Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-09-30
HOW HE FOUND HIS WAY OUT,
A Prospeetor's Experience Of Desert
Travel.

A Prospeetor's Experience OF Desert
Travel.
1.-The craze to find a metal is a fun
ny thing" said the old prospector, Il
always had it, and once, in British
Columbia, away. north, 1t gave me
close call. was alone when I got as
far as the last settlement. There
were four Indians and fur trader
there. They all advised me not to go
on into the barrens, but like a good
many others, 1 thought 1 was wiser
than the natives, and I only meant to
go a few miles. There was nothing to
do but foot it, and carry your pro-
visions and blankets on your back.
1.-THE country was as fiat as floor
and bald and smooth as my head,
with no landmarks. The only way l
could get direction was by the sun and
stars. When I had been out for about
two days my provisions were nearly
gone. was going to turn back and
make a dash for the settlement. All
day long gray cloud had been moving
up from the west very slowly. I did
MT realize what 1t meant to be with
out the sun to guide me. There was
MT even a blade Of grass on that des-
ert, nor a living thing, nor a stone
sticking up. The clouds kept bending
over more and more, and finally they
closed down over me like a trap.
II shall never forget the lonesome
ness Of that place, and how. whenev-
er stopped walking, I would strain
and strain my ears without hearing
thing but the thump Of my own
heart. But I thought I was all right
and kept on until 1t was nearly night.
Then I saw something white a few
yards off to one side. In one gasp
the breath went out Of me. The
white thing was a bit Of cracker had
dropped when I had eaten my lunch!
II sat down and tried to think. l
knew it was no use to walk that way
any further. began to think my
bones would whiten out there on the
barrens, but finally I went to sleep.
In the morning I was crazy with hum
ger. I ate my last piece Of hardtack,
and nearly all day I walked aimlessly,
hoping to find some landmark. There
was no sleep in me that night. When
ever I shut my eyes I could see moth
ing but a great fiat plain with a line
across 1.-THE straightest line you ever
saw.
well, it was that crazy notion that
saved my life 1t suddenly occurred to
me that 1 could draw a line across this
desert. When it was getting light IN
the morning there were a few min
utes when I could see which side OF
the circle was east by the glimmer
through the clouds. So I worked with
my sheath knife till had built up
little pile Of earth, and waited for the
day to come. The moment I saw the
glimmer and had the direction l ran
toward the south a hundred yards or
so and built another pile. Then ran
hundred yards more, sighting back
across the two piles, and built a third.
L
they looked like towers on the desert.
"All that day I built piles Of earth
southwark until lost count, and the
next day when 1 saw the glimmer OF
the morning I knew I had struck the
right direction. Toward night struck
dogs track, and finally I sighted a
clump of trees and a group Of cabins.
1 fired my revolver several times, un-
til I saw two men on horseback COM
ing out to me; then swung down on
nv knees and fell over, fiat on my face.
1T was several weeks before
could close my eyes at night without
sighting along little piles Of earth
Youths Companion.