CHAPTER VII
A FALLING OUT
IT was quite late when they reached the ranch, and an anxious crowdwas awaiting them on the veranda. Blue Bonnet wished there were ratherfewer people there; it was tiresome to make explanations before suchan audience. Besides, she did not know the visitor's name,--introductionshad been of a rather sketchy sort that day. Suddenly she made up hermind: she would explain nothing just then, and trust to her grandmother'sready tact to understand her reasons.
"This is--" Blue Bonnet looked at the youth inquiringly.
"--Knight Judson," he supplied.
"--and he's met with an accident and will stay here till his arm isbetter," she said rather breathlessly to her uncle.
"Very glad to have you, I'm sure," said Uncle Cliff with ready,outstretched hand.
Knight Judson took the proffered hand with an air of relief. "You'revery kind, sir," he stammered.
"Not at all," Mr. Ashe protested cordially. "Come right in to supper."
They all went in without further ceremony to the delayed supper whichJuanita stood waiting to serve; and the meal progressed in the usualgay fashion that prevailed at the ranch. Knight Judson was placedbetween Alec and Uncle Cliff, and in that congenial company the youthlost his shyness and was soon chatting away like an old friend. Theawkwardness of eating with one hand gave him occasional bad moments,but little services, rendered unobserved by his attentive neighbors,tided over even these trying times.
The girls stole occasional glances down to that end of the table,which were promptly frowned upon by Blue Bonnet and Sarah. On thewhole, they acted rather well considering the strain on theircuriosity; it was not every day that a good-looking young chap,wearing a bright red sash for a sling, appeared at the ranch.
It was not until after supper, when Alec had taken the visitor to hisroom, that the others heard the whole story of the day's adventure.Sarah and Blue Bonnet told it almost together, a rather incoherent butwholly thrilling tale, while the rest of the girls hung breathlesslyon the recital. Mrs. Clyde look worried when Sarah dwelt on the perilthat had threatened the two of them; Blue Bonnet wished Sarah had notfound it necessary to enlarge on that part of it. She, herself,preferred to describe young Judson's skill and quickness, hiswonderful daring, and heroism under pain.
"Judson, Judson," repeated Sarah, wrinkling up her brow. "Where have Iheard that name before?"
Blue Bonnet thought deeply for a moment. "I know," she cried; "don'tyou remember Carita, Carita Judson,--my missionary girl!"
"I wonder if they're related!" exclaimed Sarah. "She lives in Texas,you know."
"We must ask him in the morning," said Blue Bonnet.
Early the next day Mr. Ashe despatched one of the Mexicans with aletter from Knight Judson to his uncle at the Big Spring.
"Tell him not to expect you until he sees you," Mr. Ashe admonishedthe youth. "You must stay until that wrist is perfectly well."
"You're very good, sir," replied Knight warmly. He was not at allaverse to spending any length of time in this pleasant place; he andAlec had fraternized at once, and he welcomed the chance to know thebright Eastern boy better; as for the girls, there were too many ofthem, he thought.
At breakfast Blue Bonnet opened fire on him.
"Carita!" he exclaimed. "Am I any relation to her? Well, I guessyes--she's my cousin! Do you know her?"
"I don't exactly know her," Blue Bonnet confessed, "--but wehave--corresponded." She stopped abruptly; it was impossible to tellKnight about the missionary box; he might feel sensitive about it.Happily Sarah came to the rescue.
"Father knows the Reverend Mr. Judson," she remarked. "Is he youruncle?"
"Yes,--and Carita's father," he explained. "You see, Uncle Bayard hascharge of a summer camp for boys up at the Big Spring; he has had itfor several years,--we have wonderful times there. A few days ago Ihad a letter from my cousin George in Chicago asking me to look up hisfriend Abbott, who had been ordered to Texas for his health. Abbottwas at the Spring with us last summer, but it didn't agree with him,so he came to Kooch's. I was on my way there when--"
"When!" exclaimed Kitty dramatically. "We've heard what happened. Weought to have known better than to let a tenderfoot like Blue Bonnetgo off with no protector but Sarah."
"It wasn't Blue Bonnet's fault," protested Sarah indignantly. "I wasdriving."
"And I suppose you drive as scientifically as you swim?" mocked Kitty.
Knight looked up with twinkling eyes; evidently the We are Sevens werenot all of Sarah's type. Blue Bonnet he had already put in a class byherself.
"Please tell us some more about the boys' camp," begged Blue Bonnet,"I've heard about the Big Spring, and Uncle has promised to take methere. But, somehow, he never seems to get time. Is it a camp just forboys?--it sounds so interesting."
"It's one of Uncle's fads," Knight returned, showing by his tone thathe was rather proud of "Uncle's fad." "He's tremendously interested inboys and has started a sort of 'get together' movement for fellows wholive on big ranches and farms and don't get a chance to see much ofother young people--"
"Like me!" Blue Bonnet nodded.
"They club in on expenses, share the work, and, incidentally, havemore fun than some of them ever had before," he continued. "Uncleisn't at all strong--that's why he came back from his mission--but heworks hard all the time, always doing good--" he stopped abruptly. "Ididn't mean to brag, but when I get started on Uncle Bayard, I neverknow when to stop."
"And Carita--does she go camping, too?" asked Blue Bonnet.
"Aunt Cynthy often brings the whole family for over Sunday," hereplied. Then a thought seemed to strike him. "Why don't you all comeup and camp--it isn't a hard trip?"
Blue Bonnet clapped her hands. "Oh, I think it would be perfectlylovely. Grandmother, may we?" she asked.
Mrs. Clyde looked up with her sympathetic smile. "It soundsattractive. Perhaps we can arrange it."
Without seeming to do so Grandmother had heard every word of theconversation, and her heart had warmed to the boy who spoke soglowingly of his uncle's work. Knight Judson was a manly young fellow,she concluded, the right sort to be among girls; the best ofcompanions for the frail, bookish Eastern lad.
Alec himself was charmed with Knight. There was something fascinatingabout a boy who had spent most of his life in the open, and withoutmuch aid from books had yet thought more deeply than most youths ofhis age. He was tall and strong, all bone and muscle, with somethingabout him that was suggestive of a restless colt; but a thoroughbred,every inch of him.
After breakfast the two boys set out to hunt for Knight's horse, asnothing had been seen or heard of that frisky pony since he hadvanished so unceremoniously the evening before. Alec carried a lariat,for learning to lasso had become the absorbing passion of his life,and young Judson, in spite of the hampering folds of the sling abouthis left arm, could give lessons in that art to any boy of his age inTexas.
Blue Bonnet and Mrs. Clyde looked after the youthful pair withinterested eyes. It was plain that Knight had brought a new elementinto Alec's life, and these two good friends rejoiced, though theysaid nothing and only smiled with new understanding.
"I'm glad we nearly tipped over!" Blue Bonnet suddenly declared.
"Blue Bonnet!" exclaimed her grandmother in a pained tone.
"Well, I reckon I didn't mean that," confessed Blue Bonnet after amoment's reflection. "But I'm glad we've met Knight Judson. Alec hashad too many girls around him here. He needs a spell of roughing it,"and then, as she saw an odd look on her grandmother's face, she askedquickly: "Isn't 'roughing it' in good society?"
Mrs. Clyde laughed. "I believe it moves in the best circles--here."
"That's good, for there isn't a Massachusetts word that could possiblytake its place."
"The dining-table is cleared, Benita says," Sarah announced from thedoorway, "and we can begin our sewing lesson."
They all repaired to the house, and a few minutes later the bigdining-room was the scene of gr
eat activity; the table strewn with thebright-hued pieces of material, Benita smoothing and pinning thepatterns, the Senora superintending, and the girls cutting andsnipping to their hearts' content. At the same time there went on anincessant chatter, chatter, to the cheerful accompaniment of thesewing-machine.
When Juanita entered to spread the cloth for their early dinner, thegirls looked up in surprise.
"I never knew time fly so quickly before," said Debby.
"If I'd known this kind of sewing was so easy and so fascinating,"Blue Bonnet declared, "I'd have taken it up before. It's much nicerthan embroidery or mending. Just see how much I've done!" She proudlyheld up the bright red garment.
Sarah scanned it with perplexed eyes. "It looks rather queer to me,"she said.
Kitty examined it, too, then snatched the suit from Blue Bonnet'shands. "Look!" she bade the rest, "--there's no place to get into it.Blue Bonnet has sewn it up the back!"
There was a great outcry at this, which had the unexpected effect ofmaking Blue Bonnet angry.
"There's nothing on earth gives Kitty Clark such pleasure as findingme out in a mistake," she declared with flashing eyes and cheeks thatburned with mortification. Then she turned on Kitty,--"I'm sorry theranch can't offer you any other enjoyment!" she said scathingly andthen, snatching back her ridiculed work, flung herself out of theroom.
Kitty's cheeks turned as red as her hair and she was just framing anangry reply to hurl after Blue Bonnet when she met Mrs. Clyde's eyes,full of a pained surprise. The girl checked the words on her lips atonce, but a few hot tears came in spite of her efforts.
"I was only joking," she said with a catch in her voice.
"I'm afraid it was my fault," said Sarah. "I shouldn't have calledattention to her mistake. I'll go and apologize."
Kitty turned to Mrs. Clyde. "I apologize to _you_, Senora," she said,adding proudly, "but I've nothing to apologize for to Blue Bonnet.Half the fun of being a We are Seven is being able to say just what wewant to. If everybody is suddenly going to be thin-skinned, I'll haveto go about muzzled."
"Blue Bonnet was hasty," said Mrs. Clyde, "and I'm sure she'll beready to apologize as soon as she has thought it over."
The sewing lesson for that day ended in a gloomy silence. At dinnerthe two "magpies," as Uncle Joe had nicknamed them, were mute. Thisunheard of state of affairs would have aroused comment at any othertime, but just now their attention was diverted.
"Doctor" Abbott, who had ridden over to "take a look at Knight'swrist," had stayed to dinner--there being always room for one more atthat elastic table--and his bright humorous talk had completelyfascinated every one. After dinner the men went off for a smoke, andthe girls retired for their siesta in an atmosphere as hazy as if theytoo had indulged in the fragrant weed.
They went to the swimming hole later in the day, but somehow the zestwas all gone from the sport, with the two leading spirits distrait andmoody, avoiding direct speech with each other, and preserving anattitude of injured pride. Blue Bonnet had made up her mind that Kittyowed her an apology, while Kitty obstinately refused even in herthoughts to acknowledge herself in the wrong.
"Blue Bonnet thinks she's the king-pin of the universe," she musedangrily. "The others can keep on spoiling her if they want to, but I'mnot going to kowtow all the time. They ape her every action,--_I'll_show her that one of us has independence."
Keyed up by this formula, repeated mentally a great many times, Kittybegan to indulge in heroics. Aching to excite some admiration forherself she did "stunts" in the water that would have terrified herthe day before. Once she plunged her bright head under the water andkept it there until she was almost black in the face, in an effort toprove her "staying powers." It only frightened the other girls andwent apparently unnoticed by Blue Bonnet for whose benefit the testhad been made.
"'_I_ BELIEVE THE ONLY WAY TO LEARN TO SWIM IS TO DIVE INHEAD-FIRST.'"]
"I'll show her we're not all 'fraid-cats!" Kitty resolvedpassionately. "I believe," she announced to the girls, in a tone loudenough to reach Blue Bonnet, who was doing an overhand stroke in thequiet water of the opposite bank. "_I_ believe the only way to learnto swim is to dive in head-first--then you just _have to_. Big boysalways toss little fellows into the middle of the pool and make 'emscramble back--they always do it right off. Here goes!"
She poised only for a moment on the bank, not daring to give herselftime to reconsider. Blue Bonnet shot a quick glance at her; she saw atonce that Kitty had chosen too shallow a spot,--a dive at that pointmight be dangerous. At any other time she would have shouted a hastywarning, but now she hesitated,--and in that second Kitty shothead-first into the water.
The girls gave a gasp, and kept their eyes on the spot where she hadgone down, waiting to see the red locks reappear. But the water closedover Kitty,--and stayed closed.
"Blue Bonnet!" they shouted shrilly, "she hasn't come up!"
Blue Bonnet felt a queer tightening around her heart; she had heard ofboys breaking their necks that way. With a few powerful strokes shereached the shallows and felt for Kitty. "Help me girls--quick!" shecried, "she's struck her head on the bottom." She had seized Kitty bythis time and held the girl's head above the water, but the bodyhung limp and heavy in her arms. The girls sprang to help and amongthem they managed to lift the slight figure to the bank and lay ittenderly on the soft grass. Kitty's face was deathly white, and from agash on the top of her head a trickling stream was dyeing her brightlocks a deeper red.
Blue Bonnet's teeth were chattering. "Go for somebody!" she gasped,and then, as Debby started on the run, she called after her--"Thatyoung doctor--bring him!" Then she turned to Sarah: "Here, help me sether up--work her arms--so!"
Dripping as she fled like a frightened water-sprite, Debby burst uponthe others as they sat under the magnolia and screamed tragically:
"Come quick--the doctor, everybody! Kitty dove and Blue Bonnet wentdown after her and she's drowned!"
Then breathless, exhausted, and with her bare feet cut and bleedingfrom her run over the rough meadow, she fell headlong at Mrs. Clyde'sfeet.
Uncle Cliff dropped his pipe and ran, followed by the two boys andAbbott, who paused only to catch up his medicine case from theveranda, and then sped like the wind after the others. Mrs. Clyde hadturned ghastly white at Debby's cry and had sprung up to follow themen. But the sight of the little messenger lying in a pathetic heap byher chair, stopped her. Hastily summoning Benita she helped carryDebby into the house and put her to bed; and not until a faint tiredmoan told of returning consciousness, did she yield to her anxiety andhasten to the pool.
With her feet winged by fear she crossed the meadow, ran as she hadnot run for forty years, and burst upon the group on the bank with awild cry--"My girl, my girl--where is she?"
At the sound Blue Bonnet sprang up, and running to her grandmotherhugged her convulsively. "She isn't dead--only stunned," the girlsobbed in a glad relief.
Mrs. Clyde held her off for a second. "It wasn't you then?" shequestioned as if afraid to trust her eyes.
"No, no!" cried Blue Bonnet.
"Thank God!" breathed her grandmother. Then she folded the girl, wetas she was, in her arms, and held her close as if she would never lether go. In that moment Blue Bonnet knew and was never to forget howmuch she was loved by her mother's mother.
A sound drew them to the group about Kitty.
"There now!" young Abbott was saying cheerfully. "She's all right.Now, Knight, get in some of your good work,--first aid to the injuredas taught by the Reverend Bayard Judson. A stretcher is what we need."
Much pleased to be called upon, Knight set about his task, while Alecsupplied the place of his disabled arm. Under his directions two stoutsaplings were cut and the small twigs trimmed from them. Thenstripping off his coat he bade Alec thrust the two poles into itssleeve, one in each. Uncle Cliff's coat went on at the other end; bothcoats were buttoned underneath, and there before the eyes of theinterested group, was a stretcher ready for the patient.
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Kitty, still weak and dazed, but with the color beginning to return toher milk-white cheeks, was borne gently to the house by Uncle Cliffand the doctor, attended by a body-guard of Alec and Mrs. Clyde, andfollowed by the other dripping and subdued We are Sevens.
There was a rather bad quarter of an hour for Kitty while the doctorbathed and dressed her wound. After much debating and graveconsideration in his most profound manner, young Abbott had decidedthat the cut was not deep or wide enough to warrant his sewing it up.Whereat there was great rejoicing in the household,--not, however,shared by the medical man. A bit of stitching would have given himpractice and no end of professional enjoyment. However, Kitty feltthat she had had quite her share of attention and was glad to be leftalone in the nursery tucked in between cool sheets, to sleep off theache in her broken head.
When she awoke it was dusk in the room. Beside her bed stood somebody,bearing a tray.
"Are you awake?" asked a sepulchral voice.
"Yes," she whispered faintly.
The tray was hastily placed on a stand, a second pillow slipped deftlyunder Kitty's head, and then before she had recognized her servitor apair of soft lips were laid on hers and a penitent voice whispered:"I'm so sorry, Kitty,--and ashamed!"
"It wasn't your fault, Blue Bonnet," said Kitty, returning the kisswarmly. "Served me right for being such a peacock."
"Then all's serene on the Potomac?" Blue Bonnet questioned.
And with a reassuring, though somewhat shaky smile, Kitty returned:
"All's serene!"