Easier! Blue Bonnet bent hastily and put Texas back in the bunny-house so that Alec might not see her face. If he had not been absorbed in his own thoughts he must have seen what a shock his words had been to her. It was so unlike Alec to put upon a girl a task he felt too hard for himself,--a sort of cowardice of which she would never have believed him capable. It took her some seconds to steady her voice before she could answer: "I'll write to-morrow." "You're a trump, Blue Bonnet! I seem to get deeper and deeper into your debt," he said earnestly. Blue Bonnet fastened the little door of the rabbit-hutch, leaving Texas and Massachusetts to one of their frequent naps, and then walked back to the house in silence. Alec, observing her, believed her to be composing her letter to the General. "The first of August to-day, just think how our summer is flying!" remarked Amanda next morning. "Just three weeks to Blue Bonnet's birthday," said Sarah, who was engaged in making some mental calculations. "Sixteen! Just think how old I'm getting!" Blue Bonnet's smile showed her not at all depressed at the prospect. Uncle Joe cleared his throat gruffly. Why on earth did everybody keep harping on Blue Bonnet's growing up? "I reckon you'll be having some howling celebration?" he asked rather crossly. "You wager we will!" Uncle Cliff replied, all the more cheerfully because he guessed the reason for Uncle Joe's irritation. "A sixteenth birthday only comes once in a lifetime." Mrs. Clyde, feeling an unusual sympathy with Uncle Joe, was silent. "We must have some sort of a party that's--different," exclaimed Blue Bonnet. "Everything's different in Texas," Sarah remarked, and the usual laugh followed. "We can't have a dance without any boys," Blue Bonnet reflected. "No boys?" exclaimed Uncle Joe, with a return of his twinkle, "Well, for a ranch that keeps a baker's dozen of cowboys--" "All Mexicans except Sandy and Pete!" exclaimed Blue Bonnet scornfully. "I'll agree to furnish a boy apiece for the festive occasion," said Uncle Cliff; and Blue Bonnet, exchanging a glance with him, knew he was nursing a well-laid scheme. "Now, listen," he continued. "I've been thinking over this thing--had time to think this last week!--and I've got it all figured out. My idea is to have an all-day affair, a real old-fashioned Spanish tournament." Blue Bonnet clapped her hands. "Oh, Uncle Cliff, you do think of the most glorious things!" "In the morning," Uncle Cliff went on, "we could have a steer-roping contest--the Mexicans adore that--and Senorita Ashe bestow the prizes. And then--" "Some bronco-busting," suggested Uncle Joe. Blue Bonnet turned pale and Uncle Cliff kicked his foreman under the table. "None of that," he said briefly. "Too crude for our select company." "A bull-fight, then," Uncle Joe persisted, "--that's Spanish, and the most seeleck ladies adore the ring."