Consider yourselves paternally kissed upon the brows, my dear girls, because such kisses, via paper, are guaranteed to be strictly hygienic and sanitary. Hence, after this form of affection, I bid you adieu till we meet
Gilly-of-the-Dandelioners.”
The scouts had laughed merrily at this letter, but once it was ended they looked surprised.
“Didn’t he say a word about outfits and routes?” asked Julie, frowning.
“Maybe it is written down on this slip of paper,” said Mrs. Vernon, opening the folded sheet and glancing over it “Yes, he has all the meat of the question on this single sheet,” added she.
After reading it, the Captain said: “Oh, I am so glad!”
“What? What did he say?” chorused the scouts, eagerly.
“Why, he heard from your Unk Verny and he says that he expects to meet us in Kansas City as we go through on the Santa Fé. But Gilly will meet us in Chicago next Monday—to-day is Tuesday. Tally, our guide, will meet us at La Junta. Isn’t that splendid?”
Those scouts who had known Tally, the Indian guide, expressed their delight at the news, and then Mrs. Vernon went on to say: “The main items on this list seems to be repeated every other line. Gilly wishes to impress upon our minds that we must travel light. He also says that he has shopped for all the accessories we might need for the summer, and we are to bring the least possible change of clothing. If we need more at any time it will be easy enough to buy.”
“Next Monday?” exclaimed Anne Bailey. “Then there isn’t a chance for us stay-at-home scouts to convince our parents that they ought to let us go with you.”