Blue Bonnet's Ranch Party

by Lillian Elizabeth Roy

  CHAPTER IX

  TEXAS AND MASSACHUSETTS

  AT supper-time all the invalids were up; Kitty appearing rather"interestingly pale," as Amanda remarked; Debby hobbling about inpadded bedroom slippers; and Grandmother Clyde looking somewhat olderand grayer than usual, but calm and contained once more.

  "Where are the boys?" asked the Senora, noting Alec's absence withsome anxiety.

  "They went off early this morning loaded for big game," said Uncle Joewith a twinkle in his eye.

  "Do you mean they carried guns?" Mrs. Clyde spoke with a shade ofworry in her tone; she had missed the twinkle.

  "Shady had a shotgun, I believe, but the boys carried nothing deadlierthan lariats. I believe young Trent takes one to bed with him. He'sbeen practising on the snubbing-post in the corral for hours everyday,--he's got so he catches it about once in so often, and he'stickled to death." Uncle Joe chuckled.

  "Knight Judson can beat any of the Mexicans at lassoing," Blue Bonnetdeclared. "He must be a wonder when he has both hands free."

  "He doesn't seem in any hurry to discard his sling, I notice," UncleJoe remarked, winking at Blue Bonnet ostentatiously.

  "His wrist isn't well yet," she insisted, ignoring the teasing glance.

  "Here they come, now," exclaimed Kitty. "Alec looks as excited as ifhe'd killed a bear at the very least!"

  "We've had a wonderful day," Alec declared, full of enthusiasm, whenhe and Knight had greeted every one and slipped into their places.Both boys were ravenous; Blue Bonnet and her grandmother exchanged asignificant glance as Alec passed his plate for a second generoushelping. He looked already a different boy from the pale student whohad left Woodford only a few weeks before.

  "Guess what we bagged to-day?" he asked.

  "A bear!" Kitty said immediately.

  "Quail!" Blue Bonnet guessed.

  "Shady got some quail, but we didn't do any shooting," replied Alec.

  "Maybe you and Knight lassoed some prairie-hens," suggested Uncle Joe,laughing at his own joke.

  "Alec lassoed his first steer all right--made a neat job of it too,"said Knight enthusiastically.

  "Very amateurish work," Alec protested, pleased nevertheless atKnight's praise. "The steer thought I looked so harmless that he tooka big chance--that's how I came to land him."

  "But what did you 'bag?'" asked Blue Bonnet, going back to theoriginal question. "Is it good to eat?"

  Knight and Alec exchanged amused glances. "Never tasted them," bothdeclared.

  "Where is it?" Blue Bonnet persisted.

  "'Tisn't 'it,'--but 'they'--and they're out in the barn," said Alec,delighting in the mystery.

  Blue Bonnet was all impatience. "Oh, do hurry, everybody, and let's gosee," she urged.

  The rapidity with which Knight and Alec ate the rest of their suppershould have given them indigestion, even if it did not. It wasimpossible to leave any of Gertrudis' raspberry tart; equallyimpossible to keep their hostess waiting when she was on tip-toe to beoff; mastication therefore was the only thing they could neglect--anddid.

  Blue Bonnet had felt all the weight of her sixteen years a few hoursearlier, but now she seemed to drop at least six of them, as she racedacross the yard, impelled by a curiosity that Kitty would have diedrather than display.

  Don and Solomon were sniffing excitedly about one of the mangers,emitting an occasional shrill bark; Blue Bonnet went straight to itand peered down. It was too dark to make out anything, but she couldhear a rustling in the hay, and a pathetic, low whine.

  "It's something alive!" she cried, and was about to put an exploringhand down to find the source of the whine, when she had a secondthought. "Will it bite?"

  "Too little," Knight assured her. He bent as he spoke and lifted twolittle furry bundles and laid them in Blue Bonnet's outstretched arms.

  "Puppies!" she cried delightedly. She bore them to the light, theother girls crowding about for a view of the wriggling mites.

  After her first good look at them, Sarah gave an exclamation ofsurprise. "Why, they're not dogs," she cried.

  "Yes, they are," said Alec, "--coyote pups!"

  "Oh, the dears!" cried Blue Bonnet ecstatically. "Where did you getthem?"

  "Shady shot the mother," Knight explained, and then wished he hadnot,--Blue Bonnet looked so grieved. "She killed a calf a few nightsago," he said in extenuation, "and Shady was 'laying for' her. Shemade for her hole after she was wounded and we followed,--that's howwe came to find the pups. Lucky we did or they'd have had a hard timeof it."

  "Poor babies," said Blue Bonnet. "Let's go and show them toGrandmother and Debby--I reckon they never saw a real live coyotebefore. Here, Sarah, you carry one." She generously held out one ofthe bright-eyed babies, but to her surprise Sarah drew back. "Why, youcan't be afraid, Sarah?"

  "N-no," Sarah replied, edging away as she spoke. "But I don't like totouch--live animals."

  "Well, I'd much rather touch live ones than dead things!" exclaimedBlue Bonnet. "Here, Alec, you take the poor baby--Sarah doesn't knowhow to mother it!"

  Grandmother and Debby were rather lukewarm in their praise, BlueBonnet thought, when the coyotes were brought to them on the veranda.Grandmother did not look in the least delighted when the twosharp-nosed, long-haired puppies were dropped into her lap; andfinally Blue Bonnet gathered them both in her arms, declaring thatnobody knew how to appreciate real Texas babies except herself.

  "I'm going to keep them always," she said. "And Don and Solomon willjust have to be reconciled."

  "Have you asked your uncle if he is willing for you to keep two suchpets?" her grandmother asked.

  Blue Bonnet looked over to Uncle Cliff and laughed. "Asked UncleCliff? Why, Grandmother, I brought him up and he knows better than tooppose me at this late day!"

  Uncle Cliff smiled back at her whimsically. "I hope I'm a credit toyour training! Two new pets is quite a modest demand. I've known herto have a dozen or two at a time. One summer she had twin lambs, amagpie, a lizard, bunnies--"

  "Don't forget the snakes," Blue Bonnet interrupted.

  "Blue Bonnet Ashe--you never made pets of snakes!" gasped Debby.

  "Three of them; beauties, too," Blue Bonnet replied.

  "Weren't you afraid of them?" Sarah asked wonderingly.

  "These were perfectly harmless; nobody should be afraid of such prettylittle things. But the magpie had fits over them, so they had to go,"Blue Bonnet remarked regretfully.

  "What became of the magpie?" asked Kitty.

  "Poor Mag died of curiosity," said Mr. Ashe. "She sampled some cyanideof potassium I had put out for ants. We had a most impressive funeral.You must get Blue Bonnet to show you her grave."

  "I will some day. We chose Mag's favorite spot--under a dewberry bush.Now what shall we call these cherubs?"

  "You've just called them 'Texas babies,' why not call one 'Texas?'"Knight suggested.

  "And the other 'Massachusetts,'" said Sarah.

  Blue Bonnet looked at her in open admiration. "Your inspirations don'tcome often, Sarah," she remarked, "but they're as apt as not to bepositively brilliant when they get here! Texas and Massachusetts thebabies shall be. Poor Massachusetts' name is as long as his tail, butmaybe he can bear up under it."

  "Let's go show them to the youngsters," Alec suggested. "Pancho'stwins are straining their eyes for a peep."

  Blue Bonnet gave him one of the pups to carry and together theycrossed the yard to the Mexican quarters. A moment later Blue Bonnetwas sitting in the doorway of the little adobe hut, the coyotes in herlap, while all of Pancho's brood, not to mention Pancho and his fatMarta, were hanging about her in an eager, admiring circle. Everylittle "greaser" on the ranch adored the Senorita, and she wasgodmother to half the babies born on the place. Alec bade fair to bealmost as popular as she, for he was always ready for a romp and hadan unfailing supply of nuts in his capacious pockets. The visit nowended in a "rough-house," Alec with his ever-handy lariat lassoing thefleet-footed boys and pretending to take them prisone
r, while theydodged and ran and kept up a shrill chorus of baby Spanish thatdelighted his soul.

  Later he and Blue Bonnet walked to the stable and put the coyotes downfor the night; choosing the unused manger again as being secureagainst the impertinent investigations of Don and Solomon, and deepenough to prevent the venturesome babies from falling out. It wasalmost dark as they strolled back towards the house, lingering andchatting and drinking in the beauty of the night. The lovely southernsky was studded with stars; the breeze laden with perfumes that only aTexas prairie knows; and the air full of melody,--the deep laughter ofthe cowboys lounging about the bunk-house, and the sweet tone ofShady's fiddle as he played to the crowd on the house-veranda.

  Alec paused and drew a deep breath. "And you wanted to leave it!"

  "I wonder at myself sometimes," she confessed. "But I'm not sorry.Think how much richer I am this summer than last, with Grandmother andall the girls,--not to mention present company!"

  "Thank you!" Alec laughed and made his bow.

  "You like it more because it is--different, than for any other reason.I reckon you have to know other places before you can properlyappreciate your own," she went on thoughtfully.

  "This doesn't seem to add to my appreciation of--Woodford," Alecrejoined quickly.

  "That's because you haven't been here long enough. After a few yearsyou'd begin to wonder how the elms look on Adams Avenue, and yearn fora glimpse of the Boston Common--just as I used to long for a sight ofthe prairie. But I'm glad you like it here--for it is a grand oldplace!"

  "I wish Grandfather would rejoice because I like it," he remarkedmoodily. "He seems to be sorry that I didn't go abroad with Boyd. AndBoyd's letters to him--which he always forwards--are full of ravingsabout automobiles and scenery and pictures. Pictures!" Alec pointed tothe meadow ahead of them where a million fireflies flashed their tinylanterns, "--I wish he could see this! And I wish--I wish I could makehim understand the bigness of it all. And how tired I am of sittingstill and letting other people _do_ things. I want to live." The boy'svoice trembled as he ended.

  Again Blue Bonnet had a sudden sinking of the heart--could Alecmean--? She opened her lips to speak, but he went on gloomily:

  "Grandfather doesn't seem able to understand. He has never beenwilling to admit that I am a weakling, and refuses to see that my daysare numbered in Woodford. I've been trying to get up courage enough towrite him about myself, but I can't do it--yet." And then, as iffearing he had said too much, he added: "But don't say anything to theothers, please. It's too soon--I may feel different by the end of thesummer. Let it be a secret between us two--three rather, for I'vealready told Knight." Then, before Blue Bonnet could gather herselftogether for a reply, he had started on a new tack. "I tell you, BlueBonnet, there's a fellow that dwarfs every other chap I ever knew!"His tone was now as eager and enthusiastic as it had been doleful.

  Blue Bonnet was puzzled, but deciding that Alec needed to have hismind turned from introspective subjects, she took him up at once. "Iagree with you. He's a giant for his age."

  "I don't mean his size," returned Alec. "He's so big--mentally, youknow. And he's so alive, so--"

  "Up and coming?" interpolated Blue Bonnet. "That's pure Texan, Ibelieve."

  "It describes him exactly."

  "What I can't understand is how such an expert horseman came to bethrown," Blue Bonnet remarked wonderingly.

  "I suppose he was startled at seeing a blue bonnet out of season!"laughed Alec. "I'm so glad something happened to bring him my way. Itseems to give me a new lease on life just to be with him."

  "Uncle Cliff says he is 'greased lightning' with a lariat," said BlueBonnet.

  "I should say he is. I could find it in my heart to envy him thataccomplishment, even if he hadn't any others."

  "Uncle Joe says you are getting quite expert yourself," she threw outcomfortingly.

  "Oh, yes, I can lasso a snubbing-post that can't get out of the way!"he retorted. He still clung to his lariat and now swung it in his handrather impatiently.

  "Try your skill now. There's one of the girls waiting for us--lassoher and see how she acts!" Blue Bonnet urged mischievously.

  "Where?"

  "There--just by the magnolia," she whispered.

  It was almost dark, but Alec could manage to make out a dark figurestanding half within the shadow of the big tree. He crept silently afew steps nearer and paused, whirling the loop around his head. Thehair rope spread into a circle, hissed and flickered for a moment inthe air, then dropped straight over the victim. It was a good throw.Alec gave a twitch--not too hard--to the lariat, and the thing wasdone. Blue Bonnet clapped her hands and started forward with Alec tosee which one of the girls he had caught. Both suddenly stopped indismay. There was a struggle, a shrill scream, and a very angrySpanish oath.

  And as the two of them hastened up full of surprise and apologies,they saw--Juanita and Miguel both caught in the one noose.

  Stifling their laughter, Alec and Blue Bonnet released the embarrassedpair of sweethearts, and then the boy made a handsome apology. Juanitahung her head and was silent, but Miguel, after the first blazing upof his anger, cooled down and accepted the explanation in good part.

  Still weak with suppressed laughter, the two miscreants hurried on,waiting to be out of ear-shot before giving way to their wild mirth.As they drew near to the veranda they heard the crowd there singing tothe accompaniment of Shady's violin.

  "Nita, Jua-a-an-ita, ask thy soul if we must part!"

  came tremulously from Uncle Joe and the We are Sevens.

  It was too much. Blue Bonnet collapsed in a heap on the grass.

  "Oh, Alec!" she gasped. "Miguel ought to have been singing that,--onlyhe ought to have said--'Jua-a-an-ita, bless my soul if we can part!'"