Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-08-05
How Lige Raised the waterns,o-

e 80 Stey' me village boz vh,
was driving the derrick horse f.. Ia
Lige Moberly during the h. Va
season, made furtive excursio.ns
the cornfelds as if he were mo mo
for something. Old Lige, wig
him as ne went and came lug
softly to himself. On the eve,;-s
the third day he called Lance - i"
kitchen door. VIC
Cit the lantern, Lance" he said =,
got little job to do to- night sn6 So.
oodyll have to hold a light. /, w.
take long" '"t
Presently the two were nIo..
through the darkness toward ,ba
angular cornield on the new PROM,
next to the timber. In the very car..-
OF this field they came upon lazy
watermelon lying about amono ~
leafy vines. Lance lifted the sD,s.s
and looked round approvingly H. -
so took note of the location of the r,,.,
with reference to the dark linz y,
timber to his left. Old Liee wo,osS,
him out Of the corner of his eve ~,
grinned. "'
Mice patch, Lance? ?" he said ga,
we'll hid, don't you think? wor,s-,
bring just anybody out here, | CO, -,
you. allow, though, that the p,,.h
Will be found sooner or later. 50 ~
going to be ready"
He drew little package from r..
pocket, carefully unwrapped it and dis
closed a pill box, which containa4
fine white powder. Drawing r..
jackknife, the farmer opened II.
smaller blade and rubbed it careful,
against his sleeve. Then he stoo,s,
over the nearest melon, made tiny o.,
in the tough rind just above ,bs
curling stem, lifted slight pinch n
white powder on his knifeblade poi,,.
and carefully worked it into the in
cision.
Lance watched the operation with
wide eyes but said nothing. For s.
teen minutes he followed Lice abow
holding the lantern for him until h.
had operated on every melon of con.
sequence in the patch. His mind Ia,
been working rapidly. That mys.
FERROUS white powder, the necessity Of
using it after dark, the farmers in.
Unite care with it-all these things he
carefully considered. He resolved
that he would take no chances with
melons thus inoculated.
When Lance went back to the village
he held counsel with Sundry of his as.
sociates and gave them timely warn.
ing; and, although there were several
nocturnal watermelon raids, the
Moberly place escaped.
Four weeks later Lge Moberly took
two wagonloads of fine watermeons
to the village and left them at the two
general stores. Lance was loafinp in
the large store, and as he helped car.
ry the magnificent melons from the
wagon he noticed that each had a tiny
scratch just above the stem. He eyed
Lige with dark suspicion The fellow
ought to be exposed, selling melon.
that he had "doped." He walked
over to where the farmer was trading
with the Storekeeper.
But | don't see how you ever man.
aged to raise such melons and so many
of them round this town." the merchant
was saying.
Lige grinned and looked at Lance
with twinkling eyes.
Lance and me knows how to raise
'em, don't we, Lance? ?" He leaned
over the counter confidentially. III
amt any great idea. The worst trOubi
with melons round here is they won't
stay on the vines. So you gotta treat
'em. That's what done-treated EN-
so they'd stay on the vines"
Treated 'em ?What do you mean
asked the puzzled storekeener
Took and made a little cut abO"
the stem of every melon wanted 10
stay on the vine and worked some flour
into the cut"
81 don't see how that'd make melons
Stick" said the storekeeper
ut does seem queer. can't explain
it myself" returned Lige with
chuckle, "but it worked Didn't il,
Lance? ?"
Lance turned without n word and
walked heavily away.