The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1900-12-12

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the by-paths that ran into 1t were sim
ply paved with a gravel of fine pearls.
The only inconvenience of the road
was the gold dust raised by the public
carriages; otherwise the spectacle was
most agreeable.
Laroutine very much wondered at the
beets 1866 feet in height, and also at the
wheat, some OF the heads Of which
were taller than our highest steeples.
There were potatoes weighing 100
pounds each. The legumes, flowers
and fruits were in proportion.
A DUEL.
However, my cousin had been spied
by many of the inhabitants, who, see
ing in him an animal strange and per-
haps feroclous, spread the alarm in
the country. AS he approached the cap
ital they laid hold of him by ruse and
carried him into the royal menagerie;
for 1t appeared that in the moon, as
with us, they like to possess great col
lections of every species OF animals to
amuse the children and the nurses and
to furnish to sayants the means of in
struction.
My cousin. who had not eaten any
thing for forty-eight hours, when
taken into his cage Of gold, found him
self almost famished. Fortunately,
while he was waiting for the dinner
hour, the nurses, the soldiers and the
children tossed to him little pieces OF
delicaeies, which consisted of potatoes
preserved with garlic, haricots frosted
and filled with emetic, and with bitter
apples covered with mustard, in place
of the sugar which covers our sweet
meats. They tossed the pieces to him
through the bars of his cage, and you
should see with what fear the lunatics
drew back their hands when he pBt
out his own to receive their presents.
The animals OF that menagerie were
infeed strange. The bird cages were
filled with enormous sparrows, chat
fnches, linnets, to the hooked beaks
OF which no man dared trust his fin
ger. AS to the more important cages,
they contained bulls as small as our
mice, and mice as great as our bulls.
The flies and butterflies were Of CO.
lossal statue and exceedingly ferocious.
The public contemplated them with
fear, for they emitted frightful roar
ings.,
The cage next to the one that con-
tanned my cousin held a terrible ami
NAL, which he recognized as flea, but
flea five feet in length. He was Wis
IDLY affected by the smell OF the deli
cate flesh OF my cousin, and made such
furious onset that he broke two OF
the bars that separated the apart
ments. He entered the cage and pre-
pared to attack Happily my cousin
had the presence OF mind to draw his
rapier and place himself on guard. 1t
was the first time that he had ever had
to fight fleas in that manner. The
sight was magnificent. The flea gave
extraordinary leaps, jumping around
my cousin. sometimes to right, some
times to left. then below, then above,
now in front, now behind, sometimes
hanging to the bars OF the cage, some
times springing above his head, seeking
for favorable moment to fasten upon
him, but always encountering the
point of his sword. To cut the story
short, the flea made one last leap; my
cousin struck him. The blade at first
glanced from the impenetrable she'll of
the animal, but my cousin redoubled
his efforts, and with mighty lunge he
drove the blade to the hilt in the body
Of the flea. The flea fell, gave shiver
or two and expired, amid the applause
OF the onlookers.
OTHER STRANGE THINGS SEEN BY
MY COUSIN.
My cousin was soon taken TO the
court Of the king and saw astonishing
things. The luxury Of that court ap-
peared to him at first incomprehensi-
BILE The lunatics highest in rank
wore epaulettes of iron. decorations of
iron and ornaments Of iron, while
their women wore iron bracelets, iron
rings and iron collars. The stone that
ornauented the crown OF her majesty,
the queen, by its coarseness and lack
OF luster resembled those that We en-
ploy for the paving of our streets. The
reason is that those stones are rare
and consequently precious. while gold,
silver, diamonds. rubies, pearls and
emeralds are too common to be appre-
ciated.
For the same reason, as it rains wine
of the first quality when it rains in the
moon, water is there very much sought
after and costs very dearly. For the
most part, the saloons do not sell any
other liquid than water pure and fresh.
There are also secret manufacturers of
false water, just as upon the earth
they make false wine and false cham
paigne.
My cousin remarked that the men
were generally sensible, reasonable
and frank. and that they refrained
from all deception in their private re-
lations; that the women were modest,
taciturn, never cross and never spoke
evil of their friends and neighbors.
He saw other things almost as Won
derful as the ones l have mentioned.
The passers-by conducted themselves
/ toward each other with the greatest M