The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-03-10
FRENZY OF THE DESERT.
An Awful Mania OF Fear Brought o.
Strong Men by the Loneliness.

An Awful Mania OF Fear Brought on
Strong Men by the Loneliness.
at is theafternoon of the third day
since we left the Canadian river and
headed to the southwest across the
great staked plains of Texas on our
way to Fort Stanton. Sand! sandl sand!
Here and there a bush dead or dying.
Here and there an ugly cactus, with
three or four rattlesnakes coiled up at
its root Always the same monotonous
landscape, always the hot and burning
sand under foot
For an hour past / have observed
that certain of the troopers are acting
queerly. Their lips are blue and their
faces pale, and they look about in a
nervous way. Twice when l have
spoken to Corporal johnson he has
seemed to be overcome with emotion.
We are carrying plenty of water, and
there is no danger from the Indians.
What can be the matter with these
men?
THE captain and lieutenant have
been riding in advance. They now
gradually drop back until the second
officer is at the rear of the column.
notice the captain exchanging signs
with some of the sergeants and corpo-
rails, and the mystery deepens. We jog
along at walk. The August sun bis
tiers the troopers and the hot sands
bake the feet of the horses. The col
umn struggles out like an Indian village
on the move.
Halt that man! SOMEBODY grab
him! Here, you, Corporal Johnson
"Al of sudden the corporal had
flung his carbine to the ground, un
buckled his saber, and started to dash
away. Luckily for him he was over
taken almost at once. Every vestige of
color has fled from his face as the cap
tain rides up. His chin quivers, he
trembles all over, and there is look of
terror in his eyes
Get back in the ranks or I'll cut
you down. shouts the captain as he
flourishes his sword about Don't you
hear me! Get back, say! Take THAR
There was a blow with the fat of
the sword and the corporal turned
his horse into the column and received
the carbine and saber handed up to
him by comrade. Then he began to
weep, and sob, and lament and grim
old trooper whispered to me:
That's goodl He will be all right,
now!'
"'But what ais him?'
Taken with the frenzy. 1t always
comes to some of them when crossing
4ba Jaear+ Tfba'J not o,vor xx-a ebo,,1d
never have seen him again. Hello!
There goes anotherp
ut was sergeant this time, a man who
had grown gray in the ranks He had
been CHANGING about himin furtive way
for some time and the men beside him
were ready for his move. He suddenly
uttered scream, drove his spurs into
his horse, and was pulled out of the
saddle in trying to get away. He stood
for moment and then sank down in 4
heap His face was fairly blue, his hair
stood up like bristles, and he held up
his hands as if to protect his face.
Now, then, Small said the cap
tain, as he rode up to him with cooked
revolver, I'll give you one minute to
get up and reach your horse! You cur!
You coward! You disgracel II don't
shoot you now you'll be court-martialed
and the regiment forever disgraced! If
had whip I'd lash you for pol
troonr
THE sergeant broke down as the cor
poral had done and began weeping, and
in three minutes he was back in the
saddle and riding in his place.
Would the captain have done it?
queried
No. He felt pity for him, but he
had to be harsh The object is to make
them weep That relieves the mental
strain and brings them back to reason.
1t is the terrible monotony, The feeling
of loneliness, the fear of being lost out
here that overcomes them. The officers |
always look for it when they cross, and |
they always do as you have seen them
But do men ever get away%
look there to the right-and there |
to the leftl'
There were ribs of human skeletons |
showing above the sands-skeletons of |
men who had dashed out of marching |
columns when the frenzy was upon
them, had distanced pursuit and had |
then wandered about for who can say
how many days and nights before they
finally sank down and died of hunger
and thirst, or perhaps fired a bullet |
through their own heads.
There was another break and yet
another before sunset came and we
went into camp The frenzy came to
Ill in the same way-passed away after
In hour in each case, leaving no re-
1t was the madness which
has dotted every mile of that great sea
If sand with human skeletons and
woven a thousand mysteries around the
late of emigrants who disappeared.
never to be heard of again. Chicago
rribune
The breaking up of the winter is the
ignal for the breaking up of the sys-
EN-. Nature is opening up the pores