The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-15

named thou art, sun crimsoned. snowy
mountain range Sangra de Cristo blood
of Christi
I'VE soon got very tired and had TO stop.
We sank down so deep sometimes where
there was soft place over hole that We
had to drag each other out. The snow
made Us ali feel so sleepy we wanted to lie
down and rest, but We were afraid If we
Cid We might never wake up again. So
we took turns going ahead and breaking
the way. AT last as night began 20 fail
We crossed the cold mountain and creep
ing down the western slope for some dis
lance we camped at last Just beyond the
edge of the snow on the other side. That
was the third day and again We had only
made twelve miles.
''We had had nothing to eat all day. It
was bitter cold that night. When one OF
Us got SO cold he couldn't stand it any
longer tile rest would lie on top Of
him and cover him up. In this way we
Kept each other warm. How we thought
about our happy homes with our mothers
and fathers and wanted TO see them once
more, 1t seemed so long since We had sesn
them. We went on next day and down
through deep places covered with frost.
and then up on high places covered with
snow. Sometimes, lying concealed under
the snow, the sharp, long needles OF the
cactus pierced our feet, causing them 10
bleed as we drew out their spines from the
flesh. After that We felt just as II we
were walking on hot Goals.
I'VE waded through several shallow
streams during the day and camped at
night at the foot of another big mountain.
We made about the same distance as be-
fore, twelve miles. but we were growing
very weak. We had not eaten mouthful
for two days. We covered ourselves with
bark and pine branches and slept. But
uya Al a oil nj. al
ways about somebody from the school be-
ing after Us with great stick. and We
couldn't get away from him because our
feet were so sore.
The fifth day we dragged slowly along
about the same distance again and
camped that night near the Mormons.
We got little to eat, but it seemed
like nothing. We had gone without food
for three days. The sixth day We went on
about eleven miles, through thick growth
OF scrub cedar, OAK and mountain mahog-
any, crossing the San Juan river in boat
which we found. We had nothing to eat
all day. On the seventh day We reached
the Utes. They were kind 10 Us and gave
US something to eat and place to sleep.
But our feet were frozen. and they have
never thawed out. We were anxious to
get home and get oil for our feet and warm
clothes. On the eighth day We left the
western bank of the San Juan water and
travelled about ten miles across an alkali
desert
There was no snow on this sandy des-
ert. 1t would have been lucky If there
had been. There was nothing but sand,
sand, sand. The SAM got into the b eed-
ing. cracked soles of our bare feet, and
every time we put them down they felt as
if thousand knives were stabbing us.
Here and there dry, withered sage brush
stuck up out of the sand. We plucked
hy1ytf do
fire. but We had nothing to cook. We
camped there that night. The wind rose
in the night and blew out our fire and We
couldn't light it again. We had plenty of
matches, but they were of no use to US.
The wind blew the sand into our shoes,
and We could not walk; into our clothes
and up the legs of our trousers. and we
could not lie down; into our eyes, and we
could not see; into our ears. and we could
not hear. One of US lost his hat.
'Our senses were nearly gone. We sat
down and the sand drItted over us and
half covered US UP. Then when we felt it
heaping up around us We got up with our
backs to the wind. We got the sage
brush at last and made sort of screen of
1t, and sat down again, waiting there till
the morning came. Then the wind stopped
blowing so hard. But We could not walk.
Our shoes were full of sharp sand. The
cracks IN our feet were full OF 1t and they
stung like poison. We took off orr poor
old shoes. emptied them out, put them on
again and crept slowly on our way. 1t
was the ninth day. Nothing TO eat. We
did not go far that day. We washed out
the sand in water we crossed. and
reached before night an Indian hu', where
We went in and were treated kindly and
got something to eat. On the tenth day
We came upon more Indians and con-
cIuded to stay with them a little and rest.
son the thirteenth day IT stormed snow
fell. We Travelled all day and at night
reached the range of the mountains that