Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-01-03

"A Small Party Of Hunters Lose Their
Way and Almost Perish-Deceptive
Visions of Cities and
Has the reader ever been so fortunate
or unfortunate as to witness Dakota
mirage-an eyewitness, in fact? No.
and if you have been enticed far
away towards its mystic shores by
the alluring and apparently close prox-
unity of cool, inviting waters, you will
doubtless look back upon that day with
a shudder of awful dread. 1t must be
first understood that Dakota is not the
only cline where this strange prairie
phenomenon is seen. Its appearance
Is sometimes noted in the States and in
Europe. but very rare, and Dakota
mirage is the grandest and most mag.
nificent in the world. Eastern tourists.
new settlers and the unsophisticated
element of this Territory are the ones
who az rL.ls fall victims to its bane-
-fhl influence, and many tales of suffer-
ing and distress could be related. Of
course the older residents are cogniEant
of this prairie freak of nature, but
they too are oftentimes deluded into
following it for many days with parched
lips and lolling tongue. All, it is q
grand but terrible sight!
The recollection of an autumn week
last year will last till 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 if clamoring for
egress into the outside world. 1t was
one of those calm, sunshiny days, and
I was numbered in company with a
quartet OF sport-loving young fellows
eager to scour the grand, boundless
prairies in search of the toothsome
duck or hen, antelope, or perhaps a
stray buffalo, which are now very
scarce. The antelope, however, still
plentifully abounds, and the local
markets in winter are overstocked
with its palatable carcass. We started
out without taking the precaution of
preparing for any emergencies what
ever, as we placed explicit confidence
in our ability as good sportsmen to sup
ply the needs of the body. We sorely
regretted not doing so the next day.
That whole day We wandered aimless-
~ about over the endless prairies, and
not SO much as an insignificant gopher
made its appearance to fall before our
shot-guns. 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 a scorching prairie that
seemed to have no outlet, 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 lolling
from their mouths, and we were so
weak from hunger that it was with
great difficulty we remained in the
saddles. Two days without water is
harder on a human being than going
without food for a week. and we saw
starvation and death gauntly 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 the welcome
dew. But no. The blades were dry
rs ever, and a groan of abject distress
issued from our parched throats Il
was well onto noon before we con.
sidered ourselves sufficiently rested te
resume the hunt for sign of civiliza-
ton. The suns burning rays seemed
TO be hotter and more relentless than
eyer. We soon stopped. as we were
too fatfgued to proceed any farther
simultaneously it dawned upon us al
that this was to be our last day upor
earth. and, with a brotherly shake OF
the hand. We lay prone upon the
ground awaiting the now welcome
coming of death.
Harry Hale suddenly sprung upor
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 in
reference. There was s Wild, demo
niacal glow in his eye, and saw a,
Nncs that his reason was quickly fee
ing. My fesble strength was nothing