Arizona republican., 1891-12-25

forward to spending the Christmas holi- days in the beautiful town of San Der nardino, on the other side of the Sierras
 On the 23d the wagons, pack mules and all the men, excepting three who remained back to complete some work with myself, crossed the range that separates the Mojave pronounced Mo- hav-ee) desert from the towering and fruitful paradise of southern California. For six weeks we had been working in the desert, running lines, taking | elevations and plotting osr 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, maddened by thirst, broke their ropes and wandered further into the desert to die.
 Hard tack and bacon, and not too much of that, had been the only food of the men since we entered the desert, and so the most cheerful became grum, and the skin of the youngest grew dry and parched as that of mummy.
 We did our work in silence; even the officers came to speak in whispers, for our throats were dry and our lips cracked. Everything with moisture in it parched as if in furnace.
 The alkali on the level expanses looked like dazzling snow. The fantastic hills and mesas 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 in which were reflected the spires, domes and minarets of grand oriental cities, such as might have been built by the genn of architecture.
 It was half past | 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 day.
 As our horses staggered on, we saw three vultures rising from a dark object little to the right. A glance through my field glass revealed the outlines of a prostrate man and horse, stretched out side by side.
 Years of this wild life had accustomed us 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 ineXpressibly sad in the presence of death at such time End at the foot of the purple mountains, beyond which lay Eden.
 N.. ,a1 ir, and dismounted. In that atmosphere no organic substance decays-it shrivels up and becomes as hard and indestructible as the glistening volcanic rocks that sur round it; but enough remained to tell us that the horse had once been noble creature, and the saddle and equipments were such as the wealthy Mexicans of southern California delight in.
 The man was of medium height, and the carbine, pistols and knife, still belted about his shrunken waist, indicated abil- ity to resist. He was young. The long, dark hair and the silky mustache, through which the white teeth gleaIned, told this We opened the saddlebags and found 5000 in gold, the titles to a lot of California mining lands made out to one Louis Bolton,' and a bundle of letters tied with blue ribbon.
 In the middle of the bundle there were two vignettes-one that of sweet faced, motherly lady, the other that of beau tiful girl, the name Dora" at the bot tom of Inc picture being surrounded by delicately painted wreath of forget menots.
 These letters were dated at "The Elms," but, as the envelopes were de- stroyed, there was nothing to indicate the town, state or land. One read as follows, and, curiously enough, it was dated Christmas eve, a 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 were not for Dora, who has come tO cheer me, fear l could not stand it. Where is my Louis tonighty Dr. Prices F'lavoring Extracts.