Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-11-10
DEATH ON THE DESERT.

pie of many aud was outlined to me
by a man who lost his cOmpan ion
when actually within sight of the
railroad track:
l urged him not to start. begged,
prayed and finally swore. Riley"
said, you are fool. not a paltry Or
binary fool but pig headed. obstin
ate. laundering: blithering IDIOT
could not say more to friend, could
IP
Swearing l generally find brings
more sense into q mans head than en-
treaty. but If you had only known
Riley as | knew him you would have
given him up long ago as an uncom.
monty fine specimen OF an ass. Sc
when he looked up at the stars and
cody said:
Pm going to Salton. and shall be
in San Francisco on her birthday
i was sure that he would 60 Now,
this was in July. and we were in the
Chuckawalla district which every
body knows who has been on the
desert is some thirty five miles back
OF Salton on the north and is rs dis
NAL and forsaken II land as any that
can be found.
Yes, but old Connors will be
passing in day or so and he II re
turn the burros. dead sure. So why
not waltz
He said he would be here to-day
and he ism t. You can't believe these
fol
ing to start OF course you needn't t
hoof it If you re afraid"
Riley had no right to sheer. |
knew the desert better than he did
and the sneer wasn't comfortable
Besides. | never believe that foolish
ness is pluck
1t was n blazing day. Hot! Why
there is no word for that heat. The
sun came up at 4:30 a. IN. He rose
in furious mood. and | could tell by
his blood red crescent as it tipped the
low range of hills TO the east thai
we were in Tor scorching time.
II you have never seen u sunrise on
the desert it would pay you to go out
there and see it. The sand plains
were glittering with strange white
ness and were mOtiOnless as death.
However, no dead body looks at first
perfectly still. Man is so used to see
fellow beings breathe that he cannot
imagine life is entirely extinct and
imagination is generally so powerful
that you fancy you detect respiration
in freshly made corpse.
'Phew. how hot it is, Rileyw ! said
as my cheek felt the first beams.
We are in for it my boy
We" returned lie coolly.
Yes. We"
Are you going?'
Shall | see you go aloneg'
Oh. come now. it's no use your
coming. You'll DO a nuisance with
your platitudea
Not at all. my son " | cheerily
answered. Il want to see how an
amateur behaves when tormented by
the terrors of thirst 1t will be as
funny as the stories which fellows
write OF the sun-stabbed silence
which they have never seem"
The way is immensely dreary and
rather rough in the vicinage Of the
claims-queer rolling ground literally
despatched with stones and rubble.
The walking is not particularly hard
II is only when you get to the level
plain that tho WEAKNESS of the desert
commences.
Your feet first seem to glide oveu
the surface; then they begin TO sink,
and finally they sink so deeply that
every step is accompanied with diff
Guilty.
Riley was not used TO this sort oil
exercise and the strain soon began to
tell on him. We had not walked an
hour before he expressed wish tc
make a short halt. -
The heat was suffocating, and the
sun, which was we'll up in the
heavens sent down flood OF glory
which we consigned remorselessly t.
greater glory.
There don't seem TO be bit o.
shade" said Riley gloomily as he
crawled by the protecting branches Of
a sage brush. Not bit"
You didn't expect trees?"
Well no."
He was pulling at his canteeu. taking
] down big gulps of water and hi,
thirst was growing.
BE chary with that water"
demonstrated; you'll be out before
you know it. ,"
Oh that's all rightr' and he tool
/ another pull.
He was very white about the face
You have seen hot iron applied u
flesh. have you not and the scar tina
rose after the application? His face
showed that whiteness
There was a curious glitter abou
his eyes. They were generally
bright but under the fierce glare
they looked more gay. A queer
light shone in them and they danced
as if mirthful thoughts were lurking
in his brain. He was plu king
nervously at the mise able sagebush.
crushing it up by the handful and
throwing the fragments away from
him with ieering laugh.
Now and then he picked up 9
pebble and hurled it. Come SAID
], I've must start Every moment
the day is getting hotter and we had
better rush on for Salton at once"
''Oh. yes" he sang
"We1i go to Salton by the sea,
Wherever that town by the sea may be
| And there Wen catch the railroad train,
| For Salons the town to forget all pain.
looked at him. Riley the cool
headed. the unimaginative, TO sim
out some ribald rhyme, compose tn
wretched stuff himself and above al
howl 1t with such beastly ferver /
sun stabbed silence 1t was in
comprehensive
The sand was baking hot and tn
reflection OF the sun from its shifting
heaving bosom was exceedingl
painful
/ burned the end OF stick an
rubbed the charcoal under Riley
eyes. He submitted to the operatio
gracefully and paid me a trifing com
pliment upon my skill as an optica
artist
Still he was pulling at his canteen