The state herald., 1892-11-11
DEATH ON THE DESERT.

Inc following story Is nut an exam
plQ Of many and was outlined to me
by man who lost his companio
when actually within sight of the
railroad track:
urged Kim not to start begged,
prayed and finally swore "Riley." /
said. you are fool. not a paltry. or
binary fool. but pig headed. obstin-
ute. laundering. blithering IDIOT" /
could not shy moro 10 Il friend. could
IP
Swearing / generally find. brings
more sense into mans head than en-
treaty. but II you had only known
Riley as knew him you would havo
given him up long ago rs an uncom.
monty fine specimen OF I'M ass. So
when he looked up at the stars and
cody said:
In San Francisco on her birthday"
was suro that he would go Now.
this was in July, and wo were In the
Chuckawalla district which every
body knows who has been on the
desert is some thirty five miles buck
OF Salton on the north and is us dis
nal and forsaken land us any that
can be found
YES, but old Connors will DO
passing in day or so and he re-
turn tho burros dead sure So why
not waltz"
'He said he would be here to-day
and he isn't You can't believe these
fellows anyway. Paul and I'm GO
ing to stnrt or course you needn't
hoof it II you're afraid"
Riley had no right to sneer. l
knew tho desert better than he did
and the sncer wasn't comfortable
Besides l 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 ut 4:30 n. IN. He rose
in furious mood and could tell by
his blood red crescent as 1t tipped the
| low range OF hills 10 the east that
we were In for n scorching time.
II you have never seen sunrise on
the desert 1t would pay you to so out
there and sec it The sand plains
were glittering with strange white
ness and were motionless MS death.
However no dead body looks ut first
| perfectly still. Man is SO used 10 sec
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 II Ia Rileyn said
I ~. al.
We are in for 1t my boy"
I'VE" returned no coolly.
Yes We"
Arc you goingP'
Shall l SEQ you go alono?"
oh. come now. its no use your
coming. You'll DO nuisance with
your platitudes
Not Mt all my son." cheerily
answered. Il want 10 500 how mn
amateur behaves when tormented by
tho terrors OF thirst 1t will be ms
funny rs the stories which fellows
write OF the sun-staobed silence.
which thoy have never seen"
The way is immensely dreary and
rather rough In tho vicinago OF tho
claims-queer rolling ground literally
bcspattered with stones and rubble.
The walking Is not particularly hard
II Is only when you got TO the level
PLAIN that the WEAKNESS OF tho desert
| commences
Your feet first seem TO glide over
tho surface; then they begin TO sink.
aud finally ihoy sink so deeply that
every step Is accompanied with DIM.
Guilty.
Riley was not used TO this sort OF
| exercise and tho strain soon began to
tell on him. Wo had not walked nm
hour before he expressed wish TO
make short halt Exa
Tho heat was sufIoca,ing and the
sun. which was well up In tho
heavens sent down n flood OF glory
which wo consigned remorsolcssly 10
grcntcr glory.
There don't seem TO DO n bit OF
shade" said Riley gloomily rs hc
/ crnwlod by the protecting branches OF
n sage brush. Not n bit"
You didn't expect irocsp'
We'll. no"
Ito was pulling at his canioon, taking
down big gulps OF water ANA his
thirst was growing.
10 chnry with that water" !
reconstructed you'll DO out before
yoi know IT,
Oh That's NIL right and hc tool
nnothor pull.
lilo was very white about tho face.
| You have seen n hot Iron applied TO
flosh have you not and tho scar that
rose alter tho application His face
showed that whi,ones.
There yns n curious glitter nbout
his eyes They were generally
bright but under tho icrco glare
| they lookcl moro gny. A queer
light shono In them and they danced
~ l! mlrthiul thoughts were lurking
In his brain. Ito was plu king
ncrvously at tho misc ablo sngobush.
crushing 4, up By tho handful. aud
throwing tho fragments AWAY from
him with u Jccrlpg laugh.
Now and thoni no picked up n
| pobblo md hurled IL Come snid
!. 'wa must start Every moment
tho dny Il getting hotter and wa hid
better rush on for snl,on NJ once"
oh. yes" no snng.
"ws'ii ~ 10 Salon by tho sra,
| Wherever ihn, town hy ihr nen may BE-,
| Ant there ven catch the railNid train,
| For Salton's the iownio forget all pain. -
looked Mt him. Riley tho cool.
hcndod the unimnglnhtlvc TO sing
out some ribnld rhyme compose the
wroichod stun himself aud above nil
howl II with such bcnstly fcrvcr IN
'run stabbed silence" II was In.
comprehensive.
Tho aand was baking hot and tho
reflection OF tho sun from Ia shifting
| henylng bosom was exceedingly
painful
! burned tho end Of n stick md
rubbed tho charcoal under kiloy's