Evening star., 1926-11-19
The Rousing Of Percy.

was a desolate place. Not q
house in sight. The road soft
and sandy. with dust-covered
Il weeds and bushes along it. For
hours there had been nothing
but pine woods on both sides, until
suddenly a big patch of 20 ACRES or
more inclosed by a stake-and-rider
fence, rushed toward them. In this
was joyous, vociferous life.
Percy Watson had been lolling back
in his car, gazing with wearied eyes
at an unvarying landscape. He had
been gazing at it since early morning,
and would have escaped by mapping If
he could. But the ability to nap had
been lost in the gaining of other
things, and now he was on the trail
back through the open after the lost
art. by order of his doctor. And yet
Percy was only 81.
The first three days had swept
cities and villages and farms In re.
view before the wear.ed eyes, all as
Jnonotonous to the Wall Street exile
as the desolation of today. But now.
oddly enough, in the most desolate of
all the desolate stretch, for the first
time on the trip, Percy was aroused.
his eyes swapping, his face on a broad
grin.
Gosh" he calculated, jumping
unconsciously to boyhood word long
since forgotten, "if that amt it! Look
at the long vine-covered ridges reach
ing clean across the field. Peters," to
his chauffeur. II don't reckon you
know 'em. They're peanuts. Under
the vines the ridges are filled with
long roots. and the roots are strung
with peanuts almost as thick as beads
on q string. The brown, drying leaves
show the nuts are just ripe enough
to taste good and fatten pigs. Said to
be the best fattening food out. Plant
peanut fields just to feed EN-. and let
'em dig for themselves. Funny part
Of it is they take rows and eat out the
nuts as clean as a good farm hand
could dig 'em. You watch now and
listen to the happy chorus
you've seen them do 1t, sir?" said
the chauffeur, respectfully.
MOT since I was 10 or SO. Thought
ia forgotten--but shucks! 7 haven't.
Used to be my job to drive pigs from
the plantation pens to a peanut field.
Loads of fun, too. But say, look,
Peters. What do you think of that
little runty black yonder. who's
squealing between every bite? Motto
ed him for his noise before the car
stopped. Scared of us. do believe!
See him leg it along the wire fence!
There he goes up now, through
space three times his height" exc:t-
edly. Leaving a red line where a
barb plowed. And I've an idea that
rough, ridged back is caused by
other red lines healed. That pigs
been abused. Poor hungry chap! See
him streak round the corner and ur
through the pines, squealing at every
jump. Say. feel real guilty, Peters.
letting our big, fierce car drive him
of like that.
''Yes. I'm guilty, Peters. Say"
open ng the car door and springing
to the ground, Tin going to bring
that pig back to his peanuts. Only
thing I can do. Make me feel like
going back home to chase pig. Sure
Will"
Peters stared. One Of his duties
was to preserve an impassive face,
but as his employer sprinted round
the corner of the patch and off into
the pine woods. the face broke into
q most disrespectful grin.
He drew forth a p pc, filled 1t from
q bag OF tobacco, and. slipping over
to the more comfortable seat behind,
stretched out luXuriously.
In time he dozed. With a start he
awoke and stared into the face Of his
employer.
But 1t was new Percy Watson
he looked upon, a rejuvenated man
commencing with a sight of the pig
and now blossoming out from the
chase. For he was grinning.
"Hop over to your place. Peters"
he ordered as he flung himself into
the car. 1.-THE owner Of the pigs lives
in a cabin round in the pines.
went to see him."
"Did you-er catch the squealer,
sir?" ventured Peters.
Catch lightning" scoffed Percy.
He must have got home just before
he started. But 1t wasn't so far as
to lose his squealing. That guided
me. He's nothing but a black thief.
His owner told me he's been in pea.
nut patches and gardens ard whip.
ped out SO often that he's grown to
acknowledge himself q thief and runs
at sight of any one coming. That
exonerates us. 1t wasn't our machine
But I have a theory the runt Is after
company more than plunder, ard I'm |
going to find out the truth. Maybe |
III buy him some company"
The next few nouns were bus?