midday
Elsie went to sleep in the new hammock that the doctor had hung in the sycamores back of the girls ' sleeping-tent , and Mrs. Winship lay down for her afternoon nap . Pancho saddled the horses for Bell and Margery , who went for a gallop . Polly climbed into the sky-parlour to write a long letter to her mother , and Laura was left to solitude in the sleeping-tent . Now everybody knows that a tent at midday is not a particularly pleasant spot , and after many a groan at the glare of the sun , which could not be tempered by any system of shawls , and moans at the gopher-holes which she discovered while searching for her ear-ring , and repeated consultations with the hand-glass at brief intervals , during which she convinced herself that she looked worse every minute , -- she finally discovered a series of alarming new spots on her neck and chin . She felt then that camping out was a complete failure , and that she would be taken home forthwith if it could be managed , since she saw nothing before her but day after day of close confinement and unattractive personal appearance . ` It 's just my luck ! ' she grumbled , as she twisted up her hair and made herself as presentable as possible under the trying circumstances .