The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-02

SICK az hSdrt rSaGinS tile INSCRIPTION on
tombStones."
Only one boyhood friend did he find, and
he in sorry straits. with many dependent
on him and a mortgage that would soon
take the farm away. The old man paid
off the mortgage and bought needed stock
and implements and set his old-time play
mate joyfully on his feet once more. Then
he returned to the city.
But l can't stay here, lad" he said 10
his nephew one day. THE back of my
head is growing into my shoulders trying
to look up to the top of the high build
ings, and it's only question of time
when 1 will be killed by one of those
changing, slam-bang cars. Besides, the
noise that is everywhere and that you
can't get away from is driving me mad.
No, it will not do. I must get where it
is wider.
II cent breathe right here. III sit on
the end of the car again / guess, and ride
back over the old trail once more to
Frisco. And then I'll go on maybe-yes.
1 CUES I'll go on again, boy, and see the
North star sink into the ocean once more
and forever, this time. l won't try to
raise it again, my boy; and, when 1 think
of it, it will only be as shining on graves
and gravestones."
So back over the Old trail and back over
the sea he went. A few letters came from
him at intervals, and then the news that
his wanderings were at an end and that
he had stretched himself out for his long
sleep in the far-away land which he had
never thought of as his home until he
went back to it for the last time.
1t was not until after he had returned
to Australia and died there that the little
diary-like narrative of his journey across
the plains fifty-two years ago came to
light among the papers of one of the boy
hood friends whose grave he had visited
while he was in this country. Here are
some of the things it's faded ink tells of
what it was in those days to take a lit
tie run out TO California, as people speak
of it now:
We recruited our teams and bought
provisions at Salt Lake. Then we start
ed for Ogden Fork. The afternoon after
we left Salt Lake l was walking with
one Of the boys and he told me he was
going to California to get money so he
could go back and take care of his moth
er and younger sister.
icsth be enearly how-& shrdl shrdlowdwk
His father died when he was 10 years
old, he said, and his mother had scrimped
and saved and gone without things she
needed to give him a good education, and
ne was going to dig gold enough to take
good care of her in her old age
Il left him leading a pack horse and
walking and went on ahead few min
utes after had gone the pack turned and
scared the horse he was leading The
horse reared up and brought down both
feet on his shoulders. We carried him
under a tree and did what we could for
him, but he only lived a little while We
dug grave and buried him where he
died
'"rl:e worst place we have had so far
hack after los vi CT rol,.n
Echo we passed to another canon leading
over the divide between Green River Val
ley and Salt Lake Valley The gorge was
filled with snow, and it was melting and
streams of water were pouring in. The
horses broke through the soft crust and
We had to drag them out The wagons
had to be taken to pieces and carried
Then at night we had to take our horses
back to Weber Canon to feed.
1--WE had five days of this Some Of
the streams were very deep and swift
The way we got across was the best
swimmer would take line in his teeth.
We paid out the line from the top of a
tree, If there was one so the swimmer
would not have so much of the drag of
the current on 1t to hold him back When
he got across he towed a rope over. Then
we caulked up the wagon boxes tight and
used them for ferries to take the things
over.
1--WE had hard work getting our horses
to take to the water My Canada pony
Billy and / got swept down a mile to a
bend once before we could get out. It
took us two days to get across a stream
a few miles south of Ogden Fork
when we came to the Sink of the
Humboldt there were two trails and some
were for taking one and some another
We took the one that led through the
desert, which we thought we could get
across in a night. 1t was June now and
the days were pretty hot, but the nights
cool. When the sun came up we were
still in the desert and no signs of getting
out Of it. Some were for going back
but we kept on
About 10 O'Clock we came to a sand
mound and on the other side of it were
two small lakes and some punches of
roofy-looking grass. But the lake water
was bitter alkai Some OF the horses
got a few swallows down before they
got the taste of it, but we managed to
keep the others away. old Tige,' the
horse we bought back at Laramie, got
the most Of the alkali water and was get
ting weaker every hour. All were failing
except the Canada ponies. They were all
right.
1--WE laid over until midnight and then
started on but made poor Roadway. In
the morning we saw low bushes ahead
and there was water. The horses and
mules knew Il, too. and pricked up their
ears and pushed on. But poor old Tige,
who had been staggering dlong, finally
stumbled and fell. We pulled off his pack
and let him lie Some were for killing
him, but Costler and / stopped IL.
lone by one five more horses dropped
and we left them where they fell. Soon
we came 20 a little stream OF fresh wa
ter when we got recruited up a little
some of MS started back with water aft
er the horses. old Tige was Ave miles
back. but We met the poor old fellow
staggering along a few rods and then
stopping. We gave him about a gallon OF
water and he started on trot for camp
We found one Of the others dead. but
saved the other three.
"Five days from this place We camped
"a the mouth Of canon. and about
O'Clock in the morning there Was nn ave
fui yelling ana the Indians came down
on us trying 40 Drive On fhs horses We
turned out and made Il hot FOR them,