of course, ow--oooo--ouch!" With mingled exclamations Janet managed toget to her feet with Carol's help. "And I wanted to show off!" shegiggled. "How did the horse make out?"
"He is all right," Valerie said.
"We got our signals mixed," Janet continued laughingly. "He saw a greenlight and I a red one."
"How are we going to get the horses back over the fallen tree?" Carolasked. "I don't care to jump mine again."
"I'll jump them for you," Ricky said promptly.
The girls rode back to their instructor and the other girls. At thestables they dismounted again and watched while their horses weretrotted away to their stalls.
In the sunset they limped toward their dormitories--Janet by far themost exhausted.
"I think I'll take a pillow the next time," she declared. "Then if thehorse and I decide to separate I will have something soft to land on."
"The object is not to separate," Carol informed her. "Do you want to goriding tomorrow, Janet?"
"Riding!" Janet echoed distastefully. "I am not on speaking terms withmy horse. No more riding for me this week! Tomorrow I shall go in forsomething gentle like baseball."
Carol laughed. "Baseball! You can't come within five feet of the ballwith your bat."
"Woe is me," Janet said, gently depositing herself upon the dormitorysteps. "Do I have to prove everything? Come to the athletic fieldtomorrow and I'll show you I can hit a home run."
Carol laughed derisively.
"I can, too," Janet insisted. "I hit you, don't I, when I throw a bookat you?"
"Except when I duck and it goes through the window," reminded Carol.
"Don't sit there," Madge prodded Janet firmly. "We have to dress fordinner."
"And we have to get back to Happiness House," added Gale to Ricky andGloria, but m
aking no movement toward home.
"Isn't spring the most glorious time of the year," sighed Valerie. "Whenthe grass is growing, the buds budding----"
"And the brooks brooking," Carol finished. "Come along," she urgedJanet. "We have to dress and I'm hungry."
"I will be black and blue tomorrow," Janet prophesied gloomily. "Mychagrin is mountainous. To think I had to fall off when we were going sogood."
"Console yourself," Valerie soothed. "We shall probably all fall offsooner or later."
"I will live in hopes," Janet said brightly. "What are we going to dotonight?" she asked.
"I am going to study my history," Valerie said firmly. "Spring exams arejust around the corner and I find my knowledge of dates strangely lax."
"Me for my geometry," Ricky said sorrowfully.
It developed that all the girls had more or less studying to do for thespring finals. Gradually they separated, Janet and Carol to driftupstairs to dress for dinner, Madge and Valerie to follow moreleisurely. Gale walked to the sorority house with Ricky and Gloria. Theyseparated only to meet again at dinner. Afterward Gale went off alone tothe solitude of her room to study. She would be glad to have Phyllisback with her again.