Of course they had not heard one word of the foregoing conversation. Had they done so it is safe to say that they would never had proposed the two-mile race to the post office nor tormented Beverly for being "no sort of a sport," and "scared to back her painted plug against their thoroughbreds." They were honorable lads and would have felt honor-bound to respect Mrs. Ashby's wishes. But not having heard, they gave Beverly "all that was coming to her for riding a calico nag," though said "nag" was certainly a little beauty. Nearly a quarter of the distance to Four Corners had been ridden when Beverly's temper, never too elastic, snapped. Her riding crop descended with a thwack, first upon Royal's round flank, then upon Snowdrift's and finally upon Apache's side as she cried: "You-all hush up and _ride_. I'll beat you to Four Corners or die in the attempt!" The sudden onslaught brought the result to be expected. The two thoroughbreds plunged forward with snorts of indignant protest, answered by Apache's very plebian squeal of rage as he shook his bony little head and struck into a gait such as Beverly had never dreamed a horse could strike. It was like a tornado let loose, and, expert little horsewoman that she was, she found ample occupation for all her wits and equestrian skill, though she managed to jerk out as she whirled past her companions: "Two pounds of Huyler's candy if I _do_ beat those giraffes of yours." Hence the commotion at Four Corners a few moments later, the whirlwind arrived and the conversation recorded in the first chapter. "Mr. Telford, have you got any Huyler boxes?" asked the winner of the race, resting her gauntleted hands and her riding crop upon the counter. "These boys are trying to make me take two pounds of cinnamon suckers on a bet. Did you ever hear such nonsense? I couldn't eat them in a year and real, sure-enough bets mean something better than suckers." "Wall, Miss Bev'ly, I aint rightly knowin' what kind o' lollypops is in them boxes, most times folks jist helps theirselves an' I don't pay no 'tention ter the brand. It's all candy, I reckon," answered the shop keeper, drawing two or three boxes from his case and placing them upon his counter. From the appearance of the wrappings they belied Huyler's advertisement of being "fresh every hour," though one of the boxes bore that firm's name. The others were stamped by Martha Washington, Lowney and one or two other widely known manufacturers. "Yes this one's Huyler's but I've got to have _two_ this time. Yes I have too! Athol's got to put up for one and you for the other. Why just look at me! The mud on me ought to just naturally make you both _want_ to do something to pay up for making me get into such a state." "We didn't make you! You started the circus," protested her brother.