“It seems to me it takes an awfully long time to put up the tents and take them down every day,” remarked Ethel. “Why couldn’t we do without them, when it is clear?”
“No, it’s better to have them,” said Mr. Hilton; “but you girls really might learn to take down your own. It would save us a lot of time.”
“We will! We will!” cried several; and Kirk and Tom offered to give them instructions.
Doris and Mae were not, however, particularly ambitious. They were tired from the long ride of the preceding day, and their muscles were horribly stiff. Neither said anything, but neither made any move to help with the tents.
“What’s the matter, Doris?” asked Marjorie. “All in?”
“Yes, my knees hurt so,” she replied.
“Well, I’ll take down your tent,” offered Marjorie. Then, turning to Kirk, “I really don’t think we need much instruction, because you see we’ve done it before, with tents very much like these. We didn’t have any young men to help us on our canoe trip.”
This little assistance to the men saved quite a considerable amount of time, and the whole party were on their way again almost an hour sooner than they had expected.
Everyone seemed quieter than they were on the day before; as they rode along they talked little, and did not sing at all. Perhaps this was because the girls who were usually the merriest were the most tired. Lily, Mae, and Doris all began to wish in their hearts that they were back at the ranch.
Somehow Mr. Hilton sensed this feeling, and ordered that an early stop be made for dinner. After all, it was a pleasure trip, and there was no reason for undue hurry. Tomorrow, undoubtedly they would reach the goal of their journey.