As she hesitated and a surprised look crept into Alec's eyes, there came a great outcry from the direction of Marta's cabin,--shouts, cheers and bursts of laughter. "The Mexicans must be doing stunts,--let's go and see," Alec suggested. Gathering up her train Blue Bonnet hurried with him to the Mexican quarters, where the noisy crowd had assembled. Half way there they met Gertrudis, also headed for the scene of merriment. "It's that Juanita, they say," she cried, "come back after all the work's done!" Her swarthy face was dark with anger; in her hand was a willow switch. "Hurry!" cried Blue Bonnet. "Let's get there first, Alec,--she means to thrash Juanita!" Running and tripping on her long dress Blue Bonnet reached the group and at her appearance the Mexicans burst into renewed cheering. "The Senorita!" they cried and parted to make room for her. "What is it--what's all the noise about?" asked Alec. But, as the circle parted, revealing a tableau in the centre, he and Blue Bonnet needed no explanation. Standing hand in hand, in attitudes expressing both embarrassment and triumph, were--Miguel and Juanita. "Ran off to Jonah and got married!" chuckled Pinto Pete. Blue Bonnet and Alec gazed at each other in stupefaction for a second, then Blue Bonnet glanced hastily about for Gertrudis. The change in the old woman was instantaneous. She turned to Blue Bonnet with a grin. "That Miguel makes good wages!" she cried. The anger had faded from her face, and instead of the switch, Juanita received her blessing. "What a mercenary old thing Gertrudis is!" exclaimed Blue Bonnet, as, after congratulating the happy pair, she and Alec walked back to the house. "She's a sensible woman," Alec remarked provokingly. "Most of the Mexicans are lazy old loafers,--but Miguel has a streak of real American industry." "Well," said Blue Bonnet, "I little expected my birthday party to be turned into a wedding!" When the last candle had been blown out and all was quiet except for the echo of music and laughter from the Mexican quarters, where the wedding festivities were continued almost till dawn, Blue Bonnet slipped into her grandmother's room for a last word before retiring. "The sixteenth has been the best birthday of all," she said happily. "Are you quite tired out, Grandmother?" And Mrs. Clyde, bending to kiss the glowing face upturned to her, replied: "No, dear. It has been a beautiful party. But I'm glad for all our sakes that Blue Bonnet Ashe has but one birthday a year!" CHAPTER XX CONFERENCES IT was well on towards noon before any one in either the house or tent was stirring. Blue Bonnet and Ruth were the first to open their eyes, and they carried on a conversation in whispers for some time before waking the others. Ruth looked around the six beds in the nursery and smiled. "It looks like a ward in a hospital, doesn't it?" "Pretty healthy looking invalids in them," Blue Bonnet replied. "Look what red cheeks Kitty has."