Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-04-09
Written for the HERALD
A Desert Sketch.
BY ADoLPHUs PERKINS.

| Along IHe ulIll, lar ueecIb IOusct
| Their ghosts are many.
Already the iron horse puffs his va
por breath upon the desert beyond
Seven Palms. In few months he
will wend his toilsome way to the
banks of the Colorado and land that
has long bordered upon the unknown
will be opened to the advancement of
civilization and refinement. Thus we
wait for brief period the progress of
the steel rails that are reaching out
ever that dreary waste of desert and
portend the better time beyond. Then
i'm day, at most, we shall whirl over
the parched and wasted plain-the
boundless fields of sand and cactus
which form the Sahara of America
and we shall scarcely knoV what man.
not appreciate it's tolls, its dangers
and its hardships. A whistle,a Kissing
of the escaped steam, rumbling and
rafting of the iron wheels, and miles
upon miles of road have been passed
unheeded.
1t was not so in the early times
when the desert comprized all but the
terrors of hades for those unfortunate
pioneers who were compel ed to cross
it on their journey to or from the Pa
cific Coast. There was no pathway
across the broad eXps nse of powdery
sand and a kali, unbroken save by the
stunted growth fgreasewood and cac-
ii. You might have searched in vain
for the track of the last passing wagon
wheel or the latest footprint, for the
scOrching desert wind had passed and
drifted the uncertain sands again into
undistinguishable desolation.
The beast of burden toiled with
more than wonted endurance through
the sands that bound it's tired feet like
maDacles and when the last exertion
of the wearied frame had been put
forth, it laid down to die and leave
its whitened bones bleaching upon the
plain. And man-God forbid that he
should meet his death in such an un-
hallowed spot.
Old Jerry once told me he attempted
to cross the desert and how merciful
Providence spared him from terrible
fate. He had piloted a detachment of
soldiers across to New Mexico and
was OH his return alone. Jerry said
that he was fool to sell his sure-foot-
ed, patient old mule, that knew the
way better than he did but he was Of
fered a good price for the beast in San
ia Fe and the gold tempted him. In
stead of the first plain animal Jerry
took a foolish colt to return with, and
it seems, he tempted fate too far.
The heat was so intense that he was
compelled to travel at night and rest
under some improvised shelter from
the desert sun during the day. 1t
thus happened that one night Jerry
was travelling along and nearly to his
saddle. 1t may be that he had taken
too many pulls at the black bottle In
his haversack or 1t may have been fa-
tigue from the long journey that in
duced Morpheus to draw his magic
wand over Jerry's eyes, but certain it
was he slept. While his master was in
the land of nod unconscious of all NOR
tai things, the inexperienced colt went
whithersoeverrh he listed. And he wan
dered far from his courses so that when
the hot winds began to blow and the
sand drifted and Jerry walked up ev-
cry footprint which the horse had
made in his wanderings was oblitera-
ted. Poor Jerry! He was utterly be-
wildered and lost upon a wide, wide
desert. 1t may be that when the ter
rible situation dawned upon him the
| lips that were wont to toss about too
lightly the name of the Deity, found
other uses for that holy word. 1t may
be that he thought of the mother and
home awaiting him many miles away
| in an Atlantic State.
But this was time for action rath-
er than sentiment and Jerry was not
one to submit quietly to the mandates
of Fate when she frowned unproptious-
| ly upon him. The haversack still con-
tained a remnent of provisions and the
black bottle held drop or two of COM
fort yet. While these lasted and
while the strength of his horse's legs
held out, Jerry kept up pluck. He
wandered on and on and on, thinking
that he must come out somewhere and
sure enough he would if he could have
held out for week longer in the di-
rection he was going.
But the virtue of the black bottle
was nothing for the poor horse, and at
last it failed Jerry. After while the
beast began to faIter and stumble.
Jerry dismounted and led him for u
distance while he was himself faint
and weak. Oh for a sight of Gods
glorious green earth But who can
describe the tortures of a man who is
perishing for water! AT last the poor
beast fell down exhausted and as a
final resort, Jerry cut his throat and
eagerly drank up his warm blood.
Then Jerry seemed to feel the invigo-
ration of,despair stealing over him, and
he essayed to pursue his journey. AL
belt draught of blood is not that
which will allay thirst for a long
period of time when man travels in
the heat of desert. What had
been suffering before was now in
creased to the veriest torments. of the
damned. Jerry's parched tongue Glove
to the roof of his mouth and then,
when it had swollen protrudeG be-
tween his lips blackened, misshapen
mass. He no longer walked but tot
tered and staggered on and perhaps
he would have fallen but for one
thought. Behind him came q flock
of eager vultures, but half satisfied
with the carcass of his horse, and
ready to pounce upon him to finish
their meal with a human dessert.
Jerry had more than once seen the
foul birds attack horse or mule that
had fallen helpless upon the plain
and devour the eyes out of its head
while the beast was still living and
helpless.
But at last his faltering limbs