, 1864-06-06
Dead in the Desert.

iNSAS Whoh saw u0dI buo EHOiS VI tuls
island man waist-deep in the water. With
a pole he seemed to be dragging the rivers
bed, and changing his position from time
to time, ho continued his labors until, in
the decreasing light, he was lost to my
vicw. ] thought little of the circumstance
until on the following evening observed
him in the same place and similarly occu-
pied. My curiosity was now excited, and
proceeding to the spot whero my skif was
moOrcd, l hastened to the lower end Of the
island. Having often hunted here, | knew
Of a Path through the tangled underground
that would quickly lead me to the scene of
his operations. Hidden by the brushwoOd,
| soon gained a position so close that could
distinctly hear his labored brcathings. He
had in his hand long boathook which had
evidently fixed upon something, which
dragged heavily, and at length brought it to
the waters edge.
At this moment he suddenly dropped
his boathook, and facing round toward the
shore, exclaimed in voice full Of terror
and defiance, "WhAt's that you say"
But l had said nothing, and save the sound
Of his own voice and movements, every
thing around was as silent as death. Again
be stopped, aud, picking up something,
looked at it for moment in the moonlight,
and then hurled it into the thickot. 1t
fell almost close to me, and l involuntarily
exclaimed aloud, A human skull" Then
again his hollow. uuearthly voice rang out
in the solitude, What's that you sayY and
then listening for moment, he added,
The boy seems talkativo tonight From
that moment believed him to bca murderer.
He then gathered something up from the
river, and wading into deep water, flung it
from him, aud as he returned to shore NUT
teringly exclaimed: " Now, with head and
body far apart, talk to me further if You
can"
The hot blood was then rushing through
my veins; could endure it no longer, so
springing over the intervening brushwood,
in a moment was at his side. His glazed
eyes shone by the bright moonlight and
glared on me in mortal terror while with
a voice like that of a doomed man hc cried,
!" Man or demon, have mercy upon me-"
Instead Of being stalwart and strong, !
found him heart-broken, conscience
stricken, bowed-down man. assured him
would show mercy, but insisted that he
should at once clear up the mystery Of bis
movements. tsH
With weak aud tottering steps, that gave
too certain evidence that his days were
nearly numbered, he guided me to his ca
bin, and throwing himself upon the tule
pallet and pointing Inc to the scat beside
him, he gave ine the following narrative:
"My real name is Douglas. am Eng
lish by birth, and from my earliest recoi-
lection l labored with my father in the
Northern collicrs. In 1916 l sailed for
America, but in the spring Of 1850 | set
tied in Texas; there lived for four years,
but at length determined to strike over
land for California.
"In company with Swede named Rawne
I travelled scross the high prairies Of Texas
into New Mexico, as far as Santa Fe on the
Rio Grando.
Here we made the acquaintance Of one
Harry Udolf, Swede, who with his wife
and child--a little boy Of six years Of age
were preparing 10 start for California.
Udolf had money, and in addition to his
teams and rolling stock, some fifty head Of
cattle.
at was soon arranged that We should
join them, and we engaged ourselves for
six months"
"Crossing the New Mexico COrdillcras,
we reached the banks of the Rio Colorado
in the territory of Utah. Here Udolf was
taken i'll and in two days died. We buried
him and raised hcad-board by his grave
on which we inscribed his name. We con-
tinued our journey with the heart-brokeh
widow aud her fatherloss boy, who became
the darling and pet Of myself and my COM
panions. 1
awe reached at length the grassy mead
ows Of the Carson, and here Mrs. Udoif
was seized with cholera. In few hours
she was dead, and We left her body in a
deep grave on the banks Of the Sweetwa-
ter.
"Rawne and ! took the control Of the
party, and dismissing the other men who
had accompanied the train, with the orphan
boy and the property We continued our
route to California.
"And now for the first time came over
nc the thought that might enrich myself
at the expense Of the boy, but l had no
thoughtf destroying him, for little Charley
grew every day in our affections.
1--WE found nearly 81 900 in udolf' wa
gon; and upon reaching Sacramento We
sold the wagons, teams and cable for 81, 900
more-al Of course the property Of the
orphan boy.
The desire to possess this money now
haunted me day and night. We had been
residing at Sacramento city about three
weeks, when one day, MS though by way Of
a joke, / proposed to Rawne dcserting the
boy aud taking the property. There is q
better way than that replied Rawnej for
in that case the boy might tell on u.s.
Thinking that had in my companion
ready accompliOe, at once divulged to
him q plan I had formed for numbering
the boy, and it was thus We carried il out
"Undcr pretcnce Of trip down the
Sacramento river to locate farming lands,
we hired two rew-boats, and taking with us
a tent and some provisions, VIC started down
the river, and for the purpose had in view,
procured the old anchor Auke and chain
which you now see on the spot where !