Mystery in Arizona Read Online Free PDF Page B

hundred legs, but he didn’t move any faster than I did.”
    “I’m never going on a desert picnic,” Di moaned.
    “That’s final.”
    Mart spoke again, quite loudly. “Since the bite of the centipede can be very painful, I have no intention of attempting to rope and throw one of that species.However, I must assure you timid squaws that he will not attack unless cornered and forced to defend himself. Now the scorpion is something else again. He doesn’t bite, but does he sting!”
    “Never mind,” Jim interrupted. “You don’t have to scare the girls to death, Mart. It’s perfectly true that in the Gila Valley there are plenty of death-dealing scorpions, black widow spiders, coral and rattlesnakes—so what? In our own Hudson River Valley there is the deadly copperhead. And we all go for rides and hikes in the woods just the same.”
    “True,” said Mart. “True. I personally have no fear of the desert fauna or flora. If possible, I intend to hunt both with my camera. If I do not return to the East with a picture of the Gila monster I shall consider that I have wasted my vacation.”
    Di uttered a faint scream. “The Gila monster?”
    “A very poisonous but most sluggish lizard,” Mart explained loftily. “A direct descendant of dinosaurs that once roamed about the Gila Valley. In fact, I understand that he closely resembles in loathsomeness both the flesh-eating
allosaur
and his larger vegetarian cousin, the
diplodocus
.”
    Honey turned around to face Mart then. “If you have to use all those big words why don’t you think upsome pleasant ones? I don’t want to hear any more about dinosaurs. Please! I don’t even like the harmless lizards, though I once saw a chuckwalla that looked kind of cute—from a distance.”
    Mart nodded. “I shall tame one for you along with the horned toad which is another friendly little lizard. Each of you squaws may expect to find a pet in the toe of your stocking on Christmas morn.”
    “Oh fine!” said Trixie sarcastically. “I’m going to fill your stocking with prickly pear cacti just for fun.”
    “Why, thank you,” replied Mart. “All contributions gratefully received. Could I, perhaps, induce you to present me with a super specimen of the giant saguaro cactus? One that is fifty feet high and weighs not less than ten tons?” He turned to Honey. “You might join with Trixie in giving me this small present. If you do, pick out one that is filled with woodpeckers and owls. As you may or may not know, they nest in this variety of cactus.”
    “Let’s pay no attention to him,” Trixie said in a loud whisper, “and maybe he’ll go away. Besides, we’re not going to hang up our stockings or give each other presents until we go home. This year we Beldens are going to celebrate Christmas at New Year’s.”
    “Really?” Di and Honey asked in one voice. “I’m afraid you’ll have to celebrate Christmas at Tucson, too,Trix,” Honey added. “There’s sure to be a gala party on Christmas Eve at the ranch. And Di’s uncle will be awfully disappointed if we don’t give and receive some presents there on Christmas Day.”
    “That’s right,” Di agreed. “You Beldens can buy one another little presents in the ten-cent stores.”
    “Not me,” Mart interrupted firmly. “I insist upon a huge saguaro. Its blossom is the state flower of Arizona, for your information. Just as the yucca blossom is the state flower of New Mexico. Indian women used to gather the hearts of the yucca, which is a member of the lily family, and bake them. You squaws might well emulate them and thus produce a succulent Indian dish on one of our forthcoming desert picnics.”
    “He’s insane,” Trixie hissed. “In his imagination he has been roaming the desert for days and days, alone and on foot, having previously killed and eaten his horse. Crazed with thirst, he will pounce upon the first barrel cactus he sees, cut off the top, and drink the liquid he squeezes from the pulp.