Mary V turned quickly, a bit guiltily, and confronted Johnny himself, riding up with something dragging rigidly from the saddle to the ground behind Sandy's heels.

The confusion in Johnny's face served to restore somewhat the poise which Mary V had felt slipping.
"Hello, Skyrider," she greeted him chirpily.

"Unless Venus has a filling station, you'll need more gas than this, won't you, for the round trip?
Or--isn't it to be a round trip ?" Johnny's eyes flew wide open.

Then he laughed to cover his embarrassment.
"You're not up on sky-riding, are you, Mary V?
I'll have to train you a little.

I expect to 'vollup, bank and la-and,' coming back." "Poor Bud isn't singing to-day.