The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-03-22
WHOLE NO. 1902,



!. A letter from an army officer in
Montana contains the following ac-
count of terrible and almost fatal
adventure in an alk.si desert, expe-
rienced by the writer of the letter
last summer.
i II was lost in an aikali desert. / was
| without food or water, and made a
determined effort to reach the river.
NV mules became exhausted from
thirst and hunger, and then l walk
| cd. 1 led the mules while my driv-
er went behind and pushed the wa
gon. In this way, after q desperate
struggle, we reached the rivers
bank, only to encounter new diff
eulties which were wholly unsur-
lmsuntable. The bank was sand
stone, about 700 feet high and per-
pendicular. followed it up and
1 down for miles, occasionally finding
a broken place, but no place where
adescent could be made. l was al
most dying of thirst, and looking
down upon the shining waters be-
lew, whose musical ripples only
TAINTED my sufferings. | returned
to the wagon, night came on, and /
almost concluded to give up the
struggle and die there. Then [
thought it would not be a brave
thing to give up and die like that,
but resolved to die manfully, fight
ing far life. SO / took my rifle and
spent the night firing signals of dis
tress, and as the sounds would roll
across the dreary waste they would
only be answered by the howling
wolves, who were on hand in force
anticipating my situation and think
ing of a good square meal. To tell
the truth, they made me mad, and
resolved to fool them, and even look
ed over the brink and thought of
throwing myself down. 1t was
about as lonesome night as | ever
spent. The driver, big, strong fell
low, did he sleeping, the mules did
the groauing, while l stood my
ground an i fought off the wolves.
As the morning began to dawn |
took q surv ey of my situation, and
resolved up On another struggle. The
driver was little rested, but we had
been forty-ei ght hours without food
or drink. I he mules were used up
and not able to pull the wagon, so
abandoned everything taking only |
my ammunition and rife, and started |
across the DIES ert on foot in search of
the camp. n othing but the pen of
an inspired W liter could describe the
sufferings of hat days march. 1t |
was a dreadful hot day There was
not tree, q 81 lrub, or even blade
of grass to pro tect me from the hot
rays of the sun like blasts rom a
fiery furnace. Not a 1ing thing
was there, even TO fly G. grasshop- |
per. There were only the ravenous
wolves that were following rs up,
ready to pick our bones before life
became extinct. Several times |
laid down to die, but after little
rest / would change my mind on
the subject, rally and go ON. l g.
beyond the point Of hunger, or 1
would have killed the poor unfor-
tunate mule, who was plodding sor-
along with us, partner in
our suferings The resolution to
struggle on grew stronger with me
while it grew weaker with the driver,
and ] found it hard to rally him
felt that | was losing my reason, fan
cied | saw fountains and waterfalls
in the distance, and greeted the dri-
yer as a PARTY sent to my relief. One
thing l kept uppermost in my mind
was TO struggle ON and never give
up. Then | thought of family and
friends and all / had to live for, and
he whisper would come almost aud
bly,, push on push on :" AS the
sun was descending l reached camp,
staggered to my tent, fell upon my
bed and it was all over. The last
yiimmer of expiring reason went
)ut and left me in the gloom of in
sanity, which led me back again to
he desert. Tor days and nights |
renewed the Struggle across the burn
ng sands, and. sometimes would get
almost home only to be swept back
again. My co nstant cry was for wa
,er, and l dram k at shady fountains
hat never quel lched my thirst, but
always lured me on My wife came
md nursed me back 10 health and
but it W IS long and tedious.
rhe horrors h aunted me in my
lreans Tor week 5, and | never went
% bed without nly canteen of wa
er. Even now L am thirsty think
ng of il"