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diff --git a/30686.txt b/30686.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..26a36dd --- /dev/null +++ b/30686.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1228 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Little Tales of The Desert, by Ethel Twycross Foster + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Little Tales of The Desert + +Author: Ethel Twycross Foster + +Illustrator: Hernando G. Villa + +Release Date: December 15, 2009 [EBook #30686] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE TALES OF THE DESERT *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: LITTLE TALES OF THE DESERT Cover] + + + + +LITTLE TALES OF THE DESERT + +_By_ + +ETHEL TWYCROSS FOSTER, L. L. B. + +_Member Suffolk Bar_ + +_Illustrations by_ + +HERNANDO G. VILLA + +PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR + +LOS ANGELES, CAL. + + + + + COPYRIGHT 1913 BY ETHEL T. FOSTER + + + KINGSLEY, MASON AND COLLINS CO. + PRINTERS AND BINDERS + LOS ANGELES + + +Contents + + CHRISTMAS ON THE DESERT 5 + TRADE RATS 7 + A CHAT WITH MRS. COTTONTAIL 9 + RABBITS AND CACTUS BURRS 11 + THE DANGEROUS PET 13 + A VISIT TO PALM SPRINGS 15 + THE ROAD-RUNNER 17 + A STRANGE CAPTURE 19 + A DESERT MAY PARTY 21 + + +[Illustration: _Christmas on the Desert_] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +CHRISTMAS ON THE DESERT + + +MARY was worried. To-morrow would be Christmas. Christmas! a day always +spent close to New York City, that place where Santa Claus obtained all +the contents of his wonderful pack. Here she was, out in the heart of +the great Arizona Desert. Her little head was sorely puzzled over many +things. Around her were sand, rocks and mountains; no snow, no ice, save +on the tops of the distant peaks. How was Santa to draw his gift-laden +sleigh over barren stretches of sage brush and sand? Besides, he surely +would be far too warm, with his heavy fur coat and cap, to say nothing +of the poor reindeer who could scarcely live in such a country. + +Mary and her mother had joined her father at his mine, where they were +going to spend the winter, sleeping in a tent, eating in a tent, but +spending the remainder of the time out of doors, under the clear, blue +sky and breathing the sweet, pure air. + +Mary enjoyed all these things and no troubled thought crossed her mind +until the approach of Christmas. She sought counsel with her mother, but +Mother merely looked wise and said "wait." Mothers, somehow, seem to +know all about these things and Mary had great confidence in hers, and +so she ceased to worry, but still she wondered. + +Christmas Eve at last arrived and Mary with many misgivings retired +early, as children often do in order to hasten the coming of the day. +She slept well, but awoke just as the sun came peeping up from behind +the distant mountains. + +She sat up on her cot very suddenly and rubbed her eyes. What was that +rapidly moving object coming over the brow of the nearest hill? She +hurried into her clothes and went out. As the speck came nearer it +began to take definite form. But how strange! What did it all mean? Mary +stood and stared with wide open eyes. Quickly it came nearer and nearer +and presently rolled over the nearest rise and swung up in front of the +camp. + +Mary had seen many interesting sights during her short life of six +years, but never one so strange. + +First came twelve little burros with harnesses nearly hidden by holly +berries, while behind was the queerest chariot that ever popped out of a +fairy tale. The wheels were covered with blue and yellow flowers and +above was an immense Spanish dagger with the center removed, and in its +place stood the same dear old Santa Claus, whom Mary had seen every year +of her life. Mary had never before seen him in his desert costume. +Instead of his warm fur coat, he wore a kakhi coat and trousers, with +high top boots, a bright red scarf around his neck and a wide sombrero +hat. Below the hat peeped out the same kindly, bright eyes above the +rosy cheeks and snowy white beard. Beside him, instead of the usual +evergreen tree, a large, queer, crooked limbed joshua tree, was +standing. It was literally laden with presents, and all was lighted up, +not with candles or wax tapers, but with the crimson blossoms of the +Spanish dagger. On every dagger point was hung a gift. There were grown +up presents for father and mother and the cook and the miners; and there +was a real doll with blue eyes and teeth, that said "Papa," and "Mama," +and cried exactly like the dolls found in far away New York. There was a +tea set and a little kakhi suit. There was a cute little set of +furniture made from cactus burrs, to say nothing of the delicious cactus +candy, and other sweetmeats which must have come from a far away town. + +Santa descended with a bow and a smile to all, distributed the gifts, +joined them for a moment at breakfast, for the dear old man works very +hard and gets hungry, and then with a cheery, "Merry Christmas to all," +he was off again, leaving behind one of the little burros named Bepo, +for Mary's own use. + +As he sped away over the sand toward the next camp, Mary gave a sigh and +turned to her mother with a happy laugh, saying, "I guess Santa looks +after the little girls and boys everywhere, doesn't he, Mamma?" + + + + +TRADE RATS + + +THE little clock struck twelve, all were sleeping soundly, the tent flap +was rolled away and a streak of moonlight stretched half across the +floor. + +Mary and her mother lay on a bunk and beyond the partition one could +hear the even breathing of father and cousin Jack. All else was still +save the occasional cry of a night hawk or the far distant call of a +coyote. + +Slowly, cautiously, stealthily into this silence crept a tiny object. +Its sharp, black eyes flashed fire in the moonlight and in its small +mouth it carefully carried a cactus burr. + +"Pst! Mary, did you hear something?" It was cousin Jack's hoarse whisper +that broke the silence and awakened Mary from a beautiful dream and her +eyes popped open wide. She snuggled closer to Mother and stared into the +moonlight. All she could hear was a funny, little scratching sound, +unlike any she had ever heard around camp, and she knew not what it +meant. None of her little animal friends made a noise like that. + +Jack was out of bed, had lighted a candle and in his pajamas, was +searching under bunks, tables and chairs for the thing that had caused +the noise. Mary sat up in bed, in time to hear a swift, rustling sound +and see a small object dart out of the tent door. Jack knew it would do +no good to search outside so tumbled back into bed and once more all was +still. + +[Illustration] + +Next morning at breakfast all were wondering who the strange visitor +could have been, but soon the incident was forgotten. Toward noon, Mary +went to a vacant bunk where she kept her clothes, and picked up her new +doll. She removed its dress and looked about for a little, red, wool +gown, of which she was very fond, for the day was chilly and it looked +like rain. But the gown was gone, high and low she looked, but find it +she could not. At last, tired out with searching, she fell asleep, and +the pretty lost gown remained a mystery. + +During the next few days strange things happened. On the day following +one of Dolly's stockings was gone, on the next, its mate; on the next a +pretty little velvet bonnet, and so on for a week. The strangest part of +it was that something or somebody was bringing in little sticks of wood +and cactus burrs and piling them up among the doll clothes. + +At the end of the week, Jack decided to solve the mystery. He said he +was going to sit up all night and see what kind of a thing was coming +into the tent so regularly. He didn't do exactly what he intended to do, +for by ten o'clock his eyelids grew too heavy and he was fast asleep in +the vacant bunk which he had chosen for a hiding place. + +Patter, patter, patter, something was coming. Jack awoke with a start of +expectation. There was no moon tonight, but he had left a candle burning +in a distant corner. It was all he could do to keep back a chuckle when +he saw a big gray rat dart across the floor with a good sized twig in +its mouth. Jack kept perfectly still and the little fellow, not even +seeing him, continued its way across the floor to the bunk on which sat +Jack beside the doll clothes. It clawed its way up the side of the bunk, +dropped the twig, then selected a soft, woolly skirt. Then it turned and +scampered away through the door and out into the sagebrush. + +Jack gave a hearty laugh and at once awakened the whole family and told +them his story. + +"Of course," said Father, "it was a trade rat. Why didn't we think of +that before? The hills are full of tiny holes where they burrow down and +build their nests." + +"But what about the twig?" asked Jack. + +"They always pay for what they take," was the unexpected reply, "they +are great fellows to steal both food and clothing, but they never take +anything without replacing it with a cactus burr, a twig, a chip of +wood, or something of the sort. They seem to think it wrong not to leave +something in place of what they take." + +"But what did they do with all my dolly's clothes?" asked Mary, "surely +they can't wear them." + +"Indeed no, my dear little girl," said Father, "but probably if you +could find their nest, you would see them busy at work lining it with +the soft, downy cloth in preparation for a family of little ones." + +Mary talked and wondered about all these happenings, and you can imagine +her delight when big Joe came running up to camp one day and told her he +had found her rat's nest. The men had been digging on a little hill +preparing to build the foundation of an extra tent. The hill was covered +with rat holes and gopher holes, and Joe lifted up a shovel full of +adobe and underneath was a little cave all carefully lined with warm +clothing. On the soft bed lay mother rat and six tiny little fellows +with eyes just opened. They were peering around with a frightened look +and giving shrill little squeaks of dismay. + +[Illustration: _Joshua Trees_ (_Mary and Bepo_)] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +A CHAT WITH MRS. COTTONTAIL + + +ONE bright Sunday morning Mary wandered away from camp alone. The fact +was she did not know what to do. At home she always attended church with +Father and Mother, but here the nearest church was eighty miles away, a +bit too far for a morning ride, you see. Father did not work Sunday, and +as it was about the only time he had to chat with Mother, Mary was for +the moment forgotten. + +She followed along a little trail leading over a small hill east of +camp. Upon arriving at the top she noticed a clump of trees beyond, and +they looked so cool and shady that she trotted down the trail and sat +beneath them. + +Now this was a dangerous thing to do, for she could no longer see home, +and there were many trails leading in all directions. A little girl of +six years could hardly be expected to remember the way back. + +She was soon rested and decided to start for home. She was getting +hungry, too. A tiny hill rose from the clump of trees in every +direction, which one ought she to choose? She was not a child to be +daunted by a thing like this, so boldly started up the path she thought +led home. She climbed to the top, but no camp was in sight, no tents, no +horses, nothing to indicate the surroundings of those dear people that +she did want dreadfully to see, O! so quickly. + +"Oh me, oh my, I guess I'm lost!" she cried with a little break in her +voice. "I hope there are no bears in these hills. Oh, why did I run +away, and where is my mamma?" + +She ran back down the hill, throwing herself on the ground under the +trees while the great big tears chased down her rosy cheeks. "Can I help +you, little girl?" said a tiny voice near by, "you are getting your +pretty dress soiled and your hair will be full of sand." + +"Oh, I didn't know rabbits could talk," and Mary's eyes grew big and +round with wonder. There before her stood a little cottontail perched +upon its haunches and blinking at her with its cute little pink eyes. + +"Yes, we desert rabbits could always talk, didn't you know that? But, +where is your mamma and what are you doing out here alone?" + +"I guess I'm lost," answered Mary, "but you live here, can't you find my +home?" + +"No, dear little girl, I can't, and I will tell you why. Mr. Man with +many brothers and sisters lives in your home. Mr. Man has a gun and he +uses that gun to kill poor little rabbits like me. Don't you remember +eating some for dinner yesterday? Well, on that day several of our dear +little playfellows were killed. Now you see I don't care to be eaten, so +must not go near your home, even to show you the way." + +Mary gave a little shudder, for she did remember eating rabbit for +dinner the day before and that she liked it, too; but she made a resolve +never to do so again. + +"But I'll not desert you for all that," continued the strange friend. +"My home is close by and as you are but a wee bit of a girl and have no +gun, I'll take you there." + +Mary was delighted. To visit a real rabbit village and to be taken there +by Mrs. Rabbit, herself, would be a strange adventure, indeed. + +Mrs. Rabbit led the way down a narrow path worn by the little feet of +her numerous family. Mary trotted along behind when suddenly the rabbit +stood up, gave a jump and darted away into the bushes. + +Mary, startled, looked up in surprise. There stood cousin Jack gazing +down at her with an amused twinkle in his eyes; why! she, herself, was +lying, her head pillowed on her chubby arms, directly under the shady +tree where she had thrown herself in despair but a few moments before. + +"Well, little girl, what have you been dreaming about?" he asked. +"Mother is sure you are lost or eaten up by some of your wild friends." + +At this, Mary stood up and looked around indignantly. "Did I really +dream about all those dreadful things Mrs. Cottontail told me?" she +said. + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +RABBITS AND CACTUS BURRS + + +MARY and Bepo, the burro, soon became fast friends. Few burros lead as +happy a life as being the constant playmate of a merry child. Bepo +seemed to appreciate this fact and loved Mary accordingly. Many a +prospecting trip did they take on their own account over the network of +trails leading from camp to the numerous shafts and tunnels of the mine. + +You city children and even you country boys and girls would never dream +of all the delightful and interesting things they found. I suppose you +think of the desert as being a flat stretch of sand with nothing on it, +like the maps of the desert of Sahara, in Africa? I know I used to. But +indeed it is not so. Many strange forms of life exist, both plant and +animal, as we shall soon learn. + +This particular morning as they started out, Mary noticed that the +ground was covered with cactus burrs. Did you ever see a cactus burr? +They are similar to those you find in the country, but larger, with +pointed daggers sticking out in all directions, and they grow on a +crooked, prickly stalk or spine in the most comical way imaginable. As +they ambled along they discovered more and yet more of them. Mary, being +an inquisitive child, jumped down from Bepo's back for a closer +inspection of the strange things. Then she discovered a queer thing. She +had seen lots of burrs before but these were different. All the sharp +daggers had been removed, the burrs had been split open and the soft +centers taken out. + +Mary looked all around, who could have done it? No man could have opened +all those burrs, it would have taken him weeks. He would have pricked +his fingers many times and often besides. + +Then she heard a faint rustling in the bushes near by. Softly she +tiptoed behind a clump of sagebrush and peeked over. There was a little +rabbit nibbling away at a cactus burr. He handled it very carefully to +guard against pricks and very daintily nibbled off, one by one, the tiny +daggers. When all were gone he split open the burr, sucked out the +juice, then nibbled up the soft center. So you see, even on this sandy +desert, Nature cares for all her children. + +Mary was so pleased at the sight that she clapped her little hands in +glee and cried, "You dear, cute little thing!" But Mr. Rabbit was not +used to little girls. He looked up suddenly with fright in his tiny pink +eyes, then sprang away into the bushes. + +Mary led Bepo around to a rock and clambered onto his back. As they +slowly stubbed along over the rough trail they surprised many a family +of rabbits and not a few were nibbling away at the prickly cactus burrs. + +You can ride for miles over the desert without finding water, no lakes, +no rivers, no little stream even; and if it were not for the sweet +juices in the center of these burrs many small animals would die of +thirst. + +[Illustration: _Twilight on the Desert_] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE DANGEROUS PET + + +MARY, with her mother, was taking a short stroll just before sundown. As +they were about to return they espied the largest and strangest lizard +they ever saw. It was nearly two feet long, with a perfectly round body, +a broad, flat head, short legs and a short, blunt tail. It was a chunky +little animal, all covered with a rough skin like an alligator and +dotted with square warts. It seemed very tame and followed Mary into the +tent where she made a warm nest for it in the corner near her bunk. It +was very fond of being petted and would lie and rub its head against +Mary's hand. When Father returned at night he was much pleased with the +strange pet and encouraged Mary to keep it, thinking, of course, that it +was some strange overgrown lizard. The question was, what should they +feed it? First they tried grubs and worms which were not touched; then +bread, meat, insects and all sorts of things, but nothing would he +taste. At last someone thought of eggs and that was apparently just what +the little fellow wanted, and that is what he lived on during the month +Mary had him for her pet. + +At the end of that month big Ben, the foreman, came into Mary's tent to +repair the floor. The first Mary knew that anything was wrong was when +he gave a scream, calling to her to keep away from the tent. Her father, +nearby, ran to see what was the trouble; Ben pointed to the big lizard +and cried, "A gila monster, let us kill him quickly!" Mary and her +parents looked at him in surprise. They had never heard of such an +animal. Ben, however, had spent years on the desert and knew well its +dangers. But he had no gun and all he could do was to take a stick and +push the thing out of doors. Then a queer thing happened. When the hot +sun shone down on the gila monster (pronounced heela) it was no longer +tame and gentle, but would snap at anyone who came near and acted ugly, +continuing to hiss with his mouth wide open, on the lookout for the +first sign of an enemy. + +A squirrel came out of the brush and ran a bit too near, when the big +lizard fastened its fangs in the poor little animal and turned over with +it in its mouth. The poison is in its lower jaw and when he turns over +it flows out. The squirrel died in a very few moments from the effects +of the poison in spite of the fact that Ben had meantime shot the gila +monster through the head. + +Mary's parents were horrified when they realized what a dangerous pet +their little girl had been playing with for so many weeks. They +determined to seek Ben's advice hereafter before housing any more +strange animals. + +But Mary was not in great danger for generally the little reptiles are +tame indoors, but out of doors in the sunshine they become cross and +ugly and their bite is more dangerous than that of a rattlesnake. + +[Illustration: _Palm Springs_] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +A VISIT TO PALM SPRINGS + + +MOTHER was unused to the desert, so Father, having arranged his business +so he could leave it with Big Ben, the foreman, decided to take a +vacation and all were going over to Palm Springs for a few days. + +Now, Palm Springs is in California near the great Mountain of San +Jacinto and it took a day and a half to get there. It was great fun for +Mary and Jack to get into a sleeping car and go speeding along over the +desert again. They recognized many of their old friends on the way, most +of whom they knew nothing about the last time they rode on a train. Then +it grew dark and they could no longer see out of the window. + +The next morning after breakfast the conductor opened the door and +called out, "Palm Springs." + +They hurriedly gathered together their bags and suitcases and left the +train. + +My! but wasn't it cold, and didn't the wind blow? Folks could hardly +stand straight and the wind was blowing right off the snow-capped +mountains that were all around the place, making it seem colder still. +Mary was hurried into the stage and before they had gone a mile their +faces were covered with sand blowing off the desert and you could never +have told that their clothes had ever been clean. + +Palm Springs itself was five miles from the station, but suddenly the +wind stopped blowing and it was warm as summer, then pretty soon they +heard dogs barking and rode right through an Indian village. + +Some of the squaws were making baskets, but most of them were out in the +fields working just like men. Imagine Mamma doing work like that. It was +interesting to see them, though, especially the little papooses being +carried in a little box fastened to the mother's back. + +Just beyond was Palm Springs settlement itself, with lots of tents, +several houses, a store and a hotel. They stopped at the hotel, and +after dinner looked around the funny little store where they sold a +little of everything while a phonograph ground out wheezy music. They +visited the funny little cottages with their roofs and sides all covered +with big palm leaves instead of boards. Then they went up to the hot +springs. + +There was a stream of water shooting up in the air part of the time, but +generally just bubbling up a little higher than the pond itself, which +was about six feet wide and ten feet long. It didn't look deep, but the +man at the springs told them the center shaft was sometimes as big as a +well and no one knew how deep. Father had been there before and he +wanted to take Mary into the spring, so with Jack they hired bathing +suits and went down. It was very funny. They thought, of course, it was +going to be deep, but the bottom was hard sand, and the water just +covered their ankles. Father took Mary in first, but the water did not +become deeper, but all at once the sand gave way. Father said it was +quick sand which somewhat frightened her, but he didn't seem scared so +she tried not to be. They went down and down into the sand which seemed +to tighten around them, when all at once, when Mary was up to her +shoulders, the spring gave a gurgle and tossed them out into shallow +water. Mary was frightened, but the rest laughed at her, especially +Jack, who was fourteen and thought he was almost a man. He said he could +walk around in it all right--the old water could not toss him up like +that. It was just bubbling over a little then, so he marched boldly in. +But when he felt the warm watery sand hugging him tighter and tighter +and sucking him down, he thought surely he was lost and wished he had +not bragged. But just then the spring gurgled louder and a high stream +shot up and in it was Cousin Jack, who landed safe and sound beside +them. I can tell you he was a happy boy. + +They soon became accustomed to the idea and spent an hour of fun wading +in and being gently but firmly tossed out. Then they went back to Dr. +Murray's Hotel where Mother met them at the door. After a supper of +fresh eggs, nice biscuits, strawberries and cream, they retired to their +tent and when all were in bed Father rolled up the sides so they could +look out at the stars and breathe the fresh, warm air softly blown to +them by the gentle mountain breezes. + +[Illustration: _The Road Runner_] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE ROAD-RUNNER + + +OF all Mary's pets she liked her road-runners best. Did you ever see a +road-runner? It makes its home on the desert where you would find it +impossible to get food, yet this little bird finds plenty and leads a +happy existence. He looks much like a pheasant with broad wings, a long, +broad tail and a crest that stands up very stiff and straight. The tail +is very flexible, and many people who have lived on the desert a long +time, say they can almost tell what the road-runner's thoughts are by +the way he holds his tail. If you can make friends with the little bird +and get near enough to it you can see the beautiful colors in its +feathery coat. The olive green wings are edged with white, and the crest +is of dark, deep blue. The bird is about twenty inches long, including +the tail. + +A pair had built a nest in a clump of cactus a short distance from camp. +The first time Mary espied them was the day after her arrival. One came +up over a low ridge and stood looking at Mary with curiosity expressed +in its long, flexible tail. This, of course, aroused Mary's interest and +she hastened away to make friends. But it was not to be. Very quickly +the bird retreated to its cactus patch. But it came again the next day +and the next. + +At first Mary was afraid of frightening it away, but one day it came as +she was eating a thick slice of bread and butter and she tossed it some +crumbs. As before, he scampered away to a safe distance, but there he +stopped. Mary stepped back and waited and pretty soon the little fellow +returned and rapidly ate up all the crumbs. He then gave a little toss +of his tail as if to say "thank you," and went home. + +After this Mary and the little road-runner soon became fast friends, and +later Mary taught him that Cousin Jack was his friend, too. He soon +learned that the big horn that the cook blew three times a day meant +something to eat; and was always on hand to get his share. He would +always save a goodly part of this share and carry it home to his mate. + +Mary and Jack each had a burro and often they would take short rides to +the nearby camps, for Jack was a steady, reliable boy and Mary's father +knew he would take care to see that no harm came to her. + +The trail led by the road-runner's nest and whenever he saw the little +girl and the big boy coming along on their burros he would dart out into +the road and rush ahead at full speed. He could always keep ahead, too. +Try as they might Mary and Jack were unable to get ahead of him. When he +grew weary of the sport he would turn suddenly and hurry into the brush +until they had passed. + +In some ways, though, he was a nuisance. Mary's uncle had sent them a +box containing a dozen chickens so that they could have some fresh eggs +as a change from the cold storage eggs commonly found in mining camps. +Now, the little road-runner would often try to slip into the chicken +yard when no one was looking. He would wait indifferently, promenading +up and down in a dignified manner until one of the hens cackled. He knew +this meant a fresh egg and he would deliberately march up, peck a hole +in the new laid egg and as deliberately swallow the contents. + +[Illustration: _Colorado Desert_ (_Ocatilla in foreground_)] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +A STRANGE CAPTURE + + +ONE warm day in February a great lazy rattlesnake, over three feet long, +glided out from under a broad, flat rock. It slowly wound its way +through sagebrush and cactus until it found an open space where the hot +rays of the noonday sun fell uninterrupted. + +Here it stretched itself out at full length, and after enjoying the +warmth of the sunshine for a little while, gradually grew drowsy and at +last fell asleep. + +Exactly one hour later, a faint rustling sound was heard. From behind +the same rock peeped out an excited looking little creature. It was no +other than our little friend the road-runner. But why so agitated and +disturbed? Its little tail was bobbing up and down, and its beautiful +bluish-black crest was raised as high as possible. He had spied his +lifelong enemy, the rattlesnake. + +Suddenly, as quickly as he came, he disappeared from sight. He was soon +back, carrying in his beak a cactus burr, which he placed on the ground +near the sleeping snake. Back and forth he went, each time returning +with a prickly burr. Before long he had a hedge entirely surrounding +poor, unsuspecting Mr. Snake. Then one more burr was brought and quietly +dropped on the snake's head. + +Now, the skin of a snake is very sensitive and he immediately woke up. +Of course his first motion rubbed the delicate skin against the prickly +burr. He gave a vicious rattle and started to move away from the +troublesome thing. He struck at one side of the hedge, then another. He +grew more and more angry. He would try to poke his nose between the +burrs, but on being pricked by the sharp points, he would draw back and +try in another place. At last, overcome with anger and mortification, +he drove his poisonous fangs into his own body and soon died. + +Mr. Road-runner, meanwhile, had retreated to a safe distance and was +much interested in all that was happening. When sure the snake was dead, +he cautiously darted up to the hedge and gave the dead snake a series of +sharp pecks with his long beak as an additional safeguard. Then he +settled down and ate a portion, carrying the best part away to his nest +to share with his mate. + +Now, if that snake had kept his temper and not become excited, he might +have realized that by poking his nose under the burrs he could lift them +and get away with only a few scratches. + +However, there are times when even boys and girls let their anger get +the best of them, so why should we expect more wisdom in a poor, foolish +snake! + +Sometimes the snake doesn't kill itself, but only becomes tired out and +lies down motionless, when the little road-runner comes over and pecks +him to death. There are only a few animals, birds or insects who can +kill a rattlesnake, and the road-runner does this about as neatly as +any. + +[Illustration: _A Desert May Party_] + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +A DESERT MAY PARTY + + +"WHY, Mamma, the very idea! Who ever heard of a desert May party?" I +hear some tiny girl exclaim, "A desert is all sand, if there were +flowers there it would not be desert at all." + +Ah, yes, my dear, I used to think so, too, but to Mary it was no +surprise. She had spent the winter on the desert, had seen the heavy +rains, and afterwards had watched how rapidly the sturdy little green +shoots would push their way up through the hard unsympathetic soil. +Generally once a year the desert puts on its party dress and is dotted +with a gorgeous mass of blossoms. + +The rains come at intervals in the winter and early spring and the +heavier and more frequent they are, the greater will be the flower +growth. The March and April rains this year had been heavy. There had +been days when Cousin Jack had come in with his raincoat dripping and +declared that he knew Mt. Kenyon would be washed away. Now and then a +cloudburst would strike terror to Mary's tender heart. She had gone out +when the weather cleared and watched the warm earth rise up and break, +while the little green things peeped through and took their first look +at the sun. The ground was always warm and it was amazing to see how +rapidly things would grow if you but gave them water. + +The thing that now troubled Mary was the fact that she had no one to ask +to share her party. Of course there was Jack, but Jack was only a boy +and a May party, above all else, means girls. + +It is strange what unexpected things happen at times, even in lonesome +mining camps. The thought had barely entered her little curly head when +she looked away over toward the mountains and saw a big, lumbering +wagon, drawn by four strong horses, come creeping down the road. Long +before it reached camp she could see that there were several people on +it and then she saw the children. + +There were four of them, three little blue eyed girls with flaxen hair +and a slightly older brother with the same light hair but who looked at +the world through a pair of big, laughing brown eyes. They were staying +twenty miles up the valley with their parents who had charge of a small +cattle ranch, and Mother and children were having a holiday going to +town with Father. They stopped to water the horses and you may be sure +that it did not take long for the children to become acquainted. Not +many little folks live on the desert and playmates are almost unknown. +As it turned out, Father and Mother went on to town alone and left the +children to enjoy one another until their return on the following day. + +Mary's mother was always planning surprises, so when she appeared with +two large lunch baskets heaped with goodies, Mary realized that this +would be a May day party unlike any she had ever before seen. Six burros +were kept ever ready in the corral and these were caught and saddled for +the children. Mother rode her Indian pony, a Christmas gift from Father. +As they passed the mill and wound up the trail by the main shaft of the +mine, the men were changing shift and as the cage swung up to the +surface the miners called a cheery good-bye, for they were very fond of +Mary. + +They ascended the next rise and what they saw was fairyland. They were +at the entrance of a canyon. A tiny stream of water ran in the center +and beside it wound a narrow trail. Foothills rolled up on either side +and the steep walls were a mass of flowers. Wild heliotrope, thistle, +poppies, white, pink and yellow gillias, long-leaved wild tobacco, with +its rich yellow blossoms, all were massed together and far more +beautifully arranged than the stiff gardens in Central Park. + +"Aunt Louise," called Jack to Mamma, who was riding behind with the +little girls, "isn't that a campfire up on the next hill?" + +"No, Jack," she replied, "not a fire, only a smoke tree. That is why it +received its name. The branches are grayish with tiny sage-green leaves +and at a distance it is often mistaken for a fire as it is all so +delicate and filmy." + +By this time Jack had ridden ahead for a closer inspection of the bush +and startled us all by a little cry of pain. + +"Be careful, Jack, it is also called the porcupine tree by the miners," +called Mother, "the tiny leaves are nothing more than very sharp and +prickly spines." + +"Why is it that so many desert plants have stickers and thorns?" asked +Tom, the rancher's son. + +"Why, can't you see for yourself, Tom?" called back Jack, "if they +weren't sharp and prickly all these little desert animals would tear +them up when they were young and tender and they would never grow to be +full sized." + +"Yes," said Mother, "it is simply the way that nature protects her young +so that it will not be destroyed in infancy. There are still other +protections necessary on the desert for the hot sun would otherwise kill +many plants. A large number are covered with a soft down which is really +a mass of tiny air cells that keep the stems and leaves cool and protect +them from the hot sun's rays." + +"And see, there is a creosote bush, its rich green leaves are covered +with a kind of varnish which keeps them cool the same as the hairs would +do. See how the recent rains have brought out a mass of blossoms at the +tip of every branch, what a delicate flower, held in a pale green cup. +And there is another smoke tree, nearer the water and so it has +blossomed earlier, every point has a gorgeous purple flower." + +"See the funny bunch of sticks over here, Mamma," called Mary, "they +look like a lot of candles sticking up." + +"And that is just what they are called, my dear, ocatilla, or candle +cactus. They have no leaves for the greater part of the year, but after +the rains they leave out and are soon covered with those beautiful +scarlet bells." + +"Yes," answered Mary, "they look like some beautiful winged bird just +about to fly away. And how tall the candles are, lots higher than our +tents back in camp." + +It would take too long to tell you about all the desert beauties that +the children saw, they all agreed that nothing as beautiful was ever +seen "back East" where it rains half the time. + +At noon they sat down under a clump of mesquite and ate the splendid +luncheon. The pure fresh air had made them ravenously hungry. The +mesquite was a low, stocky tree which did not grow high but spread out +in every direction, branches thick with foliage. + +"Why don't the old tree grow up higher and not bother about having so +many side branches?" asked Jack. + +Then Mother told him. "Why, can't you see?" she asked. "The sun is so +hot that it kills the tiny buds on the end of the branch; but the tree +is determined to grow, just the same, so it sends out side buds, where +the sun's rays are not as hot and the short, stubby tree is the result." + +"At any rate it makes a fine shade and that is all we need just now," +answered Jack. + +They rested under the wide spreading branches until the sun shone a bit +less fiercely, then they slowly rode homeward through the beautiful +blossoms, arriving just at dusk, very hungry, a little tired, but happy +in the thought that they had visited one of the strangest and most +beautiful corners of the earth. + + * * * * * + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + +The original text did not contain a table of contents. One was created for +this text. + +Khaki is spelled kakhi in this text. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Tales of The Desert, by +Ethel Twycross Foster + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE TALES OF THE DESERT *** + +***** This file should be named 30686.txt or 30686.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/0/6/8/30686/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Emmy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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