San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-03-08
THE MOVING SAND MOUNTAIN
EY APACHE GEORGE.

desert after a bunch of dCSpPrddOS, five
in number, whose leader was the nOtOri-
GUS AIeck Buchanan.
For the past nine months they have
been working every road west of Pres
colt, and have been unusually success
full.
We ran upon their trail at Aubrey
City and followed them up the Colorado
river to Fort Mohave.
We were pressing them pretty close,
and they must have got word of our in
tentiOns, for they ~Outlitted" at the fort,
and, fOrding the river, struck out bold
ly across the desert toward Mount San
BernardinO.
We determined to follow them. and,
supplying ourselves with thirty days
ratiOnS, we crossed the river and took
up their trail.
The MOhaye desert is a desert only in
name; for, although there are wide
stretches of sterile alkali land, these
plains are intGrspersed with beautiful
little SayannaS, well watered, and af
fOrding most excellent paSturage.
In crossing one of these alkali stretch
es, we suffered considerably for water,
and our horses got weak from lack of
food.
We made three dry camps" and
when we finally reached water and grass
we were obliged to lay over day to
rest.
The trail of the deSperadOs indicated
that they were not many miles in adj
vance, and when men and horses had
recovered from the effects of three days
of alkali desert we mounted and con-
tinued the pursuit.
We broke camp at sunrise, and before
10 o'clock, had struck the confines of
the second dessert.
You cannot conceive country more
wrrtchedly forIorn and dcsolatc than
the one into which We were entering.
Under foot and i'm front of us, far as
the eye could reach. was a billowy sea
of glaring white dGst, so strongly i'm
pregnatcd with alkali that men and
horses suffered eXcrucatingly from its
Inhalation, and several of the boys were
rendered almost totally blind for the
time being.
1t was dcsolation of the widest sort.
and we rode along. hu#hpd to silence by
the solemn awe that broodrd oycr the
desert
We campcd the first night on the edge
of one Of these cactus groves. and bright
and early, although little refreshed by
the nights rest pushed forward.
The sign made by the desperadOs
grew freSher every minute, and our
spirits rose at hcprOspect of soon over
hauling them.
We had been riding along narrow
valley, tlanked on either side by rolling
sand dunes, then suddenly it came to
an abrupt end, and, when we painfully
climbed the divide and reached its apex,
we could scarcely refrain a cheer. for
there below MS, less than mile distant,
we discovered the men we were in
search Of.
They had stopped to rest at the foot
of a cOnlCal-Shaped mountain of sand,
which stood alone on an almost level
plain.
There was nothing to shelter us we
rode toward them, and, discovering our
numbers, and purpose, the outlaws
hastily mounted to seek safety in flight.
We knew now that it would be a run.
ming chase, and, drawing our Winches.
ter rifles, we spurred forward.
All day the sun had been ObscUred by
heavy clouds, but the heat was Sitting.
and there was no breeze to temper it.
Suddenly, as we clattercd down the
dune to the plain below, and the impal-
pable dust inclosed us in a suffOcating
cloud, puff of cold air blew away the
dust and cooled our perspiring faces
with its icy breath.
1t was as cold as the air in an ice
chest, and even the horses shiyered and
whinnied OminOuSly.
Were going to have a nOrther," mutt
tered Sergt. Warren, Who was in COM
mand of the squad.
Little jeff Haskell, pointing toward
the desperados, who We're sCrambling
up the side of the sand mountain, add
ed:
Those fellows will make it hot
enough for us. They're going to make
a stand on top of that sand mountain,
and nothing but starvation will drive
them out. It's a regular Gibraltar in
sand"
The sergeant refined up his horse and
we clustered about him.
Haskell had told the truth. The des-
peradOs, knowing that escape was i'm
possible, had determined to make a
stand and fight to the bitter end.
1T will be useless sacrifice of life to
charge them" said the sergeant, medi-
tatively, Lets wait. If they halt on
top we'll surround the mountain ard
wait for them to come down. reckon
we can hold out as long as they can"
In few minutes the outlaws reach
ed the summit of the mountain, and
there was borne to our ears defiant
cheer.
All this time the wind had been ris-
ing. and the black clouds dropped down
until it seemed as though you could al
most reach their dark and ragged edges.
Suddenly, without premonition, a ter
rife blast swept toward us. nearly blow