Blue Bonnets Ranch Party

Blue Bonnet's Ranch Party, by

C. E. Jacobs and Edyth Ellerbeck Read This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Blue Bonnet's Ranch Party
Author: C. E. Jacobs Edyth Ellerbeck Read
Illustrator: John Goss
Release Date: June 28, 2007 [EBook #21960]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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BLUE BONNET'S RANCH PARTY

The Blue Bonnet Series
By Lela Horn Richards and Caroline E. Jacobs
[Illustration]
Each, one vol., large 12mo, illustrated $1.75
A TEXAS BLUE BONNET BLUE BONNET'S RANCH PARTY BLUE BONNET IN BOSTON BLUE BONNET KEEPS HOUSE BLUE BONNET--D��BUTANTE BLUE BONNET OF THE SEVEN STARS
* * * * *
THE COSY CORNER SERIES
By Caroline E. Jacobs
Each, one vol., small 12mo, illustrated $0.75
BAB'S CHRISTMAS AT STANHOPE THE CHRISTMAS SURPRISE PARTY A CHRISTMAS PROMISE
[Illustration]
THE PAGE COMPANY
53 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass.
[Illustration: "BLUE BONNET . . . WATCHED THE SUN RISE OUT OF THE PRAIRIE." (See page 303.)]

BLUE BONNET'S RANCH PARTY
BY C. E. JACOBS AND EDYTH ELLERBECK READ
A SEQUEL TO A TEXAS BLUE BONNET
BY C. E. JACOBS
Illustrated by JOHN GOSS
[Illustration]
THE PAGE COMPANY BOSTON - - PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1912 BY THE PAGE COMPANY
* * * * *
All rights reserved

Made in U. S. A.
First Impression, July, 1912 Second Impression, October, 1912 Third Impression, May, 1913 Fourth Impression, January, 1914 Fifth Impression, April, 1914 Sixth Impression, February, 1915 Seventh Impression, June, 1915 Eighth Impression, July, 1916 Ninth Impression, April, 1917 Tenth Impression, March, 1918 Eleventh Impression, July, 1919 Twelfth Impression, May, 1920 Thirteenth Impression, December, 1921

PRINTED BY C. H. SIMONDS COMPANY BOSTON, MASS., U. S. A.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE WANDERER 1 II. IN THE BLUE BONNET COUNTRY 16 III. THE GLORIOUS FOURTH 32 IV. THE ROUND ROBIN 45 V. THE SWIMMING HOLE 60 VI. AN ADVENTURE 71 VII. A FALLING OUT 86 VIII. CONSEQUENCES 101 IX. TEXAS AND MASSACHUSETTS 112 X. ENTER CARITA 124 XI. CAMPING BY THE BIG SPRING 142 XII. POCO TIEMPO 155 XIII. AROUND THE CAMP-FIRE 169 XIV. A FALLING IN 183 XV. SUNDAY 200 XVI. THE LOST SHEEP 215 XVII. SECRETS 230 XVIII. SOME ARRIVALS 242 XIX. BLUE BONNET'S BIRTHDAY 259 XX. CONFERENCES 275 XXI. BLUE BONNET DECIDES 290 XXII. HASTA LA VISTA 300

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE "BLUE BONNET . . . WATCHED THE SUN RISE OUT OF THE PRAIRIE" (See page 303) Frontispiece
"COMANCHE . . . LEAPED FORWARD LIKE A CAT" 41
"'I BELIEVE THE ONLY WAY TO LEARN TO SWIM IS TO DIVE IN HEAD-FIRST'" 96
"THEY ALL GATHERED GYPSY-FASHION ABOUT THE FIRE" 187
"IT WAS AN EXQUISITE MINIATURE, PAINTED ON IVORY" 261
"ALEC SURVEYED HER PROUD LITTLE PROFILE" 290

Blue Bonnet's Ranch Party
CHAPTER I
THE WANDERER
BLUE BONNET put her head out of the car window for the hundredth time that hour, and drew it back with a sigh of utter exasperation.
"Uncle Cliff," she declared impatiently, "if The Wanderer doesn't move a little faster I'll simply have to get out and push!"
"Better blame the engine, Honey," said Uncle Cliff in his slow, soothing way. "The Wanderer is doing her best. Might as well blame the wagon for not making the horses gallop!"
"I know," she confessed. "But it seems as if we'd never get to Woodford. This is the longest-seeming journey I ever took--even if it is in a private car." Then, fearing to appear inappreciative, she added quickly: "But I do think it is mighty good of Mr. Maldon to let us take his very own car. I can just see the We are Sevens' eyes pop right out when they see this style of travelling." Blue Bonnet's own eyes roamed over the luxurious interior of The Wanderer, dwelling with approval on the big, swinging easy chairs, the book-case cunningly set in just over a writing-desk, the buffet shining with cut glass and silver, and the thousand and one details that made the car a veritable palace on wheels.
Blue Bonnet had been spending a few days in New York with her uncle, who had insisted that she should have a little "lark" after her long months in school. Now, in a private car belonging to one of Uncle Cliff's friends, they were on their way back to Woodford, there to gather up Grandmother Clyde, Alec Trent, and the other six of Blue Bonnet's "We are Seven" Club, and bear them off to Texas for the summer.
"I reckon Sarah Blake and Kitty Clark aren't very used to travelling?" suggested Uncle Cliff, more to draw out Blue Bonnet than with any consuming desire for information.
"Used to travelling! Why, Uncle Cliff--" Blue Bonnet shook her head emphatically--"not one of the other We are Sevens has ever so much as seen the inside of a Pullman in