The San Francisco call., 1898-12-25

could see, almost. There seemed no way out, for it ended almost in & straight wall. 1 know many of the company never expected to leave that narrow gorge. By that time most of them could hardly stagger more than a few steps at a stretch; some were beyond even that. MT. Brier managed to keep erect with the aid of two sticks Providence was with us that awful night, or the morning would have risen on the dead.
 Seeping up from the sand MT. Brier found a little water, and by digging the company managed to scoop up about a pint an hour. Coffee and dried beef kept us alive till morning, but the moaning of the suffering cattle was pitiful At daylight we managed to reach the lowest bench of the cliff by holding to the cattle. Father Fish came up by holding to an oX's tail but could go no farther That night he died. I made coffee for him. but he was all worn out. Isham died that night, too.
 It was always the Same-hunger and thirst and an awful silence. so I'll just tell of one or two more experiences.
 Everybody knows how the company went across the Mojave Desert and fin- ally reached San Francisquito Ranch Our greatest suffering for water was near Borax Lake We were for forty eight hours without drop. A mirage fooled us. We went to bed hoping against hope.
 In the morning the men returned with the same story: No water"
 Even the stoutests heart sank then. for nothing but sagebrush and dagger trees greeted the eye There were walls and lamentations from lips that had never murmured before. My hus- band tied little Kirk to his back and staggered ahead The child would murmur occasionally, "Oh, father, where's the water?''j His pitiful. deliri- ous walls were worse to hear than the killing thirst. It was terrible. 1 seem to see it all over again. I staggered and struggled wearily behind with our other two boys and the oxen. The lit tie fellows bore up bravely and hardly complained, though they could barely talk, so dry and swollen were their lips and tongue. John would try to cheer up his brother Kirk by. telling him of the wonderful water we would find and all the good things we could get to eat. Every step I expected to sink down and die. I could hardly see.
 At last we came upon two Germans of the company, who had gone ahead. They were cooking at tiny fire.
 Any Water?" asked my husband.
 
 to a muddy puddle.
 The cattle rushed into it, churning up the mud, but we scooped it up and greedily gulped it down our burning, swollen throats. Then 1 boiled coffee and found the pot half full of mud, so you can see what that water was like. It was awful stuff, but it saved cur lives. A little later we came to a beautiful cold spring. Oh, how good it was. I have always believed Provi- dence placed it there to save us, for il was in such an unlikely place.
 Sometimes we found water and grass in plenty but never a thing to eat save where we tried making acorn bread, and that was a failure And the silence of it all. At night I would go to bed praying for God to help us through. 'Oh' I thought, If I could only see something to show the end of our journey" But I didn't dare speak of it for fear of alarming the children.
 But I never lost hope. I couldn't give up. We needed all our hope and faith. I knew before starting we would have to suffer, but my husband wanted to go. and he needed me.
 When near the place where Mojave is now Robinson said to me: Mrs. Brier, I have presentiment I shall never reach California None of us knew then that we were well across a section of the State.
 "Oh, yes, you will; don't give up,'' ]