"'Cause I get lost in the middle of it," declared Rose, shaking her head. "It's too long, Russ."
"Well, 'Mr. John Scarbontiskil' is long," admitted Russ. "But if you practise from now, right on——"
"But what is the use of practising if we are not going there with daddy?"
"But maybe we'll go," said Russ hopefully.
"We have got to go to school. I don't mind," sighed Rose. "Only I do so love to travel about with daddy and mother."
"You can practise saying it on the chance of our going," her brother advised.
But Rose did not really think there was much use in doing that. She said so. She was not of so hopeful a disposition as Russ. He believed that "something would turn up" so that the six little Bunkers would be taken with daddy and mother to the far Southwest. Grandma Bell often spoke of a "silver lining" to every cloud, and Russ was hoping to see the silver lining to this cloud of Daddy Bunker's going away.
At any rate, the fact that Mr. Bunker had to go to Cowboy Jack's (we'll not call him Mr. Scarbontiskil, either, for it is too hard a name) was quite established that very afternoon. Daddy received another letter from his Pineville client, and he at once said to Mother Bunker:
"That settles it, Amy." Mrs. Bunker's name was Amy. "Golden is determined that nobody but me shall do the job for him. He offers such a good commission—plus transportation expenses—that I do not feel that I can refuse."
"Oh, Charles," said Mrs. Bunker, "I don't like to have you go so far away from us. It really is a great way to that town of Cavallo that you say is the nearest to Cowboy Jack's ranch."