RANCH MYSTERY
A STORY FOR CHILDREN
Garden Comment
Another Thumber!
By Paula
BETH mine out to a Kciada
cattle ranch to spend several
montlm with her Aunt Mary and
Uncle Walter and their two sons
Tim and Ron. When she arrived
at the ranch she found her aunt
was away carina for a sick eiJt
bor at a distant ranch, and her
uncle had been slightly wounded
by cattle thieves who had robbed
him of two fine saddle horses.
The' first nitjht Beth overheard
a conversation betxeeen her uncle
and the boys in which the man
cautioned the boys not to won-y
her with their troubles, which
were more real than the boys had
led her to believe. Site learned of
their fear that the constant thiev
ing of their cattle was a plot to
drive them from the land. Whyt
They mentioned Juan, a lazy
Mescican hired man, whom Uncle
Walter had had to discharge. Was
Juan in this picturet The uncle
seemed to think him too stupid
to engineer anything as big as
this plot threatened to be.
Chapter 5. '
BETH was awakened by the
voices of Ron and Tim out
side her door. They were discuss
ing in loud whispers the advis
ability of awakening her.
"You needn't argue about
that," she called out to them.
"I'll bo right out." She heard the
boys scurry out to the kitchen.
When Beth joined them, they
were "washing-up" at the bench
on the screen porch. And woman
like she accused them of leaving
grey smudges on the roller-towel.
Ron, ever quick lo say some
thing, anything, defended himself
by accusing his brother, Tim.
"Those marks came off the back
of Tim's neck. Let's see, Tim,
you washed your neck last
Easter, didn't you?" And he
wisely duckod out the door to
avoid the hair brush Tim sailed ,
after him.
Uncle Walter Joined them at
the breakfast table, holding his
wounded shoulder high as If to
protect It. Beth looked at tho tall
Westerner with Interest. She saw
a strong man weighted down with
a great worry . . . the possible
loss of his ranch.
However, no word was men
tioned about the conversation she
had heard the night before. In
stead the boys and their father
talked about the work to be done
that day on the ranch. Orders
were planned for the two old
ranch hands who bunked In the
little shack beyond the harness
house. Then Uncle Walter men
tioned, quito casually, that he
planned to ride into town the
next day and "have a look
around."
' Ron and Tim glanced up at
him and Beth saw the look of
approval and understanding that
passed between them. She hur
ried through her breakfast, folded
her napkin to fit the steer's-horn
ring that lay by her plate, and
stood up.
"Where do you mall letters out
here?" she asked. "I think I'd
better be getting one off to my
mother."
RON grinned. "You don't mall
'em. . . . Claude, the great
air-dare-devil comes zooming out
here In his tri-motor plane and
coops 'em up In a butterfly net.
In bad weather we send 'em by
carrier-pigeon." Even Tim had to
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join In the laugh that followed.
'This great loader of airplane
mysteries," Tim explained, nod
ding toward Ron, "means that
lanky guy named Claude, driving
a lanky horse hitched to a rat
tling old buggy, comes past here
every day about noon, and he is
our mail-carrier. He'll take your
letter to town."
"I think, Uncle Walter. I'll
write my letter now, and do the
dishes afterwards," she said.
"There's no hurry about the
dishes, honey," smiled her uncle
"They've waited aplenty since the
boys' mother's been away."
Beth sat in her room trying to
write a newsy letter to her
mother without telling all she
knew about the ranch mystery
that filled her mind so com-
pletely. She chewed the end of
the pen holder. ... it WAS hard
not to keep thinking about the
things that concerned the ranch
family and therefore concerned
her too. She was determined to
help if she could. Surely there
was SOMETHING even SHE
could do! She'd think about it
... all of it! What about Juan?
Was he just a disgruntled ex
employee looking for revenge?
She wrote to her mother and
told her how she loved the ranch
and her uncle, how amusing the
boys were and how she looked
forward to a long visit.
The boys went out to the barns
and Uncle Walter dragged an old
rocker into a patch of sunlight
on the porch. There he sat all
morning, smoking his pipe and
gazing through sun-squinted eyes
at the distant hills. - '
Just before noon he called to
Beth. "Here comes Claude, honey. -Have
you got your - letter
handy?"
The girl came running out to
the porch and saw the wobbly rig
coming down the dusty road.
Uncle Walter waved to the lanky
figure on the seat
WHEN the buggy drew up at
the mailbox down by the
gate, Beth went out to meet the
lean man who crawled from the
wobbly scat
"How you feelln' neighbor?"
the man shouted up to the porch.
"I heard you had some trouble
out here. I sure hope you're
comin' along alright now."
"Oh, I'm first rate, first rate,"
Uncle Walter shouted back.
Then Claude turned to Beth
with a friendly grin. He shuffled
among the papers in a leather
pouch he wore slung across his
shoulder. "Morning, young lady.
Where'd you come . from?
Stranger to us, ain't you?"
"Yes." Beth liked this tall
friendly man with the smiling
pale blue eyes. "I'm Uncle Walt
er's niece. I came here from the
East. Will you please post this
letter for me?"
"Sure thing, sure thing," and
he tucked the letter into the side
of the leather pouch. "Here's a
paper for your uncle. Too bad
about that shootln'." He nodded
toward the man on the porch.
"He got any idea who done it?"
Beth was surprised at the
abrupt question. But the man
seemed so friendly and concerned.
"No," she answered. "I don't
think so."
Claude turned then and climbed
Into the dusty buggy. He gath'
ered up the reins and clicked to
the old horse. "Well, I have," he
muttered. . . , the old rig started
off down the road.
(Continued next week)
BEARS' BATH TUB
SEVERAL years ago some
people, upon leaving Sequoia
National Park, threw away a zinc
bath-tub. Now It seems that the
keeper at the bear-feeding pit
found it and took it to the feed
ing ground. Then he filled the tub
with water.
The bears Immediately took to
this bathtub, and bathing be
came habitual with them. Finally
It was so over-run with bears that
a swimming pool was built for
tnem.
Forty "i fifty brum come to
this fading ground In the eve
ning to feast on the rubbish left
from the hotels, and their table
manners, as well as their antics
in the bath-tuh. are always a
source of amusement to the visit
ors in the park.
THE BUG EATER
DID you know that there are
some plants that eat insects,
just as though they were the very
tastiest diet?
The bright red splashes on the
green leaves make it appear very
like a flower, and thus little
winged creatures are fooled. A
beetle or a wasp may go sailing
happily by . . . see the bright
flower, and stop to peer into its
depths. Alas, if Mr. Beetle goes
down into the cup to explore, he
never comes out again!
There he will tangle In the
white, soft hairs, and the leaves
of the pitcher plant will begin to
close. Mr. Beetle is TRAPPED.
He can never get out again, and
naturally he dies of starvation.
NOW that we have the Amer
ican continent discovered and
named "America," we might just
as well leave
those Euro
pean sailors,
for their busi
ness Is with
the sea; so,
we'll turn to
that other de
termined tribe
of adventurers
who explored
the land!
Now the Frenchman comes In
to the picture. While the Spanish
were rushing around claiming
bits of America for their king
and country, the French were do
ing a little hiking and land
claiming. The most Important of all these
Frenchmen was, no doubt, Sam
uel de Champlain (his real name
was much longer but Just Cham
plain will do for now). By the
way, my hearties, this . French
man was the fellow who first
suggested a Panama Canal.
Now Champlain got off to a
hunt for India by way of North
ern America! In fact, he was
brave enough to tackle the Bt
Lawrence River without a very
definite Idea of what hardships
he might meet You see, men
then, were pretty well convinced
that the world was round all right;
that they could find their way
around the world they believed to
be a fact But, they thought the
world was much smaller. They
had no Idea that it is about 25,
000 miles around. Champlain
thought that by traveling the fit
Lawrence River he might find In
dia at the end of It!
Champlain got acquainted with
the American natives and learned
a new mode of travel from them.
He found the "canoe" a very
handy way to get along the shal
low waterways, and since he did
not travel with a great group of
followers (never more than two
companion) he managed to
cover a great deal of territory.
CHAMPLAIN was seeking a
way to the Indies all right,
but while he was about It he
sought to secure a little of this
1,.
ARCTIC ARTIST
HOWARD ROCK is 21 years
of age and has been Judged
a very promising young artist.
He came to this country just two
years ago from his home in
Point Hope, Alaska, Yes, How
ard Is a full-blood Eskimo and
was sent to this country by his
teachers in the White Mountain
School in Alaska.
"STARS"
IT IS possible that the word
"star" comes from the Sanskrit
words "to strew." So stars are
little flames "strewn '6veV the
sky." At least that is the pretty
thought Hendrlk van Loon gives
us In "Van Loon's Geography."
continent for his native France.
So away he went In a canoe
down the St. Lawrence River to
as distant a point inland as Lake
Huron. He explored much of the
country on the way. He even got
a look-in on a few Indian wars,
and a lake between Vermont and
New York State is named for
him, because he made an exten
sive study of it.
Now Champlain really hadn't a
lot of backing from France.
(They couldn't Imagine over
there that this "wilderness" could
ever mean a great deal to them.
They were having a few wars for
themselves at home.)
So Champlain and many other
brave Frenchmen came to ex
plore and learn of the new land,
but none of them had much help
from home.
Thus endcth Samuel de Cham
plain! MORE countries of Europe
sent more and more men to
try and establish European ways
In the land of the Red Man. It
was hard going!
t
The English sent Sir Humphrey
Gilbert. He tried to found a col
ony at Newfoundland. It was a
complete failure.
Then Sir Waltor Raleigh (that
gallant gentleman) sent a group
of English to settle on the Amer
ican land that he had found at
tractive enough to name after the
Virgin Queen Elizabeth Vir
ginia. There, In a wild and unkind
country, the first white child to
be born in America was named
Virginia Dare. What ever became
of that little girl? No one ever
knew, for when the next English
vessel called to see how the new
colony was progressing, there
was no sign of It whatso
ever. The colony of Virginian's
was sought for miles and miles
through the wilderness. There
was never a trace of It. It was
said an Indian Chief offered to
buy the goioen haired chiid to
raise with his people. It was also
said It Is unlikely the gentle Eng
lish girl ever survived the hard
. ship f living In a wilderness.
After the mysterious disappear
ance of this English colony It
wasn't easy to Interest people In
coming to America to settle.
g&mm prinj
UP IN THE AIR
By Marjorle "Flack
DID YOU know "that long,
long ago In France ... it
was In the year 1783 ... a sheep,
a cock and a duck took a ride In
a green balloon? Well, that's
what the story says.
However, in this new book for
little folk, UP IN THE AIR, you
will read all about their great
adventure.
Marjorie Flack tells this story
with all the simple charm a fable
deserves.
The pictures are Just what you
would expect, colorful, quaint and
with Just enough detail to make
them fascinating to little people.
FOUR TALES FROM
HANS ANDERSON
Translated by R. P. Kelgwln
ANDERSON'S fairy tales are
ever new to each genera
tion, so they deserve a new cover
and now pictures. The four stories
chosen for this new book are; The
Tinder Box, Little Claus and Big
Ciftus, The Princess and the Pen
(ah, that delicate little lady) am'
Ida's Flowers.
The old stories retold, arc
dressed In new pictures . . . beau
tiful woodcuts made by Gwen
Raverat
BUTTONS
By George and Doris Haumsn
HERE la a new book for chil
dren between the ages of
six and eight AU the story is
woven around the Interesting but
tons a little boy found in his
grandmother's button basket.
It was a rainy day that forced
the boy to stay Indoors and he
could find nothing that would
amuse him . . . that Is, nothing
until he found his grandmother's
buttons.
What fun they were, for each
one had an Interesting story all
It's very own. There was the big
black button off the sailor's coat.
. . . and the story that went with
THAT one. Next the button from
the little boy's clothes, that held
him In a tree while an enraged
bull tossed him Into the air. There '
are Just lots of stories about all
the different buttons In that
basket
The pictures are gay In style
and color. (Published In March.)
GREEN AND GOLD
By Berts and Elmer Hader
ALL you children love to eat
bananas but how few of you
know anything much about them.
In this beautiful new book you
will find their history and their
culture throughout the world.
This book Is more than a story
of a market product, It I the
fascinating yam bark of the de
licious fruit you find In your
school lunch-box.
There are forty-eight pages of
colored pictures. Any child from
eight to twelve years of age will
find It entertaining.
The above book are all Mao
mlllan publications.
By Cecil
A KEEN enthusiast, who
makes a special hobby of
growing Sweet Peas for exhibi
tion or other purposes, usually
Srows them on highly developed
Coruen plants f- jmw
o n canes o r
t r e 1 lis. The
great majoritv
of gardeners
are most ap
preciative o f
really tire
flowers and
anxious to do
the best they
can by grow
ing a few rows
of seeds plant
ed in the open
ground on
what may be
termed normal
lines.
Cecil Solly
The success obtained will de
pend about equally on the quality
of seed used and the labor put
Into the task. If one's foremost
idea Is to buy as big a packet of
seeds for a dime as possible, the
resulting flowers are likely to be
ordinary and at the same time,
the best seeds from the finest
firms cannot do Justice to them- .
selves If their treatment Is casual
and Indifferent .
Sweet Peas are quite hardy In
any section of the Pacific Coast.
It is quite safe to plant them
now, but the condition of soil Is
of greater importance than the
date of sowing.
SOIL PREPARATION
One should not be content with
digging the ground Immediately
before sowing the seed. The soil
should be made so friable and
oorous that tho roots will be ablq
travel as far as they wish,
his condition is obtained by dig
ng the ground, In what we call
te "trench," several times. The
imps and clods should be care
fully broken up at each digging.
Incorporate anything In the way
of humus or nourishment pro
vider through the whole area of
the soil.
Despite the frequency with
which it Is urged that a thick
layer of manure should be placed
at the bottom of a deep trench
and covered with soil, I strongly
contend that this is decidedly nof
the best method of providing
nourishment for Peas or any
other plants.
Deep digging is very essential,
but a narrow, drain-like trench
of loose soil and manure running
through hard and undug land
often becomes a water-logged
MONKEY SHINES
THREE little monkeys were
playing on the edge of the
Jungle. They were two brothers
and a sister, Just looking for mis
chief to be done.
There was a water-hole near by
and after awhile the animals of
the Jungle came down for their
evening drink. The first to come
was a big black snake. He had
been eating all day so he was
very slow and lazy. He was even
too lazy to drink, so he Just
curled up near the pool and went
to sleep.
The three little monkeys sat up
and watched him. They were a
little afraid of him, but they were
curious too.
After while a boautlful young
deer came down to the water and
drank long and thirstily. He kept
pne eye on the monkeys and one
on the sleeping snake. (Ha drank
without looking at the water.)
Finally he stopped drinking and
loped away Into the underbrush.
But, before he left he spoke to
the three Innocent looking monks
"You better behave yourselves."
But monkeys Just enn't behave
themselves when they feel like
making mischief. Well, believe It
or not, when they were SURE
the snake was well asleep, those
little scamps got a great length
of tough grass (there Is a great
deal of such handy material In a
Jungle) and they tied that snake
up Into a nice neat bundle. Then,
they dropped him far out In the
deepest part of the water hole.
Then Ihey scampered back to
the higheal limb of a palm tree
end there they sat and sang and
laughed all the rest of the eve
ning One of them anld, "Now
HK'LL never scare anyona
again." And all the little animals
In the Jungle that DO fear snakes
laughed too.
f )
Si
y -41
Yd iOiJ
HTM THINGS
VHW THEY DO
Solly
prison for sickly roots. Better
results can be obtained by trench
ing a piece of ground three or
four feet wide, to a depth of two
feet. Distribute plenty of humus
in the dug soil, mixing In neces
sary fertilizers at the same time.
Sow the Sweet Pea seeds down
the center of this ground. There
will be no need to waste the rest
of the ground. Dwarf plants,
such as Pansies, Violas, Snap
dragons, Stocks or Asters may
be planted on both sidea of thai
Peas.
PLANTING THE SEED
Firm planting is very neces
sary. The best way to firm a row
of Sweet Pea seeds is to walk up
and down it immediately after
planting, but before the ground
is watered.
It Is thoroughly understood
that Sweet Peas need an unusual
supply of nourishment. To pro
vldo this, It Is necessary to use
a good brand of commercial fer
tilizer, and to see that this fer
tilizer is used effectively and
properly.
Humus In the form of peat
moss, leaf mold, manure or com
post must be worked Into the
ground to provide a condition
thero that will allow the plants
to take up the fertilizer continu
ously. To assure this, tho ques
tion of humus content must be
studied first. Not only the above
mentioned, but decayed grass
clippings and decayed leaves ara
very helpful, especially if they
have been allowed to rot together
In a compost heap. Depending
on the soil condition it may be
necessary that a little lime be
worked Into the ground, too.
When mixing a commercial
fertilizer into the ground before
planting bo sure that it is a good
blend of plant foods so as to pro
vide a correct diet during tho
season. The soil condition of the
particular garden should be stud
ied but, generally, It 1b better to
fertilize Sweet Peas by sprink
ling a small amount of plant food
along each side of the row every
two weeks during the growing
period. The ground should be
rnked to incorporate the fertilizer
In It before watering.
WATERING
The question of supplying
water correctly to Sweet Peas la
a knotty problem. The difficulty
Is that the roots suffer qutckly
from drought. They are also
highly susceptlblo to chills from
oold water from a hose. Many
Sweet Pea plantings turn brown
through too much flooding with
oold water.
Every endeavor should be
made to use the "hoes" and not
the "hose," by working the
ground as much aa possible to
create a tilth to check evapora
tion. The best watering that
Sweet Peaa can get la from water
that Is drawn upward from be
low. Prevent a crust forming on
the surface at all times. If a
crust forma evaporation la lery
rapid. The easleat method of
looaenlng the soil surfaot la by
the uae of a hoe.
When watering by hold If pos
sible, the water should be of the
same temperature as the soil.
Staking the peas should be
commenced while the young
plants are quite small. When
they are about an Inch out of the
ground, surround the seedlings
with little twlga or sticks that
are about nine Inches high. By
the time the growing plants
reach the top of the twigs the
full size stakes, strings or bush
should be In position.
HORATIUS
DID you boys know that one
man alone once held back a
whole army? Well, he did, and
his name was Horatius. This
brave soldier lived and fought
during the sixth century B. C.
His reward for his bravery
was a novel one Indeed, It was
decided that he should have for
his own as much land as he could
circle with a plow In one day.
Reduce That BUNION
cnunlwnuiii) applJ.
ir.ooo.ouo tt tine
FALLING HAIR
DANDRUFF BALD SPOTS?
Save youf halt
by regular in of
Glorer". Mange
Medic in, fol
lowed by than
BoowuhGkr'ti'e Medicatad teas.
pt Die
4iyff.MOIKMMi
fiJIiAS Haiti ieav
STOP PAIN AT ONCE I AJK.
P.lrt tnP. nlmnit IB- d V I
Mhlljrl Tluin Mmm4 I .Jm. W I
tutlr mlii' M painful. t ' , 4 f I
UilT bunion. Kn- JkL . -J. ' I
b)M ron to nr ATltt ' , ml
mtller ho. tin f --- I
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life-
Al aI
intuitu
PAGE SEVEN