The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-11-25
A TRAIN In THE DESERT.

Years since, was, as a child, one of a
party that met with sore distress in
northern Mexico. Our train, comprising
twenty-one souls, was sent over false
trail into desert region. The springs
reported as being along the way were
not; the few existing water holes were
all, save one, dried up, and when we
camped, after travelling four nights and
the cooler part of as many days, it was
where brazen sky looked down upon a
parched land that held no sign of animal
habitation, save one gaunt panther,
which the men scouting for water found
dead, half a league from the road. In
all the desolatc plain, stretching miles
away to iron bound mountain ranges on
either hand, there was no break save a
few shriveled bushes, and the windlass
of awell, few rods from the roadside.
The protector of the road had assured
our leader of finding here a well of
water, pure and never failing. 1t now
contained perhaps ten feet of water, salt
as the sea, and impregnated with some
acrid mineral element. The stock was
now too much exhausted to drag the
heavy wagons further. Every drop of
water was gone from our Kegs and can
teens.
A hurried council was held, and our
one possible plan CT escape arranged.
My uncle and another young man selected
the two least iaded mules, frightened
their belts about them, and, with bullets
in their mouths to chew to stimulate the
salivary glands, they started at night
fall upon the back track, in desperate
attempt TO drive the stock to water, and
bring us relief.
MY father, who had some little skill
as an amateur chemist, improvised from
the camp equipage and utensils a still
afterward second one. Fortunately
we had pair of camp stoves, and by
distilling the salt water with this i'm
perfect apparatus, nineteen lives were
preserved. Three men and five women
stood in watches of two at the still, two
were kept red hot, and drop, drop,
drop the priceless water fell slowly-so
frightfully slowly Into the cups. Our
rations were two teaspoonfuls every two
hours.
OF course, cooking was out of the
question, nor could our dry and stiffened
mouths bear even such food as was
available from the stores. The first day
the attempt was made to prepare coffee
with the salt water but the experiment
was not repeated for the reason that
one Mrs. B.-the sixth woman of the
party had persisted in drinking the
clear, cool-looking water, and she be-
came insane almost Immediately. Her
seven children, forlorn little creatures
as they were, had all the attention pos
sible, and bore their sufferings with
touching patience.
will not dwell on the five days sue
ceeding the departure of the young
men. To this day-even as | write-I
fall into nervous chill at thought of our
extremity. There was the baking sand,
the glaring sky, the triumphant, mock
ing sun the little, lonely camp, with its
added degrees of heat from the glowing
stoves; the feverish faces and tremb
ling forms, stretched about beneath the
wagons, wherever spot of shade
blessed the earth. The horses, that had
been too far spent to drive back, lay dead
before us, none having strength to drag
them away, and a splendid New
foundland dog moaned out his life in
yells. Misery in every moment, and
agones of suspense for the fate ol
our two gallant boys. Had they
ridden safely to their succor and
ours, or were they lying, swollen, ghastly,
stark shapes, in some lone defile Of the
mountains we had come through2 Ther
the fifth day the salt water gave out
That night the ration was reduced one
half, the stills being supplied by wiring
ing semi-liquid mud in strainer OF
linen. While two ladies were tending
the still, Thompson, the driver of ou
family travelling coach, came to them
and with threats compelled them to Civ,
up to him more than a half pint of dis
titled water. They complied, TO avoC
wakening to collision the two gentlemen
who were TO take the next turn, but one
whole ration was thus sacrificed to on,
person. The ordeal passed.
On the sixth morning one of our res
cuers oame in camp, bowed and stagger
ing under the weight of a monstrou
Mexican gourd that he had strapped
upon his shoulders. to fOrestall the slow
moving ox-carts, laden with water-bar
rels, followed farther back. The younj
men, spurred by the thought of loveC
ones dying behind them, had pushe tn
stock to their utmost efforts, and ha'
reached Cienegas in some eighteen o
twenty hours. Not a moment had bee
wasted in organizing the relief party
and here came rumbling, groaning, creak
ing into camp the great caretas, wit
wheels Of solid wood, aud fastenings O
rawhide thongs, driven by swart team