Wichita eagle., 1889-09-29
--xas.SSNNLIAa
9a1l1J - eagle
ACRUSS THE KARRO0.
PERHS OF A DRIVE OVER THE
SOUTH AFRICAN DESERT.

IaEe-yacEalS stole the SACK OF FISH,
The distance across the desert to the point
we wished to reach was a hundred miles,
which we decided TO accomplish IN three
DAYS. 1t was necessary to be careful of our
four horses. knowing there was no water on
the Journey for them We hoped to do forty
miles the first day and thirty miles each day
of the two following. We entered the kar-
roo Poort (Karroo gate at sunrise, and set
out on our hazardous journey.
As we entered the desert il spread before
us on every sioS like boundless brown sea,
silent solitary and vast. As the sun rose
into the sky the warmth became intense, and
when by midday we halted we could see the
aeat rising from the scorched plains in wavy
columns like golden flames. There is no
greater alleviator of thirst than cold tea, and
no safer stinnulant in a torrid land. While
The horses were being embarrassed and fed
Meadows and | prepared our midday meal
In three hours we broke up camp and went
on again till the day was nearly done-a day
that had passed fairly well
There was neither tree nor mountain in
sight; nothing to break the level monotony
that stretched as far as eye could see We
encamped for the night in the midst of the
first time, began really to feel its power.
The next morning we were early under way.
We had had not too much to satisfy the
needs of four men, and we determined TO put
ourselves on short allowance After the mid
day ''outspan" our late afternoon journey
was enlivened by a singular display of thiev-
ing boldness. We were slowly ''trekking"
along, the two drivers of our four-in-hand
Zoo, tod md
on the seat behind, half asleep, the curtain
at the end OF the wagon rolled up a few
inches to permit a draught 10 pass through,
when all at once we heard scuffiing kind Of
spring and scratching at the tail board and,
looking round, we caught the glimpse of the
nose of jackal as it disappeared from sight.
The reason was obvious Lashed against the
back Of the wagon outside was a sack of
dried salt fish, the odor Of which had at
tracted the sharp scented thieves, and which
the brutes were endeavoring to steal, and
finally succeeded in doing SO by biting off the
Iashings Moritz would not stop the horses,
but whipped them up afresh, saying, "Let
them have it" George and L, however, used
our revolvers, leaving many of them dead in
the road behind; but, having secured the
fish, they seemed satisfied, as we could see
lHetl III Tue ulSitlDce iSLUlIs5 anu tSdIl1S dt
each other over the booty.
Night came, and all was quiet when we
outspanned at the close OF the second day,
our bed again the hot sands and our covering
the dim vault above, studded with stars that
looked like points of FURNISHED silver stretch
ing far away.
Our third and last days journey was
most trying one, during which we fully real
lied what desert travelling may become. We
had exhausted our last drop Of water the
night before, and we awoke with a thirst
that Seemed then unbearable; but before the
day was over we learned that our morning
thirst was but triling affair. Everything
was intensified on that day; the sun seemed
fiercer, the heat greater, the desert drier and
the sky more defiant In fact, we seemed to
be journeying deeper and deeper into a f,
uace whose fires forbade further approac-
and when we halted for the monday rest
both man and beast were utterly exhausted
No one who has not crossed a desert can
possibly imagine tho fearful condition to
which the want Of water reduces him; the
food is swallowed with difficulty and the sys-
TEN is faint with fever, while the knowledge
of its absence does but heighten the craving
of the body for It's cocl reireshment. After
by in silence. Later, looking up saw some
thing, and turned and said to Meadows:
''TThank Godl there is water ahead. See,
there is a lake d few miles of. "
"a lake9n exclaimed Moritz. Don't you
know what that isp'
''What is it, If rot lake7" demanded
Meadows
"A mirage-and nothing else" said the
elder Moritz
"a mragel" cried 'Why, can see the
water; there are the reflections of the trees
and deer drinking"
You'll see what'n become of your lake,
Mynheer, and your trees and your deer as we
Co." he replied, with a short laugh mol
You'll see no water ill we're out Of the Kar-
roo and at Verbeck's farm"
Far away overhead in tbs brazen sky was
a single vultUre, that made one dizzy to look
at An hour later the stumbling horses sud-
denly pricked up their ears, ard the leaders
neighed
There is water, A" said Moritz, in an under
tone IF surprise You may deceive a man,
but ven can't deceive horse"
True enough, in short time we came up
to 4 nearly dried pool # filthy water. little
more than mud, as thick as porridge and as
brown d chocolate, towards which tho horses
rushed with new energy. 1t was cruel act,
but we pulled up suddenly and Adolph and
his brother leapt to the ground and held
them back, while Meadows and | ran for
ward and scooped up the liquid and strained
it through a handkerchief until We had col
lected a large kettleful Then we outspanned
and let the horses 60 and stood and watched
them as they eagerly licked 40 the muddy
compound
One may ask how ii was this little pool
should be in the road tracks OF the desert,
where, as far as we knew, no rain had fallen.
l cannot tell; | o0ly know that IL was there
and that it saved our lives A FIRE was made
and the kettle set on it; we knew we had the
water and could wait. 1t was boiled to free
1t from impurities and germs it might con-
tain, and then, when properly heated. we
again strained it through a handkerchief
afterward pouring 1t all into porous pitcher
we had with Us. and incaSing that again with
:. strip of wet flannel. we placed the pitcher
In the sun, where the evaporation of the steam
ing flannel cooled the water inside to de-
Ecious freshness, though it could not improve
the flavor,
We drank large cupful each-it was the
color Of polished mahogany-and put the rest
into the wagon, shaking our thirst as we drove
on. Just before the sun set, a globe of Grim.
son fire in an empty, quivering sky, we SAW
before Us, touched by his last beams, a dis
tant fringe of trees, and we knew we were
nearing our journeys end, for Verbeck'S farm
lay behind that distant foliage Our last
meal was eaten on the desert, our last rest
taken nil the moon WAS up, AMI then on again
we ''urelkedH through silent world.
At midnight OF that same day we walked
our weary horses up 10 the farm gaze and