Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1905-10-27
Terrors OF tho Desert.

Many a mystery of disappearance
could be cleared up il the deserts OF
so~uthe eastern California aud southern
Nevada had tongue to tell things they
alone have seen. Many a vigil Of wife
N mother, or father; sister or sweet
heart unwed, that must outlast the
empty years, would cease il the desert
wastes OF California and Nevada could
give voice to the tragedies they alone
have witnessed.
No record ever will tell the names OF
the hundreds upon hundreds Of lost
wayfarers. from all sections of the
United States and every par: OF the
civilized world-men who make up the
shifting populations OF the mining
districts OF the west-who within the
last tive years have gone mad aud died
in those sun-scorched. waterless
solitudes. How many hundreds more
belong on the mournful lists OF the
years proceeding 1900 it is lille to even
speculate.
Notch by notch the sun surmounts
the horlzou, and to the half-mad man
reelIng in that solitude il seems Rs
though Il furnace door has been thrown
open, letting into his fevered brain the
glare OF a molten worlU. The pallor at
fierce suffering mas notified his burned
skin; his eyes are wild and bloodshot,
his features drawn. He Is young, but
the pure light Of the desert sunrise re-
venls him rs a stumbling old man.
From nowhere III Iarti :ular he has
come zigzaggIng out OF the dawn.
The sweat OF yesterday has matted his
hair, and unkempt locks have stitrened
on his forehead. Reason has foresaken
him; only the primal instinct OF thirst
remains. He kueels by one .! a mil.
lion stunted scrubs, picks half a hand
full OF pebbles cooled by the night, and
forces them into his mouth.
Noon. Into the unshade1 wilderness
the mounted sun pours HIS intolerable
rays, making the thin air dance. My
Rad intinitesimal shadow lie shrunkeu
III under the Innumerable clumps OF
brush. Even the ~gray.backed lizards
have ceased their Garting and sought
shelter from the midday blaze. Moth.
ing moves. Nothing disturbes his
d%esolation Of silence but a lost man,
crazcd, bareheaded, sun-blinded, moan.
ing for water. water.7 in that scorched
II barren waste. Anguish Of thirst
the like OF which may be only once en-
dured has drawn back his lips, and the
sun has cracked and baked them. His
blgckened tongue protules.
Crouchcd in the desert, there drifts to
his dying ears the music Of splashing
waters; to hs dimming eyes appears a
perfect vision OF fountains, and marble
fonts, and fern .cmbowered shade
and oh, it is SO near! Leaping, utter
ing delirious sounds, stopping to divest
himself nov OF one irayed garment,
nov Of another, naked ne runs to cast
himself into his Eden OF moisture, into
his palace Of shadows-and stumbles
INTO the paradise of the grave.
Gold, pure gold! Like some low
luminous star on Il yelled horizon it
lures the feet OF men. In restless
dreams it burns above them, Il yellow
world amid the silver stars. In hours OF
eager waking it CLEANS beyond, richer
than hues OF sunset, brighter than noon.
day glare; ever vanishing, ever appear.
ing, fair and elusive, a flame by night
and a jewel by day, guiding it's wistful
votaries in trails that lead to nowhere;
t%orturing them, thrilling them, wooing
them ON to death!
In the immeAsurable silence OF the
desert dwells Thirst, the guard oi Gold;
lettering, eighties, with parchment lips
and limbs devoid Of ilesh.-Tonap6h
bonanza.