she can get strength enough to bear the ride, the open-air life will
do her good, even if she does nothing but lie in the hammock.'

'And be waited upon by six willing slaves,' added Polly.

'And be fed on canned corned beef and tomato stew,' laughed Bell.

'Not a bit of it,' said Margery. 'Hop Yet is a splendid cook, if he
has anything to cook, and we'll feed her on broiled titbits of baby
venison, goat's milk, wild bees' honey, and cunning little mourning
doves, roasted on a spit.'

'Good gracious,' cried Bell, 'what angels' food! only I would as soon
devour a pet canary as a mourning dove. But to think that I've been
trying to diet for a week in order to get intimate with suffering and
privation! Polly came to stay with me one night, and we slept on the
floor, with only a blanket under us, and no pillow; it was perfectly
horrid. Polly dreamed that her grandfather ate up her grandmother,
and I that Dicky stabbed the Jersey calf with a pickle-fork.'

'Horrors!' ejaculated Margery; 'that's a pleasant prospect for your
future bedfellows. I hope the gophers won't make you nervous,
gnawing and scratching in the straw; I got used to them last summer.
But we really must go, darling,' and she stooped to kiss Elsie good-
bye.

'Well, I suppose you ought,' she answered. 'But remember you are to
start from this gate; Aunt Truth has promised me the fun of seeing
you out of sight.'