The Press., 1894-01-25

man. I knew not how to speak in way to comfort her.
 Nodding toward the young girl hold ing the infant, the woman said: Mary says she heerd you tell daddy-my hus- band out thar-that some of the teams goin back to Californy might help us. Oh, sir, if they only would! When pore ole Betty stopped, fell down and died, everything for us stopped right thar. In mint every hope we had was gone. It wur bad enough for daddy before, but when he seed tho ole are drap dead he list let go all bolts. Pore man! He's clean discouraged.
 | assured the woman that all had said of the teams and teansters was | true.
 Are there many t2ams on the road now, sir?" asked Mary.
 "A great many-hundreds The busi- ness houses and tho Liz mining com- panies of the Comstock are now getting in their winter goods and supplies. Hundreds of teams are coming and go- | ing across the mountains. We should see many of them were we few miles farther on-wero we whero this road falls into the one that leads over the mountains. ;
 "Oh, if I could see them, sir!" cried Mary. If they could see mother see us all--see the awful place we are in, they would help LIS. sir. Yes, they would help us to get away from here!"
 "Indeed they would said l. "They may look rough-their work is rough but the majority are noble hearted fel- lows, and there is net man among them all so mean that he would pass you by.
 Oh, thank you, sir! Thank you! Oh, mother, do you hear?' And the kind hearted girl began kissing the sick baby to hide her tears.
 Looking Up presently, sho said: "Motncr has cen sick so long, and now pore little Kitty i3 sick, and wo haven't any money and hardly anything left that's fit even for IFS well ones to eat. What can wo do hero il this desert but die?''
 "No, you will not die. Yo7l arc all safe now, and you will soon all be we'll and happy. y
 "Oh. mother, do you hear that? The stranger says we arc all s2fo now!'' and again the worn young creature began kissing Kitty, tears streaming down her cheeks.
 Look about you, Mary-lool about at the desert and tho dead beasts all about us, and you'll see how safe we air!'' And thus speaking the sick and Respondent mother groaned aloud.
 "Be of good cheer, child, and try to put some heart into the others,' said to Mary. II still say you are all safe. Our Comstock people have assisted hun dreds of emigrants that have come in here off the deserts in distress. You are but few miles away from Virginia City. The people there will most cer- tainly take care of you and find way for you to get to California.
 "God bless them!' said Mary.
 "Will you please call Thomas, my husband, sir, to get me some water?'' asked the sick woman, who had fallen back on her couch and was trying to moisten her parched lips with her equal ly dry and fevered tongue.
 at once went to the husband, and giving him shake to rouse him out of his state of dreamy dejectiol told him what his wife required.
 As was about to return to the wagon to tell Mary that would not lose si ght of them until they were hauled out of the desert and safe, felt clutch at the skirt of my coat. Turning about, found the old woman gazing keenly, eagerly, upon my face. This old wom- an now began to see had an eye and an ear open for all that was going on about her, notwithstanding that at first sight she seemed a mere needless, i'm beetle bundle.
 "That man, ;" said she, lis good enough husband to my darter, but, la! he ain't one of our kind-he aim t Kain- lucky stock! He ain't like pore Mum ford was-hain' t got the stir! When things went like this, Mumford he'd git mad. La. you jest ought to see how he'd tar round! Swar? Why, he'd swar terrible, Mumford would. But he's at rest now, pore man! On the banks of the Green river he lies, under the beautiful trees, where the birds sing all the day long. Mumford, now, he was man, sir, as could do justice to sitervation sich as this. But he dear soul--he has gone to his reward. " Suddenly changing her tone, the old lady laid a bony hand upon my arm "Now, see here, you jist see what you