St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-31
VISIONS DRAWN IN AIR.
The Malign Mirage Which Often Leads
to Death
ON THE DAKOTA PLAINS.
Alluring Phenomena Which Proved Fa.
tai to Suffering Hun
ter.

or unfortunate, asks Joe +. Miller. the
Bismarck (Dak.) correspondent of the
Chicago Times, as to witness Dakota
mirage?
The recollection of an autumn week
last year will last to my dying hours,
| and even now as [ write the cold shiv-
erS course up and down through my
veins; the blood seems to entirely de-
sert the body for painful second, and
then ruSheS back into its countless in
| tricate channels, mounting to the head
| and stopping there. as ii clamoring for
egreSs into the outside world. 1t was
one of those calm, sunshiny days. and
was numbered, in company with quar-
tette OF spOrt-loving young fel OwS,
eager to scour the grand. boundleSS
prairie i'll search of the appetizing dnck
or hen, antelope or perhaps stray buff
falO. which are now very scarce. The
antelope, however, still plentifully
abOundS, and the local markets in Win
ter are overstocked with its palatable
carcass. We started out without taking
the precauti0n of preparing for any
emergencies whatever, as we placed
implicit confidence in our ability as
good sportsmen to supply the needs of
the body. We sOrely regretted not do
ing so the next day.
That whole day we wandered aimleSS-
ly about over the endless prairies, and
not so much as an insignificant gopher
made its appearance to fall before our
shOtguns. The cravings of hunger and
thirst now began to assert themselves,
and in our frenzied wanderings the
truth daWned upon us that we were
lost. Lost! Lost, indeed, upon ScOr CHI
ing prairie that seemed to have no out
let, no trees, no water. no green grass,
and not fowl or animal in sight. The
situation was horrible to contemplate.
Our faithful horses tongues were loll-
ing from their mouths, and we were so
weak from hunger that twas with great
difficulty we remained in the saddles.
Two days without water is harder on a
man than going without food for a
week, and we saw starvation and death
gauntiy staring us in the face. How we
managed to drag through the hours of
that awful night | can never relate, but
We awOke next morning hoping TO find
the grass ladened with welcome dew.
But no. The blades were dry as ever,
and groan of abject distress issued
from our parched Threats. 1t was well
on to noon before we considered our
selves sufficiently rested to resume the
hunt for sigu of civilization. The
suns burning rays seemed to be hotter
and more rentleSS than ever. We soon
stopped, as we were too fatigued to pro-
coed farther. simultaneously it dawned
upon us all that this was to be our last
day upon earth, and with brotherly
shake of the hand we lay prone upon
the ground awaiting the now welcome
coming of death.
Harry Hale suddenly sprung upon his
feet, grabbed his shotgun, placed the
muzzle to his brain, and would have
pulled the trigger and ended his earthly
troubles but for my timely interference.
There was wild demoniacal glare in
his eye, and | saw at once that his rea-
son was quickly fleeing. My feeble
strength was nothing compared with his
almost superhuman power, and in a
twinkle he wrested the gun from my
hands. He then rushed to one of the
horses and shot it dead. Hardly had
the animal fallen before Hale, with
childish glee, pounced upon the dead
body, slashed its throat with his hunt
ing-knife, and applied his mouth to the
hot gushing blood, drinking 1t down
with gluttOnOus appetite. Hale had
accomplished deed which we also
contemplated doing, but it was left as
last resort, for we knew that if de
priyed of one of our horses. we would
be left in more sorry plight than ever.
The sight of flowing blood nerved us
almost to desperation, ana we crowded
to the yet dying horse, roughly pushed
Hale aside, and eagerly sucked the
ebbing life's blood. | believe to this
day that nothing has ever tasted better
III my life. Our existence was prolonged
now for at least a short period, and our
lips moved in grateful prayer.
A wild, maniacal shout from Hale at
tracted my attention. Great heavens!
The mailman was mounted on one of
the horses and tearing away. He was
CHANGING back and pointing ahead and
Screaming at the top of his lungs:
"Water! Waterr One of us must be
left behind. One horse was dead and
three persons could not ride upon the
two animals, who were now very weak.
| looked i'm the direction of Hale, and
sure enough, what appeared to be water
was seen in the distance. 1 fastened to
appriSe my companions of the joyful
discovery. Hale kept galloping madly
on. looking neither way, but furiOusly
lashing his horse. A steep precipice
loomed before the rider, but he needed
it not and spurred his exhausted animal
to still greater speed. The poor horse
attempted to swerve from its course
and avoid the yawning chasm, but Hale
noticed nothing but the fascinating
dance of water on the horizon. They
were now but few rods from the prec-
ipice. Still the horse was spurred on.
He Weighed piteously, plunged forward,
and just at its brink stopped stock stIll,
and the rider flew over his head into
the bottomless pit. To say that we were
Mortified would be putting it rather
mild. We fastened to the scene of the
catastrophe. The horse stood on the
edge trembling in terror from head to
foot. L carefully approached the pit
and peered into the black pit. Nothing
could be discerned; all was pitchy dark,
ness. l seized large rock and hurled
it to the bottom. Presently l heard
faint sOunds-deep, deep, down into the
very bowels of the earth. Poor Hale's
death came very easy, though terribly
unexpected, and no human being could
make that descent without death en-
suing halfway down.
With heavy hearts we once more sad
died our tired horses and followed the
alluring lake. An hour passed, but it
seemed as if we were just as far away
as on the start. Another hour, and
another and another, and still the wat
ers kept dancing and glistening in the
sunlight an apparently short distance
ahead. We continued the tedious trip,
aud happening to look up we discovered
to our dismay that the supposed lake
had entirely vanished.
But more welcome sight greeted us.
Not many miles to the east the city from
which we started loOmed up. All, some
thing strange about this. We could see
the streets, familiar buildings, and even
recognize men walking up and down
literally photographed before our
startled vision. We travelled and trav-
eled, but it was impossible to approach |
the town. Then, as if by magic, the |
whole scene disappeared from view. We |