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00:00 CHAPTER I. CHRISTMAS ON THE DESERT
00:27 Everybody was worried. Tomorrow would be Christmas. Christmas! A day always spent close to New
00:33 York City. That place where Santa Claus obtained all the contents of his wonderful pack. Here
00:39 she was, out in the heart of the great Arizona desert. Her little head was sorely puzzled
00:45 over many things. Around her were sand, rocks, and mountains. No snow, no ice, save on the
00:54 tops of the distant peaks. How was Santa to draw his gift-laden sleigh over barren stretches
01:01 of sagebrush and sand? Besides, he surely would be far too warm, with his heavy fur
01:08 coat and cap, to say nothing of the poor reindeer who could scarcely live in such a country.
01:17 Mary and her mother had joined her father at his mine, where they were going to spend
01:21 the winter, sleeping in a tent, eating in a tent, but spending the remainder of the
01:27 time out of doors, under the clear blue sky, and breathing the sweet, pure air. Mary enjoyed
01:34 all these things, and no troubled thought crossed her mind until the approach of Christmas.
01:40 She sought counsel with her mother, but mother merely looked wise and said, "Wait!"
01:47 Others, somehow, seemed to know all about these things, and Mary had great confidence
01:53 in hers, and so she ceased to worry, but still she wondered.
01:59 Christmas Eve at last arrived, and Mary, with many misgivings, retired early, as children
02:05 often do, in order to hasten the coming of the day. She slept well, but awoke just as
02:13 the sun came peeping up from behind the distant mountains. She sat up on her cot, very suddenly,
02:20 and rubbed her eyes. What was that rapidly moving object coming over the brow of the
02:25 nearest hill? She hurried into her clothes and went out. As the speck came nearer, it
02:31 began to take definite form. But how strange! What did it all mean? Mary stood and stared
02:39 with wide-open eyes. Quickly it came nearer and nearer, and presently rolled over the
02:45 nearest rise and swung up in front of the camp.
02:50 Mary had seen many interesting sights during her short life of six years, but never one
02:56 so strange. First came twelve little burrows with harnesses nearly hidden by holly berries,
03:03 while behind was the queerest chariot that ever popped out of a fairy tale. The wheels
03:08 were covered with blue and yellow flowers, and above was an immense Spanish dagger with
03:14 the center removed, and in its place stood the same dear old Santa Claus whom Mary had
03:21 seen every year of her life. Mary had never before seen him in his desert costume. Instead
03:28 of his warm fur coat, he wore a khaki coat and trousers, with high-top boots, a bright
03:34 red scarf around his neck, and a wide sombrero hat. Below the hat peeked out the same kindly
03:41 bright eyes above the rosy cheeks and snowy white beard. Beside him, instead of the usual
03:47 evergreen tree, a large, queer, crooked-limbed Joshua tree was standing. It was literally
03:55 laden with presents, and all was lighted up, not with candles or wax tapers, but with the
04:01 crimson blossoms of the Spanish dagger, and on every dagger point was hung a gift. There
04:08 were grown-up presents for father and mother and the cook and the miners, and there was
04:12 a real doll with blue eyes and teeth that said "Papa!" and "Mama!" and cried exactly
04:20 like the dolls found in faraway New York. There was a tea-set and a little khaki suit.
04:27 There was a cute little set of furniture made from cactus burrs, to say nothing of the delicious
04:33 cactus candy and other sweetmeats which must have come from a faraway town. Santa descended
04:40 with a bow and a smile to all, distributed the gifts, joined them for a moment at breakfast
04:47 (for the dear old man works very hard and gets hungry) and then, with a cheery "Merry
04:53 Christmas to all!" he was off again, leaving behind one of the little burrows named "Bepo"
05:00 for Mary's own use. As he sped away over the sand toward the next camp, Mary gave a sigh
05:08 and turned to her mother with a happy laugh, saying, "I guess Santa looks after the little
05:14 girls and boys everywhere, doesn't he, Mama?"
05:30 CHAPTER II
05:43 NIGHT RATS
05:46 The little clock struck twelve. All were sleeping soundly. The tent flap was rolled away, and
05:53 a streak of moonlight stretched half across the floor. Mary and her mother lay on a bunk,
06:00 and beyond the partition one could hear the even breathing of father and cousin Jack.
06:05 All else was still save the occasional cry of a night-hawk or the far-distant call of
06:11 a coyote.
06:14 Slowly, cautiously, stealthily, into the silence crept a tiny object. Its sharp black eyes
06:23 flashed fire in the moonlight, and in its small mouth it carefully carried a cactus
06:28 burrow.
06:29 "Psst, Mary, did you hear something?" It was cousin Jack's hoarse whisper that broke the
06:36 silence and awakened Mary from a beautiful dream, and her eyes popped wide open. She
06:42 snuggled closer to mother and stared into the moonlight. All she could hear was a funny
06:47 little scratching sound, unlike any she had ever heard around camp, and she knew not what
06:53 it meant. None of her little animal friends made a noise like that.
06:59 Jack was out of bed, had lighted a candle, and in his pajamas was searching under bunks,
07:06 tables and chairs for the thing that had caused the noise. Mary sat up in bed, in time to
07:13 hear a swift rustling sound and see a small object dart out of the tent door. Jack knew
07:21 it would do no good to search outside, so tumbled back into bed, and once more all was
07:27 still.
07:29 Next morning at breakfast all were wondering who the strange visitor could have been, but
07:34 soon the incident was forgotten.
07:37 Toward noon Mary went to a vacant bunk where she kept her clothes and picked up her new
07:42 doll. She removed its dress and looked about for a little red wool gown, of which she was
07:50 very fond, for the day was chilly and it looked like rain. But the gown was gone. High and
07:57 low she looked, but find it she could not. At last, tiring out with searching, she fell
08:04 asleep and the pretty lost gown remained a mystery.
08:10 During the next few days strange things happened. On the day following, one of Dolly's stockings
08:16 was gone, on the next its mate, on the next a pretty little velvet bonnet, and so on for
08:23 a week. The strangest part of it was that something or somebody was bringing in little
08:30 sticks of wood and cactus burrs and piling them up among the doll clothes.
08:36 At the end of the week Jack decided to solve the mystery. He said he was going to sit up
08:42 all night and see what kind of a thing was coming into the tent so regularly. He didn't
08:48 do exactly what he intended to do, for by ten o'clock his eyelids grew too heavy and
08:54 he was fast asleep in the vacant bunk which he had chosen for a hiding place.
09:00 Patter, patter, patter! Something was coming. Jack awoke with a start of expectation. There
09:08 was no moon to-night, but he had left a candle burning in a distant corner. It was all he
09:14 could do to keep back a chuckle when he saw a big grey rat dart across the floor with
09:21 a good-sized twig in its mouth. Jack kept perfectly still, and the little fellow, not
09:28 even seeing him, continued its way across the floor to the bunk on which sat Jack, beside
09:35 the doll clothes. It clawed its way up the side of the bunk, dropped the twig, then selected
09:42 a soft woolly skirt. Then it turned and scampered away through the door and out into the sagebrush.
09:50 Jack gave a hearty laugh and at once awakened the whole family and told them his story.
09:57 Of course, said Father, it was a trade rat. Why didn't we think of that before? The hills
10:03 are full of tiny holes where they burrow down and build their nests.
10:09 "But what about the twig?" asked Jack.
10:13 "They always pay for what they take," was the unexpected reply. "They are great fellows
10:18 to steal both food and clothing, but they never take anything without replacing it with
10:23 a cactus burr, a twig, a chip of wood, or something of the sort. They seem to think
10:29 it wrong not to leave something in place of what they take."
10:33 "But what did they do with all my dolly's clothes?" asked Mary. "Surely they can't wear
10:39 them?"
10:40 "Indeed no, my dear little girl," said Father. "But probably, if you could find their nest,
10:47 you would see them busy at work lining it with the soft downy cloth in preparation for
10:53 a family of little ones."
10:56 Mary talked and wondered about all these happenings, and you can imagine her delight when Big Joe
11:03 came running up to Kep one day and told her he had found her rat's nest. The men had been
11:09 digging on a little hill, preparing to build the foundation of an extra tent. The hill
11:15 was covered with rat holes and gopher holes, and Joe lifted up a shovelful of adobe, and
11:21 underneath was a little cave all carefully lined with warm clothing. On the soft bed
11:28 lay Mother Rat and six tiny little fellows with eyes just opened. They were peering around
11:35 with a frightened look and giving shrill little squeaks of dismay.
11:49 CHAPTER VI
12:03 A CHAT WITH MRS. COTTONTAIL
12:06 One bright Sunday morning Mary wandered away from camp alone. The fact was, she did not
12:12 know what to do. At home she always attended church with father and mother, but here the
12:18 nearest church was eighty miles away--a bit too far for a morning ride, you see. Father
12:24 did not work Sunday, and as it was about the only time he had to chat with mother, Mary
12:30 was for the moment forgotten. She followed along a little trail leading over a small
12:36 hill east of camp. Upon arriving at the top, she noticed a clump of trees beyond, and they
12:43 looked so cool and shady that she trotted down the trail and sat beneath them. Now this
12:49 was a dangerous thing to do, for she could no longer see home, and there were many trails
12:55 leading in all directions. A little girl of six years could hardly be expected to remember
13:01 the way back.
13:04 She was soon rested and decided to start for home. She was getting hungry, too. A tiny
13:10 hill rose from the clump of trees in every direction. Which one ought she to choose?
13:17 She was not a child to be daunted by a thing like this, so boldly started up the path she
13:23 thought led home. She climbed to the top, but no camp was in sight--no tents, no horses,
13:30 nothing to indicate the surroundings of those dear people that she did want dreadfully to
13:36 see. Oh, so quickly! "Oh me, oh my, I guess I'm lost!" she cried with a little break in
13:43 her voice. "I hope there are no bears in these hills! Oh, why did I run away, and where is
13:49 my mama?"
13:51 She ran back down the hill, throwing herself on the ground under the trees, while great
13:56 big tears chased down her rosy cheeks.
13:59 "Can I help you, little girl?" said a tiny voice nearby. "You are getting your pretty
14:06 dress soiled, and your hair will be full of sand."
14:11 "Oh, I didn't know rabbits could talk!" and Mary's eyes grew big and round with wonder.
14:17 There before her stood a little cottontail perched upon its haunches and blinking at
14:23 her with its cute little pink eyes.
14:26 "Yes, we desert rabbits could always talk, didn't you know that? But where is your mama,
14:33 and what are you doing out here alone?"
14:37 "I guess I'm lost," answered Mary. "But you live here. Can't you find my home?"
14:44 "No, dear little girl, I can't, and I will tell you why. Mr. Man, with many brothers
14:51 and sisters, lives in your home. Mr. Man has a gun, and he uses that gun to kill poor little
14:58 rabbits like me. Don't you remember eating some for dinner yesterday? Well, on that day
15:06 several of our dear little playfellows were killed. Now you see I don't care to be eaten,
15:13 so must not go near your home, even to show you the way."
15:18 Mary gave a little shudder, for she did remember eating rabbit for dinner the day before, and
15:25 that she liked it too. But she made a resolve never to do so again.
15:30 "But I'll not desert you for all that," continued the strange friend. "My home is close by,
15:37 and as you are but a wee bit of a girl and have no gun, I'll take you there."
15:45 Mary was delighted. To visit a real rabbit village, and to be taken there by Mrs. Rabbit
15:50 herself, would be a strange adventure indeed.
15:54 Mrs. Rabbit led the way down a narrow path worn by the little feet of her numerous family.
16:01 Mary trotted along behind, when suddenly the rabbit stood up, gave a jump, and darted away
16:07 into the bushes.
16:10 Mary, startled, looked up in surprise. There stood Cousin Jack, gazing down at her with
16:16 an amused twinkle in his eyes. Why, she herself was lying, her head pillowed on her chubby
16:23 arms, directly under the shady tree where she had thrown herself in despair but a few
16:28 moments before.
16:30 "Well, little girl, what have you been dreaming about?" he asked. "Mother is sure you are
16:35 lost or eaten up by some of your wild friends."
16:40 At this Mary stood up and looked around indignantly. "Did I really dream about all those dreadful
16:47 things Mrs. Cottontail told me?" she said.
17:01 CHAPTER IV
17:08 Mary and Beppo, the burrow, soon became vast friends. Few burrows lead as happy a life
17:26 as being the constant playmate of a merry child. Beppo seemed to appreciate this fact,
17:33 and loved Mary accordingly. Many a prospecting trip did they take on their own account over
17:39 the network of trails leading from camp to the numerous shafts and tunnels of the mine.
17:46 New city children, and even new country boys and girls, would never dream of all the delightful
17:52 and interesting things they found. I suppose you think of the desert as being a flat stretch
17:57 of sand with nothing on it, like the maps of the desert of Sahara in Africa? I know
18:04 I used to. But indeed it is not so. Many strange forms of life exist, both plant and animal,
18:12 as we shall soon learn.
18:15 This particular morning, as they started out, Mary noticed that the ground was covered with
18:20 cactus burrs. Did you ever see a cactus burr? They are similar to those you find in the
18:27 country, but larger, with pointed daggers sticking out in all directions, and they grow
18:34 on a crooked, prickly stalk or spine in the most comical way imaginable. As they ambled
18:41 along, they discovered more and yet more of them. Mary, being an inquisitive child, jumped
18:49 down from Beppo's back for a closer inspection of the strange things. Then she discovered
18:55 a queer thing. She had seen lots of burrs before, but these were different. All the
19:01 sharp daggers had been removed, the burrs had been split open, and the soft centers
19:08 taken out.
19:10 Mary looked all around. Who could have done it? No man could have opened all those burrs.
19:17 It would have taken him weeks. He would have pricked his fingers many times and awful besides.
19:24 Then she heard a faint rustling in the bushes nearby. Softly she tiptoed behind a clump
19:31 of sagebrush and peeked over. There was a little rabbit nibbling away at a cactus burr.
19:38 He handled it very carefully to guard against pricks and very daintily nibbled off, one
19:44 by one, the tiny daggers. When all were gone he split open the burr, sucked out the juice,
19:51 then nibbled up the soft center. So you see, even on this sandy desert, Nature cares for
19:58 all her children. Mary was so pleased at the sight that she clapped her little hands in
20:04 glee and cried, "You dear, cute little thing!"
20:08 But Mr. Rabbit was not used to little girls. He looked up suddenly, with fright, in his
20:14 tiny pink eyes, then sprang away into the bushes.
20:19 Mary led Beppo around to a rock and clambered on to his back. As they slowly stubbed along
20:26 over the rough trail they surprised many a family of rabbits, and not a few were nibbling
20:32 away at the prickly cactus burrs.
20:35 You can ride for miles over the desert without finding water. No lakes, no rivers, no little
20:42 stream even, and if it were not for the sweet juices in the center of these burrs many small
20:48 animals would die of thirst.
20:56 the dangerous pet Mary, with her mother, was taking a short
21:21 stroll just before sundown. As they were about to return they espied the largest and strangest
21:28 lizard they ever saw. It was nearly two feet long, with a perfectly round body, a broad
21:35 flat head, short legs, and a short, blunt tail. It was a chunky little animal, all covered
21:41 with a rough skin, like an alligator, and dotted with square warts. It seemed very tame,
21:49 and followed Mary into the tent where she made a warm nest for it, in the corner near
21:54 her bunk. It was very fond of being petted, and would lie and rub its head against Mary's
22:00 hand. When father returned at night he was much pleased with the strange pet, and encouraged
22:06 Mary to keep it, thinking, of course, that it was some strange overgrown lizard. The
22:12 question was, what should they feed it?
22:16 First they tried grubs and worms, which were not touched. Then bread, meat, insects, and
22:23 all sorts of things, but nothing would he taste. At last someone thought of eggs, and
22:30 that was apparently just what the little fellow wanted, and that is what he lived on during
22:35 the month Mary had him for her pet. At the end of that month, Big Ben, the foreman, came
22:42 into Mary's tent to repair the floor. The first Mary knew that anything was wrong was
22:48 when he gave a scream, calling to her to keep away from the tent. Her father, nearby, ran
22:55 to see what was the matter. Ben pointed to the big lizard and cried, "A gila monster!
23:01 Let us kill him quickly!" Mary and her parents looked at him in surprise. They had never
23:08 heard of such an animal. Ben, however, had spent years on the desert, and knew well its
23:15 dangers. But he had no gun, and all he could do was to take a stick and push the thing
23:20 out of doors.
23:22 Then a queer thing happened when the hot sun shone down on the gila monster. It was no
23:29 longer tame and gentle, but would snap at anyone who came near and acted ugly, continuing
23:36 to hiss with his mouth wide open, on the lookout for the first sign of an enemy.
23:43 A squirrel came out of the brush and ran a bit too near when the big lizard fastened
23:48 its fangs in the poor little animal and turned over with it in its mouth. The poison is in
23:54 its lower jaw, and when he turns over it flows out. The squirrel died in a very few moments
24:01 from the effects of the poison, in spite of the fact that Ben had meantime shot the gila
24:07 monster through the head.
24:10 Mary's parents were horrified when they realized what a dangerous pet their little girl had
24:15 been playing with for so many weeks. They determined to seek Ben's advice hereafter
24:21 before housing any more strange animals.
24:25 But Mary was not in great danger, for generally the little reptiles are tame indoors. But
24:31 out of doors, in the sunshine, they become cross and ugly, and their bite is more dangerous
24:38 than that of a rattlesnake.
24:53 CHAPTER VI A VISIT TO PALM SPRINGS
25:00 Mother was unused to the desert, so Father, having arranged his business so he could leave
25:17 it with Big Ben, the foreman, decided to take a vacation, and all were going over to Palm
25:23 Springs for a few days.
25:25 Now Palm Springs is in California, near the great mountain of San Jacinto, and it took
25:32 a day and a half to get there. It was great fun for Mary and Jack to get into a sleeping
25:37 car and go speeding along over the desert again. They recognized many of their old friends
25:43 on the way, most of whom they knew nothing about the last time they rode on a train.
25:49 Then it grew dark, and they could no longer see out of the window. The next morning, after
25:55 breakfast, the conductor opened the door and called out, "Palm Springs!" They hurriedly
26:01 gathered together their bags and suitcases and left the train.
26:06 My, but wasn't it cold, and didn't the wind blow? Folks could hardly stand straight, and
26:12 the wind was blowing right off the snow-capped mountains that were all around the place,
26:18 making it seem colder still. Mary was hurried into the stage, and before they had gone a
26:24 mile their faces were covered with sand blowing off the desert, and you could never have told
26:30 that their clothes had ever been clean.
26:33 Palm Springs itself was five miles from the station, but suddenly the wind stopped blowing,
26:39 and it was warm as summer. Then, pretty soon, they heard dogs barking, and rode right through
26:45 an Indian village. Some of the squaws were making baskets, but most of them were out
26:51 in the fields working just like men. Imagine Mama doing work like that! It was interesting
26:58 to see them, though, especially the little papooses being carried in a little box fastened
27:05 to the mother's back.
27:08 Just beyond was Palm Springs Settlement itself, with lots of tents, several houses, a store,
27:14 and a hotel. They stopped at the hotel, and, after dinner, looked around the funny little
27:20 store where they sold a little of everything, while a phonograph ground out wheezy music.
27:27 They visited the funny little cottages with their roofs and sides all covered with big
27:33 palm leaves instead of boards. Then they went up to the hot springs. There was a stream
27:39 of water shooting up in the air part of the time, but generally just bubbling up a little
27:44 higher than the pond itself, which was about six feet wide and ten feet long. It didn't
27:50 look deep, but the man at the springs told them the center shaft was sometimes as big
27:56 as a well, and no one knew how deep.
28:00 Father had been there before, and he wanted to take Mary into the spring. So, with Jack,
28:06 they hired bathing suits and went down. It was very funny. They thought, of course, it
28:12 was going to be deep, but the bottom was hard sand, and the water just covered their ankles.
28:19 Father took Mary in first, but the water did not become deeper, but all at once the sand
28:26 gave way. Father said it was quicksand, which somewhat frightened her, but he didn't seem
28:32 scared, so she tried not to be. They went down and down into the sand, which seemed
28:39 to tighten around them, when all at once, when Mary was up to her shoulders, the spring
28:45 gave a gurgle and tossed them out into shallow water. Mary was frightened, but the rest laughed
28:51 at her, especially Jack, who was fourteen and thought he was almost a man. He said he
28:58 could walk around in it all right; the old water could not toss him up like that. It
29:04 was just bubbling over a little then, so he marched boldly in, but when he felt the warm,
29:11 watery sand hugging him tighter and tighter and sucking him down, he thought surely he
29:18 was lost and wished he had not bragged. But just then the spring gurgled louder, and a
29:25 high scream shot up, and in it was Cousin Jack, who landed safe and sound beside them.
29:32 I can tell you he was a happy boy. They soon became accustomed to the idea, and spent an
29:38 hour of fun, wading in and being gently but firmly tossed out. Then they went back to
29:44 Dr. Murray's hotel, where Mother met them at the door. After a supper of fresh eggs,
29:51 nice biscuits, strawberries and cream, they retired to their tent, and when all were in
29:57 bed, Father rolled up the sides, so they could look out at the stars and breathe the fresh,
30:03 warm air softly blown to them by the gentle mountain breezes.
30:13 VII. THE ROAD RUNNER
30:38 Of all Mary's pets, she liked her road runner's best. Did you ever see a road runner? It
30:45 makes its home on the desert, where you would find it impossible to get food, yet this little
30:51 bird finds plenty and leads a happy existence. He looks much like a pheasant, with broad
30:58 wings, a long, broad tail, and a crest that stands up very stiff and straight. The tail
31:04 is very flexible, and many people who have lived on the desert a long time say they can
31:10 almost tell what the road runner's thoughts are by the way he holds his tail. If you can
31:15 make friends with the little bird and get near enough to it, you can see the beautiful
31:19 colors in its feathery coat. The olive green wings are edged with white, and the crest
31:26 is of dark deep blue. The bird is about twenty inches long, including the tail.
31:34 A pair had built a nest in a clump of cactus a short distance from camp. The first time
31:41 Mary espied them was the day after her arrival. One came up over a low ridge and stood looking
31:49 at Mary with curiosity, expressed in its long, flexible tail. This, of course, aroused Mary's
31:56 interest, and she hastened away to make friends. But it was not to be. Very quickly the bird
32:03 retreated to its cactus patch. But it came again the next day, and the next. At first
32:10 Mary was afraid of frightening it away, but one day it came as she was eating a thick
32:15 slice of bread and butter, and she tossed it some crumbs. As before, he scampered away
32:21 to a safe distance, but there he stopped. Mary stepped back and waited, and pretty soon
32:27 the little fellow returned and rapidly ate up all the crumbs. He then gave a little toss
32:33 of his tail, as if to say, "Thank you," and went home.
32:38 After this Mary and the little road runner soon became fast friends, and later Mary taught
32:43 him that Cousin Jack was his friend, too. He soon learned that the big horn that the
32:49 cook blew three times a day meant something to eat, and was always on hand to get his
32:55 share. He would always save a goodly part of this share and carry it home to his mate.
33:04 Mary and Jack each had a burrow, and often they would take short rides to the nearby
33:09 camps, for Jack was a steady, reliable boy, and Mary's father knew he would take care
33:15 to see that no harm came to her. The trail led by the road runner's nest, and whenever
33:21 he saw the little girl and the big boy coming along on their burrows, he would dart out
33:26 into the road and rush ahead at full speed. He could always keep ahead, too. Try as they
33:33 might, Mary and Jack were unable to get ahead of him. When he grew weary of the sport, he
33:38 would turn suddenly and hurry into the brush until they had passed.
33:44 In some ways, though, he was a nuisance. Mary's uncle had sent them a box containing a dozen
33:51 chickens so that they could have some fresh eggs as a change from the cold storage eggs
33:57 commonly found in mining camps. Now, the little road runner would often try to slip into the
34:03 chicken yard when no one was looking. He would wait indifferently, promenading up and
34:09 down in a dignified manner, until one of the hens cackled. He knew this meant a fresh egg,
34:16 and he would deliberately march up, peck a hole in the new-laid egg, and, as deliberately,
34:22 swallow the contents.
34:28 CHAPTER VIII. A STRANGE CAPTURE.
34:52 One warm day in February a great, lazy rattlesnake, over three feet long, glided out from under
35:00 a broad, flat rock. It slowly wound its way through the sagebrush and cactus until it
35:07 found an open space where the hot rays of the noonday sun fell uninterrupted. Here it
35:14 stretched itself out at full length, and, after enjoying the warmth of the sunshine
35:20 for a little while, gradually grew drowsy and at last fell asleep.
35:26 Exactly one hour later a faint rustling sound was heard. From behind the same rock peeped
35:32 out an excited-looking little creature. It was no other than our little friend, the road
35:38 runner. But why so agitated and disturbed? Its little tail was bobbing up and down, and
35:44 its beautiful bluish-black crest was raised as high as possible. He had spied his life-long
35:51 enemy, the rattlesnake.
35:54 Suddenly as quickly as he came he disappeared from sight. He was soon back, carrying in
36:00 his beak a cactus burr, which he placed on the ground near the sleeping snake. Back and
36:06 forth he went, each time returning with a prickly burr. Before long he had a hedge entirely
36:13 surrounding poor, unsuspecting Mr. Snake. Then one more burr was brought and quietly
36:20 dropped on the snake's head.
36:24 Now the skin of a snake is very sensitive, and he immediately woke up. Of course, his
36:30 first motion rubbed the delicate skin against the prickly burr. He gave a vicious rattle
36:37 and started to move away from the troublesome thing. He struck at one side of the hedge,
36:43 then another. He grew more and more angry. He would try to poke his nose between the
36:49 burrs, but on being pricked by the sharp points he would draw back and try in another place.
36:56 At last, overcome with anger and mortification, he drove his poisonous fangs into his own
37:02 body and soon died.
37:06 Mr. Roadrunner, meanwhile, had retreated to a safe distance and was much interested in
37:12 all that was happening. When sure the snake was dead, he cautiously darted up to the hedge
37:18 and gave the dead snake a series of sharp pecks with his long beak as an additional
37:23 safeguard. Then he settled down and ate a portion, carrying the best part away to his
37:29 nest to share with his mate.
37:31 Now if that snake had kept his temper and not become excited, he might have realized
37:37 that by poking his nose under the burrs he could lift them and get away with only a few
37:43 scratches. However, there are times when even boys and girls let their anger get the best
37:49 of them, so why should we expect more wisdom in a poor, foolish snake?
37:55 Sometimes the snake doesn't kill itself, but only becomes tired out and lies down motionless
38:01 when the little Roadrunner comes over and pecks him to death. There are only a few animals,
38:07 birds or insects who can kill a rattlesnake, and the Roadrunner does this about as neatly
38:13 as any.
38:17 CHAPTER IX A DESERT MAY PARTY
38:40 "By Mama! The very idea! Who ever heard of a desert May Party?" hears some tiny girl
38:47 exclaim. "A desert is all sand. If there were flowers there, it would not be desert at all."
38:55 "Ah, yes, my dear, I used to think so, too. But to Mary it was no surprise. She had spent
39:02 the winter on the desert, had seen the heavy rains, and afterwards had watched how rapidly
39:08 the sturdy little green shoots would push their way up through the hard, unsympathetic
39:13 soil. Generally, once a year, the desert puts on its party dress and is dotted with a gorgeous
39:20 mass of blossoms. The rains come at intervals in the winter and early spring, and the heavier
39:28 and more frequent they are, the greater will be the flower growth.
39:32 The March and April rains this year had been heavy. There had been days when Cousin Jack
39:38 had come in with his raincoat, dripping, and declared that he knew Mount Kenyon would be
39:43 washed away. Now and then a cloudburst would strike terror to Mary's tender heart. She
39:51 had gone out when the weather cleared and watched the warm earth rise up and break while
39:56 the little green things peeped through and took their first look at the sun. The ground
40:02 was always warm, and it was amazing to see how rapidly things would grow if you but gave
40:08 them water. The thing that now troubled Mary was the fact that she had no one to ask to
40:13 share her party. Of course there was Jack, but Jack was only a boy, and a May party,
40:20 above all else, means girls.
40:24 It is strange what unexpected things happen at times, even in lonesome mining camps. The
40:31 thought had barely entered her little curly head when she looked away over toward the
40:36 mountains and saw a big lumbering wagon, drawn by four strong horses, come creeping down
40:43 the road. Long before it reached camp she could see that there were several people on
40:48 it, and then she saw the children. There were four of them, three little blue-eyed girls
40:55 with flaxen hair and a slightly older brother with the same light hair, but who looked at
41:01 the world through a pair of big, laughing brown eyes. They were staying twenty miles
41:07 up the valley with their parents, who had charge of a small cattle ranch, and mother
41:13 and children were having a holiday, going to town with father. They stopped to water
41:17 the horses, and you may be sure that it did not take long for the children to become acquainted.
41:25 Not many little folks live on the desert, and playmates are almost unknown. As it turned
41:30 out, father and mother went on to town alone and left the children to enjoy one another
41:36 until their return on the following day. Mary's mother was always planning surprises, so when
41:41 she appeared with two large lunch baskets heaped with goodies, Mary realized that this
41:47 would be a May Day party unlike any she had ever before seen.
41:53 Six burros were kept ever ready in the corral, and these were caught and saddled for the
41:58 children. Mother rode her Indian pony, a Christmas gift from father. As they passed the mill
42:05 and wound up the trail by the main shaft of the mine, the men were changing shift, and
42:11 as the cage swung up to the surface, the miners called a cheery good-bye, for they were very
42:17 fond of Mary. They ascended the next rise, and what they saw was fairyland. They were
42:24 at the entrance of a canyon. A tiny stream of water ran in the center, and beside it
42:30 wound a narrow trail. Foothills rolled up on either side, and the steep walls were a
42:36 mass of flowers--wild heliotrope, thistle, poppies, white, pink, and yellow, gileas,
42:44 long-leaved wild tobacco, with its rich yellow blossoms. All were massed together, and far
42:50 more beautifully arranged than the stiff gardens in Central Park.
42:54 "Aunt Louise," called Jack to Mama, who was riding behind with the little girls, "isn't
43:00 that a campfire up on the next hill?"
43:03 "No, Jack," she replied. "Not a fire, only a smoke tree."
43:09 That is why it received its name. The branches are grayish, with tiny sage-green leaves,
43:16 and at a distance it is often mistaken for a fire, as it is all so delicate and foamy.
43:22 By this time Jack had ridden ahead for a closer inspection of the bush, and started us all
43:28 by a little cry of pain.
43:30 "Be careful, Jack. It is also called the porcupine tree by the miners," called Mother. "The tiny
43:38 leaves are nothing more than very sharp and prickly spines."
43:42 "Why is it that so many desert plants have stickers and thorns?" asked Tom, the rancher's
43:49 son.
43:49 "Why, can't you see for yourself, Tom?" called back Jack. "If they weren't sharp and prickly,
43:55 all these little desert animals would tear them up when they were young and tender, and
44:00 they would never grow to be full-sized."
44:02 "Yes," said Mother. "It is simply the way that nature protects her young, so that it
44:08 will not be destroyed in infancy. There are still other protections necessary on the desert,
44:15 for the hot sun would otherwise kill many plants. A large number are covered with a
44:21 soft down, which is really a mass of tiny air cells that keep the stems and leaves cool,
44:27 and protect them from the hot sun's rays."
44:30 "And see, there is a creosote bush. Its rich green leaves are covered with a kind of varnish,
44:37 which keeps them cool, the same as the hares would do. See how the recent rains have brought
44:44 out a mass of blossoms at the tip of every branch? What a delicate flower, held in a
44:49 pale green cup. And there is another smoke tree, nearer the water, and so it has blossomed
44:56 earlier. Every point has a gorgeous purple flower."
45:00 "See the funny bunch of sticks over here, Mama," called Mary. "They look like a lot
45:06 of candles sticking up."
45:08 "And that is just what they are called, my dear. Ocotilla, or candle cactus. They have
45:15 no leaves for the greater part of the year, but after the rains they leaf out and are
45:20 soon covered with those beautiful scarlet bells."
45:23 "Yes," answered Mary, "they look like some beautiful winged bird just about to fly away.
45:30 And how tall the candles are! Lots higher than our tents back in camp."
45:37 It would take too long to tell you about all the desert beauties that the children saw.
45:42 They all agreed that nothing as beautiful was ever seen back east, where it rains half
45:48 the time. At noon they sat down under a clump of mesquite and ate the splendid luncheon.
45:55 The pure fresh air had made them ravenously hungry. The mesquite was a low, stocky tree,
46:01 which did not grow high, but spread out in every direction, branches thick with foliage.
46:06 "Why don't the old tree grow up higher and not bother about having so many side branches?"
46:13 asked Jack.
46:14 Then Mother told him. "Why, can't you see?" she asked. "The sun is so hot that it kills
46:21 the tiny buds at the end of the branch, but the tree is determined to grow just the same,
46:27 so it sends out side buds where the sun's rays are not as hot and the short, stubby
46:33 tree is the result. At any rate, it makes a fine shade, and that is all we need just
46:39 now," answered Jack.
46:43 They rested under the wide-spreading branches until the sun shone a little less fiercely.
46:48 Then they slowly rode homeward, through the beautiful blossoms, arriving just at dusk,
46:54 very hungry, a little tired, but happy in the thought that they had visited one of the
46:59 strangest and most beautiful corners of the earth.
47:06 End of Little Tales of the Desert by Ethel Twycross Foster
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