Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1897-02-25
4 daybreak Indian Tom emerg-


~ ed from his wicl;up and stood at
a n the doorway, open, as is the Gus
tom, toward the east, whence the des-
ert tribes expect a Messiah. He sur
veyed the forbidding landscape with
an air of prOprletorship. Tall, gaunt,
with an cyce like coyotes and a skin
clinging close to his bony frame, tan
ned to yellow parchment by hundreds
of electric storms, Indian Tom was IL
Veritable wizard of the wilds. Half Il
dozen snarling ours scattered at sight
of him, yelplng, and the three squaws
who formed his household hastencl
about their morning tasks. Evidently
there was excellent discipline at his
rancheria.
Not far to the westward rose the
long, unduating outlines of the Funer-
al Mountains bordering Death Valley.
On every other hand stretched the
mOnotOnors wastes of the MOjave Des-
ert, now n long way of barren plain.
now range Of hills rising above it. a
few yards from Toms habitation was
pool of black water which Oozed slow
ly from the ground on little slope.
When ii reached Il certain level, it over
flowed AMI trlckled in Il narrow rivulCt
along the sands into piece of ground
inclosed by wires. Here it kept alive
a scanty growth of native grasses. In
the background of Indian Toms imme-
dlate landscape were dozens of burros,
which constituted his worldly wealth
and made him lord among his fel.
lows. When n burro became furnished
to the point Of starvation on the sparse
sage-bruSh 1t was admitted to the little
Enclosure and permitted to feed until it
could stand strong upon its legs. Th,-l
ii was dubbed forth upon the desert
again. Indian Tom often sold burrcs
to prOSpectOrS. but the number did not
diminish. and the source of constant
supply WIS mystery which no man
had fathompd.
Above the low mountains in the dis
tant east the sun rose like ball of fire.
There were no soft tintS Of blue and
purple along the SUBMITS to herald the
approach Of dawn and Indicate little
moisture in the air. But instead came
Il sudden flare of light that burned at
once in the sky ana along the mountain
sides and ON the wide reaches of the
plains. The air was shot through ana
through with penetrating. singing
rays. Here and there appeared purfs of
wind, whirllng sand aloft. with an
ominouS, swinging, iunne,-llp motion.
And in the far north these gradually
increased, until cloud of dust hung
like Il curtain against the sky. higher
above the csrth than the tops of the
highest mountains. Indian Tom sur
vcycd the scene, anilrrl the hot blasts
which Saluled his witherpd noStrlls,
and mutterCd, in the composite lingo
which he had picked up from prospec-
tors Of different nationalltlpS: Ugh!
Mucho caIOr! Heap dam hot wind!"
Then, rs one of his sQuIws placed be-
fore mm chunk of dingy-luoking
bread, black bottle ana Il savory
combination Of jlck-rabbt and bacon,
he sQuatted beside them, upon the
ground, and attacked, with great gusto,
breakfast which, for desert Indian.
was an cpicure's dream.
Three hours later the shifting gusts
OF wind had united ia constant fur.
mace blast. And at point fifteen miles
from Indian Toms, across the range.
and upon the edge of the basin-llle de.
preston known as Death Valley. two
men were suffering constant torments
from the almost inSupportablc heat
These were Anderson and Grimes
propcctors. At the first Indication o.
an electric storm they had prepared
nm insufficient shelter by making low
tent of some canvas. under which they
had crawled for protection. They hat
also tried to shield their two hurros h,
muilllng their heads In gunny.Sacks. It
screen them from the driving sand,
whlrhlolc contlc sweeping blasts of tn
norther. This sand penetrated every
where. and cut the skin. II exposed, lil,
needles. Its drift was not sufficient I,
bury any living, moving thing alive
but man or beast might become ex
hausted by the heat, and so incapabl
of motion. and then sutfocated. Crime
and Anderson had placed the yarlou
articles of their mining outfit as 10,