“Oh, we all had a finger in it.  I sent away for a lot of fashion magazines and things of that sort, and we sat up nights as a board of strategy and picked out the sort of thing we wanted, and I reckon there isn’t a better-dressed kid in the State.”

“I agree with you.  Well, Ted Strong, you’re a constant wonder to me.  Where in the world did you learn to do all the things you do so well?”

“The honeyed flatterer.  Quit your joshing, Stella; hand it to Ben.  He likes it, and the thicker it is the more he can stand of it.”

“Hello!  Breakfast!” called Song from the veranda, and they all trooped back to the living room to finish breakfast and talk about the things they had passed through, and to lay plans for the coming round-up festivities.

After breakfast Ted and Stella went out to the corral to look at the saddle stock.

“Why, there’s old ‘Calamity Jane,’” cried Stella, as a bay pony came trotting across the corral and put its velvet nose in the hand she held out.

“Jane knows you, all right,” said Ted.

“Sure.  Why shouldn’t she?  I rode her all one season down here.  I believe she wants me to choose her for my own again.  Do you, Calamity, old girl?”

Calamity Jane, which had at one time been the wickedest and stubbornest mare on the ranch, nickered and again rubbed Stella’s hand with her nose.

“Talk about your smart horses,” said Stella.  “Calamity can do everything except talk.  Who’s been riding her?”

“Kit.  He’s wrangler, and he won’t let any one on her.  He’s light, you know, and he was saving her for you.  You’ll find that she hasn’t been spoiled at all.”

“Then, if Kit has been riding her, she’s all right, for if there ever was a horseman it’s Kit.”

“Isn’t she getting fierce?” said a quiet voice behind them.  “Say, she’s getting to be one of these regular society jolliers.  She didn’t used to be that way.”

They wheeled around to see Kit, who had come up to them in his usual quiet manner.

“Yes,” said Ted.  “She tried to hand me a package this morning.”

“You mean things.  That’s what a girl gets for being civil and confidential, and talking as she would like to fellows she thinks are her friends.  I’m going back to the house.  I don’t like you very much this morning.”

The boys winked at one another.

“Say, Kit, I want Sultan after a while.  I’m going to ride down to the lower end of the ranch to look at that bunch of new horses,” said Ted carelessly.

“Oh, may I go with you?” asked Stella eagerly.

“I thought you were mad at us, or I would have asked you.”

“I was only fooling.  I’ll be ready in ten minutes.  Let’s take Lilian with us.”

“That was what I was going to do.  It is time for Lilian’s regular riding lesson.  I am trying to make her as good a rider and all-around cowgirl as you, Stella, but I doubt if ever she will.”