"Uncle Joe!" Horror rang in Blue Bonnet's voice. "Do you think I'd have eaten that poor little darling?" He scratched a puzzled head. "Why seems like I've known you to eat nice young roast lamb, Blue Bonnet." "That's different," she insisted. "The only acquaintances Blue Bonnet is willing to have roasted are her friends!" said Kitty; and Blue Bonnet generously let her have the last word. CHAPTER XVII SECRETS "THERE'S only one thing nicer than going camping," Blue Bonnet declared. Her grandmother looked up. "And that is--?" "Getting home again!" Blue Bonnet laughed happily. They were in sight of the ranch-house now, and could see the girls and Alec dismounting at the veranda steps. Don and Solomon leaping excitedly about the group, suddenly caught sight of the approaching buckboard and raced madly to meet their mistress. Even the horses seemed glad to be home again and tired as they were with the long day's travel broke into a trot. Benita's brown face beamed at them from the doorway, and over her shoulder peered Juanita, with eyes only for Miguel. Kitty had sunk immediately into one of the deep veranda chairs. "I had to see how it feels to sit in a real live chair with a back once more," she explained. "And next I want to look at myself in a mirror that's more than three inches square; and have a drink out of a glass tumbler; and put on a clean white, fluffy dress!" They each did all these things as eagerly as if they had been marooned on a desert island for many months; even Grandmother Clyde wearing fresh white linen, and Alec, for the first time on the ranch appearing in a starched shirt. Whereupon the girls broke into deafening applause. "Letters, letters for everybody!" cried Blue Bonnet bursting into the living-room with a great bundle of mail. "Three for you and one for me, Grandmother,--postmarked Turino. Heaps for you, Kitty, ditto for Sarah, Amanda, Debby, Alec,--all Woodford must have joined in a round-robin. Hurry and read them and then everybody swap news!" A long silence ensued, as profound as it was rare, while each girl pored over the precious home letters. It was Kitty who looked up first. "Susy didn't catch the fever,--and Ruth's all over it. And she's had to have all her hair cut off, and she's dreadfully thin and doesn't seem to get her strength back as she should, Father says. He thinks she has fretted over having to miss the ranch party,--and no wonder!--it would simply have killed me. Susy's been a regular trump and hasn't complained a bit, but every one knows it's been a dreadful disappointment, especially when she was perfectly well and could have come if it hadn't been for Ruth." "It's a downright shame!" Blue Bonnet declared. "Father says if Ruth doesn't feel better soon she'll probably have to stay out of school this fall," Kitty continued. "Then I should say she hadn't suffered in vain," exclaimed Blue Bonnet; Grandmother was deep in her letters.