Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-03
When George Was Lost in Desert
BY William Wallace Jr.

regular westerner OF you before we let
you return to civilization again"
Nothing would suit me better" declared
George. lis the desert just beyond those
mountains, uncle?'
''One desert is, yes" answered his uncle
Truth is there are so many deserts in
this part of California that one is lost for
names for them. The geological name for
maps, but most of them ignore It's ex-
istence since it belongs to a chain Of
greater ones. But 1t is about as treacher-
Gus one as a man can lose his way in.
And I'll advise you to follow my instruc-
tons to the letter or-you might never
show up to have another meal with u.s."
q I'll follow your advice, then" laughed
George. I'm too fond of living to take
great chances of losing my life. Aunt
Mary may put my name in the pot for
supper, for I'll not remain out all night.
like sleeping in bed"
The next morning George was up before
the sun and out with his uncle at the
corral helping to feed the cattle and
horses. Then Old Trusty. a mule used
to the mountain road was saddled for
George to make his start to the desert.
AS he passed the kitchen door the Japanese
cook was waiting for him. He held a
small canvas bag, tied with a cord or
looped that 1t could be hung over the POM
mel of the saddle, This bag contained a
goodly supply OF food and drink.
Waving a farewell to his uncle and the
cook-the other members OF the family
were not up yet-George struck OFF at a
jog-trot toward the nearby mountains that
walled the desert from view After riding
for half an hour he decided 1t was break
fast time, and untying the bag took out
two thick slices OF bread and butter and a
liberal piece of cold beef In the bag was
a gallon jug of water. from which George
refreshed himself after his meal Not
quite so full of flavor as coffee, but more
wholesome" he said to himself as he
corked the jug and dropped 1t again into
the bag.
He had had full instructions from his
uncle as to the route he was to follow.
There was wagon road all the way to
the valley that lay like a drIed-up lake
between two low mountain ranges, a val
ley that. from heat and lack of moisture,
was desert about ten miles long and
seven to eight wide. Old Trusty knew the
trail and went ambling along through the
pass bSN"CCh tWO WILLS VI MOUNTAINS n
pass that was full of vegetable life and
picturesque rocks Enough melted snow
found its way into this little canyon to
bring into life the vegetation that grew
here George dismounted and gathered
some of the leaves from a palm tree still
in its infancy. He also examined some OF
the rock formations and the soil. Then,
getting into the saddle again, he went on
toward the mystery" as he called the
desert. The sun shone from straight above
his head when he entered the edge Of the
waste OF sand to the east of the noun
tains. Drawing old Trusty to a halt, George
sat breathless, looking about him. Within
that area called the desert not one sign
OF life OF any kind was visible. Sand, re-
fecting the heat-such heat as George had
never before felt-was spread like a death
pail over every inch of the ground that lay
in that little secluded valley. One time II
had been a small sea; centuries OF heat had
dried II up,
Georges uncle had warned him against
advancing more than a quarter OF a mile
into the desert waste. But the trouble that
followed was not due to Georges disobe-
diencs to his uncle, but to the fact that
there was no way OF measuring distance
on that nat, cleaning surface. George rode
on and on into the traekless sand, leaving