The new enterprise., 1904-11-24

under an overhanglng cliff, was slight
accumulation made by a gentle inflow
through a crevice in the blue por-
phyry. This was the tcnaja. It was
known only TO few prospectors and
TO few wild animals which made the
range their home or were driven to 1t
| when all other sources failed. Even
as they stopped TO dip 1t up noun
tain lion was noticed sneaking around
huge bowlder. They had disturbed
him, evidently, just in time TO prevent
his tapping up the few plnts which
had trlckled there after many hours.
He evidently came there often, for
his tracks were in every patch Of sand
around it. Men Of that kind paid
little attention to such signs. They
would drink, even il they had to do
1t revolver in hand, Nor is this class
Of men from which prospectors are
drawn given to prayer, But those men
prayed. 1t was years since they had
done so before, and their words were
few, Each went down on his knees
and with clasped hands said, THANK
God" and was silent for a brief time.
Again and again they molstened their
lips and drank a few drops at time,
as long experience had taught them
was wisest. In the morning a little
more had accumulated, and they drank
that, too, and started off for the old
mining camp at Gunsight. Before
they had been travelling an hour they
came upon the skeleton Of a man,
bleached and white as the bull quartz
Of the Sierras, From the perfect state
Of the bones it was evident that no
wild animals had mutilated the re.
mains, The way they were found,
however, told their story. There were
no clothes near, not a rag. Evidently
the man had done as many do who
are driven crazy by want Of water on
the desert. He had slipped OF his
clothes and ran on wildly, but he had
held TO his canteen, and it lay beside
him as it had been dropped years be-
fore. No sign of flesh was on the
bones. The ants had cleaned that off
and left them, within a few weeks
after the man died, as white as they
were then. The two prospectors looked
at the skeleton. "POor fellow" said
one TO the writer Of this experience.
"He fell by the wayside. Thank God,
We were saved" The rest Of the Jour-
ney was not made without an effort.
They had no more water for twenty
miles, and the thermometer registered
for many hours during tne day 113
degrees, and there was no shade.
The following month two German
prospectors set out from the next
range, the Quijotoas. One OF the pros
pectors had been ON the desert before,
but had little experience; the other
was over from the old country only q
short time, and lured by the tales OF
mining life he had heard, wanted to
| try his luck. To the one who could
speak English, Mr.. Day, the store
keeper at Quijotoa, pointed out the
danger Of going far from water, but
without avail, and midway between
the Quijotoa range and the Barbagui.
varl mountains three days later one OF
them lay down and died, and the other
was driven insane, but fortunately fell
into the hands Of the Indians, who
brought him back to Days store, where
he recuperated and regained his reason.
The Indians who found the German
wandering had but a few mouthfuls
OF water in a calabasas gourd. They
gave 1t TO him to drink, and one took
him 10 a band which was rested a
while near by, being on a migratory
passage to the water In the foothills
under old Barbagulvarl peak. The
two other Indians took his trail, and,
following his zigzag course, came upon
his companion. He was dead; had
died ct noon, the Indian said.
| che Indian was Papago, and he
reasoned thus; The two men had slept
that night without water. He could
see where they both had passed the
night. In the morning they had started
out together, but the sun soon over
cano ono OF them, and he went "loco."
. The Indian always uses Spanish in
description, even IL he speaks English.
Then cao started Off alone, he OF the
| aANtNSA 1AlNAStA'f Ahh hNo lbuAih ulNtl
ward by the Indians. In his dellrium
the man left behind took Off his clothes.
? The fierce rays OF the sun scorched
him, and he stood in the shade Of n
giant cactus, As the snn moved the
shadow moved, and the poor German
, followed it around the tree. Finally
r at noon there was no shadow, and,
unable TO hold out longer, he crawlcd
uo to the trunk and died. The Indian
/ pointed 10 the ground and showed how
, lie had followed bis footsteps, and how