The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-03-25
PRAIRIE, MIRAGE.

euiiaSo all At oUCt uiSdPpehicu' oISeu
lislds lay before US. and tail trees sprang
up covered with thick and yerdant foil
age!
i sCottonwoods!' cried hunter, as his
eye rested on these still distant groves.
Tall saplins, at that-W Wagh! ejacala-
ted another.
'Water thar, fellow, reckin,' remarked
third.
Yes, stree! yer don't sec such sprouts
as them growing ont q dry peraira.-
Look! hlloan
'By gollios, yonder's house!
"a house? One--two-thfee. A house
-lbar's "A whole town, il thar's single
shan,v Gee! jim, look yonder. Wagb!'
was riding in front with Seguin-the
rest of the band strung out behind US. !
had been for some time gazing upon the
ground in sort Of abstraction, looking al
the snow white efilorescence. and listening
10 the crunching Of my horses hoof-
Through its inerustalian. These eSelama
tory phrases caused me TO raise my eyes,
The sight that met them was one iha,
made me rein up with a sudden jerk. Sc
gnin had done the same, aud saw that the
whole band had halted with similar i'm
pulse.
We bad Just cleared one Of the bu,tes,
nat had hitherto obstroc'ed our view Oh
The great gap. MS was now directly IN
'front.' O US; ana a'oh5 IT'S oase on Tue sou
arn side rose the walls and ba,t!ements Of
city-a vast city--judging from its dis
lance, aha 'he Goi'ssa' appearance % ne
tarchtecture. we could trace Inc eo,u'nn-
d temples, aaa doofs' ana sates' anu WIN, ,
COWS s.r 10, o''eoi'es' anu paiape's, ano
spires! mere were ",fnS .o"eis rsi"s
high over .ue fooisi anu 10 'he 'ii'uute wa
tempie.!ihe structure WIN us massive
dome sowe,'h9 lar ABOVE al, 'ne o''ie.s
iooseu upon 'a's su"ash .PPai''io''
with ieeilng Q! 'ncFe"uii'S. u was .
aream-ah im3e'ha'ioh-a m"aSe. ia .
i was ihe mirage
] But no! Inc mirage cauid not eneci
such complete picture. iaefe were Tue
roofs, ann ch'mhess' ahu Wai's' anu ".a. ~
do"s! lhere were the p1rapeis oi ioftih
ed houses, "Ha their regular notcnes ana
emhrasures! II was reality II aods
Ictty:
Was II tue oian,o o' me spanish acre
Vas Y me cl'f .. Hosaeh sates anu ouI-
nishcd towers! was ttie story OF .he wan.
dering pfies', ahef MI, 'Iue! "ho uao
proved y iaoie' "i'o hsd ever Pohe-
'Fa,ea 'his fee,ou' Tue very country ="
wien tue ece.eslasi'c Represented 'ne
eo,ue" ei,S e'se'Y - ~. f.,
| saw 'hatseshsA was spuzzied-ais"aiy-
leu-as We" % snYseH. 'ie "'fe" uo'"','s
ot this Land. ZIG aao never Witnessed y
mirage IKE 'na'. ~,
For some tiiiie we sa' ~ our sauai.s' '"-
iiuenced ov s'rshge eh'iohs. Sna'' "e
60 iorwafdl Yes! we must feacn water
we are dying o. 'h'ls'' anu i'hPe''eu "
ms. we spur onward
| we had r'ddeh on'y 'e" PAGES ,u''her,
when 'he hunters u''efeu q suoueh anu
s'hh',a heo"s CRY. ne" opjeo-an ~.
lact OF 'error-"as peiore u.s. A'ons '"e
mountain loo' appeared s'f'os VI oafh
forms. lhey re'e moa"lea Ht,".
we dragged our HORSES .. - '"e' naone"-
es--our "na'e D, me ha'''os a. o'e '.'sn.
,'nJuhs: was 'ao 'A''''''A''o" u s0''
'fa'; :. ;, , G,
ihu'ans s '"os mus ~ .'a''e
gun ~, neie are Nv ..'o. 'h us'e .naa
40: ,nere never "e'e 1uon ,a, -; ;aen ~.
sec. 'hey use ~ ~. 'n.n-'uaa . ,sa ~ me" a;nts
horsos--'heif ioh9 sohs-mey are se''"'s
BY heavens! con''n'eo S. ne' ra a'se r~s w
'hen's pause, >, 'hes a'o ooa''e''' y
arc Ct p"1"'omS. 60,
mere were .;I eA.,''''''''s - ''''o' w
me hunters oe.,nu: c.h !,
were '"esc '"' 'h''ap''"n's " ''e ~.
mere was s'''h'us P''P1' .,o' ~ s"s ~
lossal s'ze o' 'lie nolses auo w ho';s.n ~" -
for moment "as ""1 s.ue"' - 'Me 80 WV
'es' 1"s a ,han.sh, IS ,,a
Irs nasaeo upon '''e' t'''n :. :"
tiaf'z mountains aha ''s'i 1e'.'o's.
She" 'hat Tue phel,'''i1', .:1 80 pe;o.0 - 80 .aa
ne 10 o.l'efman e.he ,,;.a',s sp'o
.a',eu - -" ~ n;aa,s ;m;,,,ad Tho motion /,
I" nn, snurs 70 nv horse and oaIloned
e. Ala bo 40 ;f ,o me.t mo ,l.
~ "'sa. c 80 !, i n,ssed ,ho rsfroc,
;sr . ~ ,sn I'D i;te ,bopah me sh,aowy
Hs ,;s ,;ssn,rssni.bsa ,"s INTO air,
Siatit 'hii'shSu ~