There is only one curse word in Geronimo's Ponies, but it ties in with what many readers would regard as an adult motif: prostitution. Uncle Eph uses some of his ill-gotten money to purchase the affections of a woman, paying her for sex and paying for lodging for her and her daughter. The relationship, such as it is, comes to an end when Uncle Eph tries to rape the daughter and then beats the mother when she interferes. There is nothing romantic about any of this. Davey is exposed to an unhappy aspect of life and is not inclined to yield to the temptations prostitution offers. The daughter Clotie even seems to trust him because he refuses to purchase her favors when she offers them. She may only be testing him; there are hints after the attempted rape that she may be sexually inexperienced.

The underhanded...