Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-01-07
DEATH ON THE DESERT.

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-headcd. obstinA
ate, laundering. blithering idiot" |
could not say more TO friend could
/?
Swearing / generally find brings
more sense into mans head than en-
treaty. but If you had only known
Riley rs l knew him sou would have
given him up long a5o rs an uncom-
monty fine specimen of an ass. So
when he looked up at the stars and
cody said;
Pm going to Salton. and shall be
in San francisco on her birthday"
was sure that he would go Now.
this was in July. and we were in the
Chuckawalia district which every
body knows who has been on the
desert is some thirty five miles back
OF Salton on the north. and is as dis
NAL and forsaken a land as any that
can be found.
..Yes. but old Connors will be
passing ia day or so and he Il re-
turn the burros dead sure. So why
not waite
He said ne would be here to-day
and he isn't You can't believe these
fellows anyway. Paul and I'm go
ing to start OF course you needn't
hoof it if you're afraid.
Riley had no right to sneer.
knew the desert better than he did
and the sneer wasn't comfortable.
Bes des | never believe that foolish
ness is pluck.
It was blazing day. Hot! Why
there is no word for that heat The
sun came up ut 4:30 a. m He rose
In j furious mood. and l could tell by
his blood red crescent as it tipped the
low range OF hills to the east that
we were in Tor a scorching time.
Ii you have never seen sunrise on
the desert it would pay you to so out
there and see it The sand plains
we're 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
8tliElE4 tAAC hit 40 GAEAEEAy GAhA1CbE thlAA
imagination is generally so powerful
that you fancy you detect respiration
in freshly made corpse
Phew. how hot it is RiIeyn / said
as my cheek ielt the first beams
I'VE are in for it my boys"
I'VE. returned he coolly.
Yes. we"
Arc you going?'
Shall see you go alone?"
'Oh. come now. it's no use your
coming. You'll be nuisance with
your platitudes.
Not at all my SON. / cheerily
answered. Il want to see how an
amateur behaves when tormented b.
the terrors of thirst 1t will be a:
funny as the stories which fellows
write OF the sun-stabbed silence.
which they have never seen"
The way IS immensely dreary ant
rather rough in the vicinage OF the
claims--eueer rolling ground literally
bespaCtered with stones and rubble
The walking is not particularly hard.
II is only when you get to the leve
plain that the WEAKNESS of the deser
commences
Your feet first seem to glide owe
the surface; then they begin to sink
and finally they sink so deeply tina
every step is accompanied with diff
Guilty.
Riley was not used to this sort O
exercise and the strain soon began t.
tell on him. We had not walked al
hour before he expressed wish I,
make short halt gzsE
The heat was suffocating. and th,
sun. which was we'll up in th,
heavens sent down a flood of glory
which we consigned remorselessly Il
greater glory
There don't seem to be bit o
shade said Riley gloomily as h,
crawled by the protecting branches o.
a sage brush. Not bit
You didn't expect trees?"
Well. no."
He was pulling at his canteen. taking
down big gulps Of water and hi
thhst 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 Il
flesh. have you not and the scar tina
rose alter the application? His face
showed that whitenesg
There was curious glitter abou
his eyes. They were general,
bright but under the fierce glare
they looked more gay. A queeI
light shone in them and they danced
as il mirthfuI thoughts were lurking
i'm his brain. He was plu kim
neryously at the mise able sagebush
crushing il up by the handful. anc
throwing the fragments away from
him with a ieering laugh.
Now aud then he picked up
pebble and hurled it. Come. salt
|. I'VE must start Every momen
the day Is getting hotter and we ha,
hotfa, att5I ~, fa,, Ea1fnF, ot nnra -