"--even though it had taken the last penny of his pocket
money.

"It's a beauty!" she declared.

"Knight must expect another spill to-day," laughed Alec.

Blue Bonnet looked about the circle with a bright, quick glance. "I'm
not going to try to say 'thank you' to everybody,--those two words
would be quite worn out by the time I finished!"

"Come along, everybody," said Uncle Cliff, "it's time for the
festivities to begin."

As they left the dining-room, Carita slipped her arm about Blue Bonnet
and whispered regretfully: "I wish I had a present for you. I didn't
know in time or I could have made something."

Blue Bonnet gave her an impulsive squeeze. "Why, Carita, you're a
birthday present yourself!"

Blue Bonnet's promise to Ruth in regard to the steer-roping contest,
proved almost literally true. This was the great feature of the day to
the Mexicans, and their delight in the sport knew no bounds. They
made a brilliant picture as they stood or squatted about the corral
gate, the women in their bright yellow, red and purple calicoes; and
the men in their tight trousers, serapes rainbow hued, gay sashes and
enormous peaked hats. The scene was full of life, color and motion.

Ruth's thin cheeks grew pink with excitement. "What's going to happen
first?" she asked Blue Bonnet.

"You see those steers inside the gate? Well, Pancho will drive one out
and while it is running like mad, Josef--he has the first turn--will
lasso, throw it, and tie its feet together with that short rope he
has. Then, one after another, the rest of the cowboys will do the same
thing, and the one that does it in the shortest time will get the
prize and be declared champion of the Blue Bonnet ranch."

"The world's record is thirty-seven seconds," Knight added, "but it
has to be a hustler who can do it under a minute."

"Look--there comes one now!" screamed Kitty.

The contest was swift, breathless and soon over. The corral gate was
opened and through it driven a steer. Outside, mounted on a swift
cow-pony rode Josef, awaiting the signal to start in pursuit. On came
the steer with long frightened leaps, after him the vaquero with
lariat whirling around his head. Suddenly the rope whistled, hissed
through the air, dropped and coiled about the steer's front feet. A
quick movement on the part of both rider and horse; the lariat
tightened, and the steer pitched on to its side. Josef leaped from his
pony, bent over his victim, and, in far less