Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-03-08
A Struggle For Life.

A letter from an army officer in Mon
tana contains the following account OF
terrible and almost fatal adventure in an
slkali desert, experienced by the writer
Of the letter during the past summer:
81 was lost in an alksli desert l was
without food or water, and made deter
mined effort to reach the river. My mules
became exhausted from thirst and hunger,
and then walked. lied the mules while
my driver went behind and pushed on the
wagon. In this way, after desperate
struggle, we reached the rivers bank.
only to encounter new difficulties which
were wholly unsurmounts5le. The bank
was sandsten,, about 700 feet high and
perpendicular l followed It up and down
for miles, occasionally finding broken
place. but no place where descent could
be made was almost dying OF thirst
and looking down upon the shining waters
below, whose musical ripples only taunted
my sufferings. returned to the wagon,
night came on, and almost conclued to
give up the sruggle and die there. Then
/ thought it would not be brave thing to
give up and die like that, but resolved to
die manfully. fighting for life. SO took
my rifle and spent the night firing signals
of distress, and as the sounds would roll
across the dreary waste they would only
be answered by the bowling wolves, who
were on hand In force Anticipating my Sit
uation anc thinking of good square meal.
To tell the truth, they made me mad, and
resolved to fool them, and even looked
over the brink and thought OF throwing
myself down. 1t was shout as lonesome
q night as | ever spent. The driver,
big, strong fellow, did the sleeping, the
mu es did tie groanIng, while stood my
ground and fought of the wolves AS
the morning began to dawn l took sur
vey of my situation, and resolved upon
another struggle The driver was little
rested, but We had been forty-elght hours
without food or drink. The mules were
used up and not able TO pull the wagon,
so l abandoned everything taking only my
rife and ammunition, and started across
the desert on foot in seacb OF the camp.
Nothing but the pen of an inspired writer
could describe the sufferings OF that days
march. Ii was a dreadful hot day.
There was not a tree, shrub, or even q
blade of grass to protect me from the
burning sands, which reflected the hot
rays of the sun like blasts from fiery
furnace Not living thing was there,
even to a fig or Erasshopper. Ihere
were only the ravenous wolves that were
following us mp, ready to pick our bones
tefore life beanie extinct. Several times
| laid down to die, but after little rest /
would change my mind on the subject,
rally and go on. got beyond the point
of hunger, or l would have killed the poor
unfortunate mule, who was plodding sor-
roowfully along with us, a partner In our
sufferlngs The resolution 10 struggle on
grew stronger with me while IT grew
weaker with the oliver. aud l found 1t
hard to rally HIM. felt that l was los
ing my reason, fsncied i saw fountains
and waterfall In the distance, and greeted
the driver as party sent for my Ielief.
One thing l kept uppermost IN my mind
was to struggle on and never give up
Then thought of family and friends and
ali had to live for, and the whisper
would come almost audibly, "Push on
push onl" As the sun was descending
reached camp, staggered 10 my tent, fell
upon my bed and it was all over. The
last glimmsr of expiring reason went out
and left me in the gloom of insanity,
which led me back again to the desert.
For days and nights renewed the strug-
gle across the burning sands, anG some
times would get almost home only to be
swept back again. My constant cry was
for water, and drank at shady fountains
that never quenched my thirst, but always
fured me on. My wife came and nursed
me back to health and reason. but it was
long and tedious. The horrors haunted
ne in my dreams for weeks, AID l never
went 10 ped without my canteen of water.
Even now l am thirsty thinking Of It,