Alas, the ground glass which should have appeared in place of
pancakes did duty beneath the single word EAT on another tree nearby. Eat
GROUND GLASS the hungry motorist was blithely advised.

Nor was this the worst. As Pee-Wee penetrated deeper into the woods the
more terrible was the masquerade of his own enticing signs. His stenciled
cards, deserting their lawful mates, had struck up ghastly unions with
other cards proclaiming frightful items of refreshment to the appalled
wayfarer who was reminded of NON-SKID BANANAS and advised that OUR PEANUT
TAFFY STICKS LIKE GLUE. The faithless TIRE TAPE which should have
surmounted the STICK LIKE GLUE card was nestling under the fatal EAT,
while FRANKFURTERS COLD AND COOLING and ICE CREAM SIZZLING HOT met
Pee-Wee's astonished gaze. He stood looking at this awful sequel of his
handiwork.

Most of the cards were besmeared with mud and one or two in such a
freakish way as to give a curious turn to their meaning. On one card a
mischievous little rivulet of mud or wetted ink had ingeniously changed
a T into a crude R and the travelers read RUBES SOLD HERE.

Pee-Wee contemplated this exhibition with dismay. Wherever he looked,
on fence or tree, some ridiculous sign stared him in the face. He did not
continue on to the post office but retraced his steps to the refreshment
parlor which was the subject of these printed slanders.

He and Pepsy were discussing this miscarriage of their exploitation
design when a shuffling sound in the distance proclaimed the shambling
approach of the advertising department. And if Pee-Wee had not made
good his flaunting boast to handle the six merry maidens, he at least
made amends and regained somewhat of his heroic tradition in his