The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1891-12-25

EE",hS"*N <ssEN}rHt Fnr a month
j.. IL the officers and
T. men had been
eagerly looking
forward TO sprnling the Christmas holi-
days in the beautiful town Of San Ber-
, narJino. on tle other side Of the Sierras.
On the 23l the wagons, pack mules
and all the :nen, excepting three who
remained back to complete some work
/ with myself, crossed the range that
separates the Mojave Cp"onOunced Mo
hav-ee) desert from the Towering and
fruitful paradise Of southern California.
For six weeks we had been working
III the desert, running lines, taking
elevations and plotting III work at
night by the smoky light Of dried
creosOte and sapless sage brush. AT
times we were sixty miles from the
nearest water, and when obtained the
water was alkaline. Many Of our pack
mules, nIa0dened by thirst, broke their
ropes and wandered further into the
desert to die.
Hard tack and bacon, and not too
mUcli of that, had been the only food Of
the men since we entered the desert,
and 50 the most cheerful became grrln,
and the skin Of the youngest grew dry
and parched as that Of a mummy. -
We did Our work IN silence; even the
officers came to speak in whispers, for
our threats We're dry and our lips
cracked. Everything with moisture in
it parched as if III a furnace.
The alkali OF the level eXpanses looked
like dazzling snow. The fantastic hills
and mcsas were crumbling and burning
up in the forceful and persistent fires of
oxidation. And amid all this the mirage
would appear to mock US with lakes and
streams III which We're reflected the
spires, domes and min1rets Of grand
oriental cities, such as might have been
built by the genii Of architecture.
1t was half past 3 in the afternoon,
and we hoped to reach the pass by dark,
where fresh horses would carry us to the
town before midnight and Christmas
lay.
AS our horses staggered on, we saw
three vultures rising from q dark object
1 little to the right. a glance through
my field glass revealed the outlines of a
PROSTATE man and horse, stretched out
side by side.
Years Of this wild life had accustomed
rs to such sights. Yet as our hearts
were full Of thoughts Of the joyous
Christmas days Of the past and Of the
rest, fresh food and water for bathing,
which we were to enjoy on the morrow,
there was something ineXpressiDly sad
IN the presence of death at such a time
and at the foot Of the purple mountains,
beyond which lay Eden.
We refined III our thin, painting horses
and ~dismOunted. In that atmosphere no
organic substance decays-it shrivels up
and becomes us hard and indestrUctible
as the glistening volcanic rocks that sur
round it; but enough remained to tell
Is that the horse had once been a noble
creature, and the saddle and equipments
were such as the wealthy MeXicans Of
southern California delight IN.
The man was Of Me0ium height, and
-he carbine, pistols and knife. still belted
about his shrunken waist, indicated abil-
,ty to resist. He was young. The long,
dark hair and the silky mustache.
through which the white teeth CLEANED,
told this. We opened the s~addlebags
and found 5000 in gold, the titles to a
lot Of California mining lands made out
to one Louis Bottom and Il bundle of
letters tied with a blue ribbon.
In the middle of the bundle there We're
two viguettes-oHe that Of q sweet faced,
motherly lady, the other that Of a beau
tiful girl, the name Dora" at the bot
tom of the picture being surrounded by
a delicately painted wreath Of forget
menOtS.
These letters were dated at The
Elms," but, as the envelopes We're de-
stroyed, there was nothing to Indicate
the town, state or land. One read as
follows. and, c~uriOusly enough. it was
dated Christmas Eve Il year before:
MY DARLING BOY-I think of you at
all times, but on Christmas eve you fill
my heart so that | can think of nothing
else. and if it We're not for Dora, who
has come TO cheer me, l fear l could not
stand it. Where is my Louis tonight!'
This question haunts me. and | picture
! You out in the deSertA of that wild land,
homeless and friendlesS, still hunting for
gold. All, my boy, como back! Better
poverty than this awful anxiety. But
we cannot be poor where there is 80
much love"
The letter continued at length in this
vein, and it ended. with love and
kisses and blessings from Mother"
The next letter WAS also written at
The Ems on Christmas eve. just a Year
before. | cannot pretend to quote 1t N
| r-NN -~HT .