The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-12-24


days III the beautiful town OF San Ber-
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 our work at
night by the smoky light Of dr1ed
creosOte and sapless SAGE brush. At
times we were sixty miles fro1A 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 s1Ice we entered the desert,
and so the most cheerful became grum,
ami the skin Of the youngest grew dry
and parched as that Of mummy.
! We did our work in silence; even the
/ OlliItIS tiIIIt w Hpt''h ~ "i@A't'S A''' 49,
our throats We're dry and our lips
cracked. Everything with moisture In
it parched as if in a 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 genii of architecture
| 1t 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
a little to the right. a glance through
my field glass revealed the outlines of Il
PROSTATE 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
olll lSIIIldS tio VI lllC l'tt'ob anu VI tiiO
rest, fresh food and water for bathing,
which we were to enjoy on the morrow,
there was something ineXpresslDly sad
in the presence of death at such a time
and at the foot of the purple mountains,
beyond which lay Eden.
We refined in our thin, painting horses
and dismOunted. In that atmosphere no
organic substance decays-lt shrlyels 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 a 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 s.esfed,
told this. We opened the saddlebags
and found $500 in gold, the titles to a
lot of California mining lands made out
10 one Louis Bottom" and bundle of
letters tod with blue ribbon.
In the middle of the bundle there were
two vignetteS-one that of Il 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
El1ns,' but, Us the envelopes We're de-
stroyed, there was nothing to Indicate
the town, state or land. One read as
follows, and, curiously enough, it was
dated Christmas eve, 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, fear | could not
stand it. Where is my Louis tonight
This question haunts me, and l picture
you out i'll the deserts of that wild land.
homeless and friendless, still hunting for
gold. All, my boy, come back. Better
poverty than this awful anxiety. But
we cannot be poor where there is SO
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
1.-The Elms' on Christmas eve, just a year
before. I cannot pretend to quote it in
full, but every line bespoke a noble
womanhood and Il profound love for the
absent Louis.
do not think me impatient,' she
urged, but | feel more and more that
wealth does not mean happiness, and
that the nOblest manhood is not devel-
oped in the fierce struggle for gold. And
then. my darling, the world is not so
full of objects worthy our love that we
can afford to live our brief lives apart.
You must not think that | am indif-
ftrent to the self denial you exert and
tie sufferings You endure. l often fancy
myself Il man out seeking my fortune in
that land Of wonders; but l shudder
when | think that you are surrounded
by the dangers which my fancy conjures
nm
Nero, grown fat and lazy, lies at my
feet as | write l call your name. Louis.
my Louis and the dog starts up and
! ~ =. Vs.