oor service in a beautiful grove of trees," Knight
explained, "and that setting and the boys' voices in the open air and
all--well, it has spoiled me for stuffy meeting-houses. Can't you all
come up and stay over next Sunday?" His glance and the eyes of all the
We are Sevens were fastened anxiously on Mrs. Clyde's face.

She thought for a moment. "It seems a stupendous undertaking,--for so
many of us," she said at length. Camping out in Texas was full of
unknown and rather dreadful possibilities, she secretly opined.

"We'll take all the responsibility, Grandmother," Blue Bonnet assured
her gravely.

Mrs. Clyde did not meet her granddaughter's eye; that young lady's
method of taking responsibility was not such as to inspire one with
unlimited confidence.

"I can send Miguel ahead with one of the cook-wagons," Uncle Cliff
suggested. "You can have Pancho, too, if you like,--he cooked on the
round-up this spring and didn't kill anybody. Lisa's too fat and
Gertrudis too old for that ride."

"And we want Lupe for wrangler," said Blue Bonnet. "A wrangler looks
after the horses, Sarah _mia_," she explained, anticipating the
question.

"If we go," said Senora, "let us go as simply as possible. Surely we
don't need such an army of men."

"But, Grandmother," Blue Bonnet protested, "there has to be a cook,
and somebody to pitch tents, and one to look after the horses and--"

"I don't see the necessity. You miss half the pleasure of camping out
if you have everything done for you. When I was a girl we used to camp
out in the Maine woods, and we girls took turns cooking and washing
dishes, while the boys gathered wood for the fires, caught fish and
looked after the horses. To take a crowd of servants along would rob
the life of all its simplicity."

Blue Bonnet looked rather blank. Cooking and washing dishes did not
seem altogether simple to her.

"I can make caramel cake," announced Kitty.

"That's lovely--especially for breakfast," said Blue Bonnet.

"I don't like sweet things for breakfast," said Sarah.

"Beans and bacon are as good camp fare as one needs," said Knight. "It
is pretty cool in the mornings and evenings, and one gets hungry
enough to eat the dishes."

"We'll agree to anything if Grandmother will only go," said Blue
Bonnet eagerly.

Grandmother, however, withheld her decision until she had held a
serious conversation alone with Uncle Cliff.

"Don't you think you are encouraging Blue Bonnet in hab