ROCKY MOUNTAIN GRASSHOPPERS 



long ears of sweet, milky corn and the grass in 

 the little valley near the creek was still green 

 and tender. In the morning when they awoke 

 all was changed ; not a spear of wheat was left, 

 only the yellow straw remained. The corn- 

 stalks had been stripped of their long, green 

 leaves and the kernels and husks were either 

 wholly or almost eaten from the cobs. Not a 

 blade of grass was to be seen on their farm or 

 upon that of their neighbor. Myriads of the 

 grasshoppers that were flying over, not liking 

 the sudden change in the temperature that 

 comes as a rule when the sun goes down on 

 the plains, alighted for the night and devoured 

 all they found that could be eaten by them. 

 When the sun rose and the temperature 

 changed, the wind being in the right direction 

 to carry them on their regular course, they be- 

 gan to rise; first a few, then still more and 

 more, until the greater part of the many mil- 

 lions was again on its destructive journey to- 

 wards the south as far as Texas. So you can 

 understand with what excited interest and fear 

 Ella looked through her piece of smoked glass 

 at the thousands upon thousands of wandering 

 ['53] 



