Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-04
THE DESERT TRAIN.

a
trail into a desert region. The springs
reported ss 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. il was where a
brazen sun looked down upon parched
land that held no sign of animal habita
tion, save one gaunt anther, which men
scouting for water found dead, half a
league from the rosd In all the
desolate pain, stretching miles away
to iron bound mountain ranges on
either hand. there was no break
save few shriveied bushes, and the
windiess OF WELL q few rods from the
roadside. The pro ector of the road had
assured our leader Of finding here well
Of water, pure and never failing. Ii 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 farther. Every drop of
water was gone from our kegs and can
teens
A hurried council was held, and our
one possible plan of escape arranged. My
uncle and another young man selected
the two least AIDED mules tightened 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 at.
tempt to drive the stock to water, and
bring us relief
Ny father, who had some little skill as
an amateur chemist. improvised from the
camp equipage and utensils a still-sfter
ward secoud one Fortunately We had
pair of camp stoves, and by distilling
the salt water with this imperfect ap
paratus. nineteen lives were preserved
Three men and five women stood in
watches of two at the still two hours at q
turn. The little camp stoves were kept
red hot, an drop, drop. drop, the price.
less water fell slowly-so frightfully
slowly-in o the cups Our rations were
two tesspoonfuls every two hours
Of course. cooking was out of the aues
ton, nor could our dry and stiffened
mouths bear even such food as was avail.
able from the stores The frsi day the
attempt was made 10 prepare coffee with
the salt water, but the experiment was
not repeated. for the reason that one Mr.
f. the sixth woman of the party--had
persisted in drinking the clear. cookbook.
ing water, and she became insane almost
Immediately. Her sc en- children. forlorn
little creatures that they were had all the
attention possible. and bore their sufier
ings with touching patience
will not dwell on the five days sue.
ceeding the departure Of the young men
10 this day-eveh as | write-I fall into
nervous chill at thought Of our extrem.
.ty. There was the baking sand, the glar
ing sky. the triumphant, muck;ng sun; the
little. lonely camp. with its added degrees
of heat from tue glowing stoves; the
feverish faces and trembling forms
stretched about beneath the wagons.
wherever a spot of shade blessed the
earth The horses. that had been too far
$. ent to drive back, lay dead before US.
none having strength 10 drag them away,
aad splendid Newfoundland dog
moaned out his life in accompaniment "a
the insane womans yells Misery in
every moment, and agonies of suspense
for the fate of our two gallant boys Had
they ridden safely to their succor and ours,
or were they lying, swollen. CHASTITY.
stark shapes. in some lone defils
OF the mountain we had come through ,
Then-the fifth day the saltwater gave out
That night the ration was reduced one
half. the stills being supplied by wringing
semi-liquid mud in strainer Of linen.
While two ladies were tending the still
Thompson, the driver Of our family
travelling coach, came TO them, and with
threats compelled them TO give up to him
more than half pint of distilled water.
hey complied. TO avoid wakening 10 col
!ision the two gentlemen who were to
lake the next turn, but one whole ration
was thus sacrificed to one person The
ordeal passed
On the sixth morning one of our
rescuers came in camp, bowed and stag.
gering under the weight of q monstrous
Mexican gourd that he had strapped upon
his shoulders. to forestali the slow-moving
OK carts. laden with water barrels, follow
ing farther back. The young men. spurred
behind them, had pushed the stock 70
their utmost efforts. and ha6 reached
Cienegas In some eighteen or twenty
hours Not moment had been wasted
in organizing the relief party; and here
came rumbling. groaning. creaking into
camp the great carretas, with wheels of
solid wood, and fastenings of rawhide
thongs. driven by swart ieamsters, rough
and ferocious of aspect who nevertheless
wept like children at the sight of the
wretched, wasted beings who hailed them
with black. swollen lips and tongues all
cracked and bleeding. They were but
,ust in time The insane woman and two
of her children appeared then dying, and
surely could not have lived half day
longer. Water was doled out with due
precaution. congratulations and thanks
givings offered; hasty but sufficient
breakfast WIS cooked. and all prepara.
tion made for abandoning the scene of so
much wretchedness.
Then very nearly came about misera-
BILE mishap Thompson. the driver be.
fore mentioned-a tall. lsnk fellow from
Missouri or Texas, l -disrememberr
which. to quote one of his own odd terms
had gotten. by purchase, cajolery, or
appropriation. q bottle of agrardieute
from one of The Mexican drivers, aud be
fore any one knew of il. Thompson was
uproarously. boisterously. abusively
drunk. The occasion was one 10 war
rant more than usual lenienee and much
forbearance was displayed toward the
man Finally, however, he came to
where the women and children sat
awaiting the start and insoiently
ordered a lady to prepare q fresh break
fast for him. My father came TO us, and
tried to lead him away, when Thompson
sprang upon him and hurled him back
ward to the very brink of the salt well,
some fifty feet deep Thompson was
more tnsn six feet tail; my father below
the average height of men. but the smaller
man held his own. and was even forcing
his antagonist away from the well, when
Thompson reached to his hip and drew
his cooked revolver The woman
screamed. the men came running-but
from too far away. do not remember
thinking the matter out; fancy
my legs acted in advance Of
my juvenile brain: but it appeared
moment for decisive action, and
dashed forward. wrested the pistol from
the drunken grasp, and was back again
with the weapon tucked under the buf,
falo-robe l sat upon. before the foremost
man reached the struggling pair. rode
into Cienegas with thai pistol beneath the
cushion OF nv seat in the coach: pre-
sumo that il was ultimately returned u
Thompson.
That worthy was unceremoniously
suadled into one of the carrssss. ..r-