The herald., 1895-11-17
DEATH ON THE GREAT DESERT
He Had No Ticket and the Trainmen
Obeyed Orders
He Fights for Life and
Succumbs to Fate

II was MONDAY and the emigrant car was
stifiny not. The conductor shook him
again.
"Tioket!"
"All-all right"
The big passenger was asleep again.
The other emigrauts began to look up.
Here was break in the long, hot, dirty,
monotonous ride-a fearful trial even III
the palace coaches, with all the Ice water
and all the protection from the heat and
the dust that can be furnished. So the
passengers watched with interest the con-
Eoversy beween the conductor and the
big, ragged man, who, with his heap of
still more ragged blankets, occupied the
darkest corner.
"You got my ticket"
"Fare or you've got to get off,"
The big man didn't answer. He
looked at the white plain outside, white
and level to the very horizon.
The conductor brought brakeman.
"Ticke:.'
"Taxe me to the next station, won't
yerS"
II amt got no money"
The tramp was desperate. He had
been driven from the blind baggage OF
the last train; poked away off the brake
beam OF the train before. This time he
tri d the gentleman act, but it wouldn't
work. Too many tramps had tried 1t be.
fore on that division.
And the big man was put off the
train.
He fought as hard as he could. He
and the conductor and the brakeman fell
together IN the aisle of the crowded oar.
They were two against one. and they
worked him along to the door. By this
slime this train was nearly stopped and off
thA io
were blat kened. bnt he had bitten nearly
through the conductor's fingers, and the
brakeman nursed crashed lin. They
threw his ragged pile OF blankets after
him, ana the train started up again. On
the last platform stood train hand to
see that he did not get on again.. He did
not try, but as the tram moved off he
smashed the windows with rocks, and
when be finally landed one big one
squarely on the trainman's ear he was
almost satisfied. The bleeding brakeman
could only shake his fist and swear.
Thirty miles from a station, nigh
noon, and so hot that the whole white
lake,
There was no use thinking over the sit
uation. He must walk back to the sta
ton and try another tain. All the
thinking in the world would not suggest
anot er way.
He gathered up his blankets and began
the Ions walk. He did not hurry. He
couln never make the station that day,
and lJng familiarity with Just ouch situa-
tions had made him philosophical.
God, how hot it was
The blanksts grew heavier and heavier
awav. but as he walked on the thought
of night came on him and he went back
after them.
He did not think much as he went
along. A blistering white desert at noon
day is not conducive TO mental activity.
His thoughts seldom went beyond the
heat, aad the pain his bruised eye felt
from the glare of the alkalI. He walked
pretty stea lily, for there was no rest in
sitting on the ties.
How be wished for sunset! And yet
when it came it only seemed to bring
more heat. The baked plain gave out
what it had absorbed during the day from
He bad stopped in a dry arroyo. where
the oulvert threw at least a few lines OF
shade. He had walked probably ten
miles. Half a mile from the track there
was some broken ground, and he saw a
coyote trot in there and disappear in q
gully. The thought came to him that
perhaps there was water there, and he
went to see. He found It, a shrunken
water hole, deep between two banks of
rock. and toul and almost hidden by
dead moths and wasps and butterflies,
and thousand other insects that made u
perfect mat over it. But it was water
not enough to battle his blistered feet in,
but sufficient to Stake his thirst, though
the alkali in 1t made him gag.
He couldn't leave the water hole,
though he had intended to tramp on
through half the night. He spread his
blankets, ate piece OF raw bacon that he
had managed to steal from the counter Of
fho ar nj afa md trr od in
How his eyes smarted
He had washed the dust from them, but
the glare OF the white soil seemed to bl ze
In on them even when they were closed.
Itlwas still dark whom he awoke. A
cooler breeze had come up in the night
pretty comfortable. Tbs glare OF the white
PLAIN was out of his eyes and they felt
quito easy.
He turned over and went to sleep again,
but he did not sleep long. He stood up
and looked around, but could see no
signs OF dawn, 80 tried TO sleep more.
Bnt there was no sleep in the blankets.
He tossed and tum oled for hours, he
thought, but sleep would rot Como.
He fished pipe out of one pocket and
the dregs Of some tobacco from another.
When he vas ready he struck match.
1t splurttered and cracked. but that was
all. He put his finger to the sulphur end
and he dropped che matth.
He tried another. Still he saw no
fame. The noise was there, the odor Of
burning birthstone was in lis nostrils
and the flame scorohed his hand. He
was blindl
Though he rubbed and pulled at his
sore eyes, and threw himself on the
ground and dug bis fingers into tho earth,
and screamed ana swore and cried, not q
ray OF the fierce sunlight that ne realized
was about him penetrated to his braio.
How long had he waited for the dawn
that never came?
Was it still morning, or was evening
near? He lay there until tho heat made
him pant with thirst. He felt his way to
the grove and knelt and started to put
his head down to the water.
How did he know what might have
come to the pool while he slept. He pic.
tured in his darkened brain q rattlesnake.
coiled at the edge Of the pool, waiting
for his face to come within striKiug dis.
tHnce.
The desert was full of SNAKES and scor.
pions and centipedes. He knew that.
and wondered that he had not Thought
that water hole among the rocks was
the place of all others where these creep.
ing things would come. He did not
dare to drink. He put his hand down for
a stone to throw into the pool tn waken
what might be there and warn him. He