The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-07-31
BY JAMES hrNELLIs.

G EVERAL years ago, a lone pros
~ pector was in camp with a few
Indians on the Mexican side of the
line. The Indians were of that tribe
that lives on the deserts border and
Subsists on wild honey, pine nuts and
the fruit of the cactus. With what
Spanish he could command, the pros
pector was trying to gain some in.
formation.
He was meeting with poor success,
not on account Of his Spanish, but be-
cause of the Indians meagre knowl-
edge of Il country which they had in
labited for generations. The only
information he received was advice
to keep entirely away from the des-
ert, for many MeAicans and Indians
acquainted with the surrounding
country, %venturing beyond the town,
had left their bones in that sea of
sand.
But here was a man who had left
the States intending to prospect the
desert; he had prospected the min
eral states and territories of the
union, and had been in most camps
of any consequence; he combined
hunting and trapping with prospect
ing, travelling over mountain and
valley with a pack outfit, generally
alone. The man had seer rough times
and h%ardships in cold and in warn
climates, though his strength OF en-.
durance had never been overtaxed.
He had been provided with a new out
fit at San Diego, laying in six months
provisions for the trip. The burros
were young and in good condition,
and able to stand any kind of ia.
tigue.
On the morning the prospector
made his start, going blindly, as it
were-for the little information he
had received from the Indians was
as discouraging as it was limited.
The sun had disappeared some time
and the western horizon had rown
purple when the prospector reached a
spring-the only n which was
known in the direction he had taken.
He had to leave his COURSE a long
distance to the south to reach it.,
though it brought him well out into
the desert. The water oozed out of
a small porphry cropping, and seemed
like surface water which might dry
up at any time. He was tired out.
His burros had already lain down
with their packs on. After removing
the packs and hobbling the animals,
he cooked his supper of f%rying-pan
bread, coffee and bacon; then he
laid down in his blankets while the
burros stood around and watched him.
There was nothing in sight for them
to eat, and they were too tired to
hunt for anything, besides their front
feetwere hobbled short. But hat was
a necessity. Foot loose, by morning
they would be we'll out of sight in n
direction they took, and if a wind
started up, their tracks would soon
be covered with sand, and it would
be impossible to trace them.
When the prospector awoke it was
daylight He gathered a few dried
cactus leaves to make a fire, and
looked out over the rolling sand in
every direction. Nothing else could
W SSS1s 1A1lC4 dAlOCl1C1 ulcdl I'll DdCOu,
bread and coffee, he filled his gallon
%canteen with water, strapped on a
forty-four Remington six-shooter,
and started out in a s~outheasterly
direction; not to prospect for gold,
but for water, which seemed far
more scarce. He would turn every few
minutes to landmark his camp in the
short Ip,xr Cr1y1oh CO hn 1.r~,,1l so
miss it on his return. He travelled
in the same direction until his shadow
in the sand became twice his own
length before he turned his face
toward camp. He had seen no signs
of water. It was dark that night
when he reached camp with his can
teen nearly empty, and too tired to
cook. He made a meal on panoche
and Mexican cheese, and again was
soon asleep in his blankets.
The next three days saw the same
experience tried. The man went as
far as he could go and return to the
camp the same night, each day taking
a different direction, and each day
with the same result-no sign of
NdOSAs ouu ~ liz UldNCl0 uc plChCu
up float quartz, which on prospect
ing with a horn spoon at camp, proved
to be very rich. Not knowing in
which direction he had found this
rich quartz he had to go over his old
trails and get specimens of the same
character of rock, which was a fine
grained, rosy quartz. For these trips
he had to take a burro, and also cases
to pack and mark each specimen.
This he continued doing for four or
five days, changing burros every day,
without discovering where the rich
rock came from, although he got
prospects from other kinds.
Then he determined to push further
south, and to go as far in a day as
he could, with the hope of locating
water. If not successful, his gallon
canteen full would not allow him to
suffer much in two days. He took
only the provisions for two days, his
gallon canteen full of water and his
six-shooter.
He was able to cover 40 miles a
day, and he knew he must have done