Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1920-12-16
THE FORT OF pRtckLN PEARS.

lHE fOhI OF PHtCkI.Ni PEARS,
s.
II liked that runaway car story very
specially about the red velvet
dress and the necklace and the crown"
sale Jane on the fifth evening.
was the story improbable enough
to suit yOu?" said Uncle Tan.
II think So" said Jane thoughtfuIly.
Jane was one of those children who
like both true stories and fairy stories.
She did not know whether she liked
the two kinds mixed or not.
II hope Aristotle will be in the next
stOry.' said Peter.
He WILL" said Uncle Tan. 'But
Aristotle wished that he hadn't been
in this fifth story. He always remem-
bered it and shuddered."
'FWhy did he shudder?" asked Peter.
"Didn't he like the way it was toldP'
Uncle Tan gave a long steady look
at Peter, who sat innocently awaiting
the answer.
''0h, yes" said Uncle Tan. "Aris-
tOtle always liked my stories. ] will
RggV tell you why Aristotle shuddered,
nod all the rest of the fifth story. This
is the story Of the Fort of Prlckly
Pears"
He started to go on, but Jane piped
up and asked what a prlckly pear
was. She asked If it was q pear stuck
GuIl Of needles, Uncle Tan said that
1t was something quite different, and
that by and by he would show her a
picture Of prickly pear.
Once upon time, said Uncle Tan,
the two children received an invita-
tiOn from their Cowboy Relative to go
west. Their Cowboy Relative lived on
castle ranch-that is a farm for
cattle-and he and his wife were
lonely. He and his wife wanted the
children to come and visit them for
month. Had they known that the
children were called the Easily Lost
Children perhaps they would not have
sent the Invitation.
When the Invitation came, father
said that he should like the children
to go IL some one could take them.
He eOuldn't take them; he was too
busy. MOmsie couldn't take them. She
wasn't well enough. But when he re-
membered how the children always
managed to come out of their adven-
lures alive. he decided to let them go
alone.
The children were made ready for
the long trip on the cars, and were
placed In the care Of the conductor
Aristotle went In the baggage car. The
trip took several days and nights. At
last they came to the end Of it, and
sAere was their Cowboy Relative wait
Ing for them. He had a wonderful
team of horses waiting there, to take
them to his ranch in the mountains.
MOuntainsF Did / say mountains?
Wen, you ought to have seen them.
AS far as you could see there were
high mountains, and on some Of them
there were dark, wild woods, where
big wolves still lived. Those woods
looked SO soft and peaceful in the dis
Sance that you certainly would not |
think there were any wolves in them.
my scissors" exclaimed Sister,
''thls is a beautiful place ~
"Orickey" exclaimed Brother,
''thOse certainly are dandy mountains"
"You mean grandy mountains" said |
Sister.
"See that one with snow on It. Isn't |
that a peachT' said Brother.
I'll is very silly to call a mountain
peach" said Sister, shut l will ad-
init that that snowy one is darling"
They and Aristotle had a beautiful
ride up into the mountains. When they
got to the ranch they could see away
down the other side into the desert.
IN the desert nothing grows except
sage brush and one or two other
things. There is no water in the
desert But, as 1 said before, some of
the mountains had wild. thick woods
on them. reaching down toward the
desert That is not a usual thing. /
mean that woods do not usually come
'down SO near the desert But it was
so IN this case, or else this would not
be one Of the improbable stories.
The wife Of the Cowboy Relative
was called Cousin Nell. She met them
ana was very glad to see them. The
children liked her very much. She
used to put her arms round them and
say: II wish yOu were both miner
And she was nearly always bursting
ont into ripple Of laughter. She
Aoger laughed at the children, but they
@ould make heF laugh any time they J