Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-17
.RANCHER MEETS
DEATH ON DESERT
FAMILY SfVED BY HERMIT
FROM LIKE FATE
WIFE GUARDS CORPSE AGAINST
COYOTES ONSLAUGHT
Little Child, Aged 4, Travels Across
Burning Sands and Saves Life
of Sole Remaining
Horse
tconiInned rrom faee onel

(COntlnued from fnGS OhoS
by the Pulley family, the hermit home
steader sighted this last misguided
traveller, leading his staggering team
from the wagon in quest of water. AS
he had done hundreds of times before,
the old hermit mounted a horse and
started toward him. He found the
man almost famished and half blind,
and the horses all but dead, but ne
guided them quickly back to the wells'
where the horses and their owner drank
to their fill of the warm but refreshing
fluid. Then Pulley filled his canteen
and started back with his team to join
his family and hitch up and haul them
to the wells. Hampton, the home-
steader, believing Pulley now was safe'
returned to his own cabin, happy IN
the fact that he had saved another life
and possibly the lives of all.
But Pulley never reached the
wagon. Within 200 hundred yards OF
it, while his wife and children We're
sitting on the front seat eagerly walt
ing for his arrival with the canteen,
one of the horses dropped dead, prob
ably from having drank too much.
when the horse dropped and Pulley
had made sure there was no chance OF
saving it he started to lead the other
horse forward. Suddenly, within few
feet of the dead animal, his wife saw
him clasp his hand to his heart ana
drop over, face downward, in the hot
sand She staggered from her seat, al
most famished and weak from suffer-
ing, and hurried to his side.
HE was dead when she got there
but the water in his canteen undoubt-
edly saved her life as well as the hVes
of her little ones.
"Ar that day, not knowing where
the wells were and fearing to venture
out into the hot void in quest of them,
the woman stood guard over the dead
body of her husband, clasping her sob
hing children to her breast, and until
late in the night fighting off the coy
otes that, as soon rs dark came at-
tempted to get at the body.
"The coyotes undoubtedly were near
ly starved, for their efforts to reach the
corpse were at times threatening, and
when Hampton, the hermit home
misunderstanding strange noises and un-
usual bowling in the desert distance
ventured out in quest of the wagon
he found the woman almost maniac,
with hair disheveled, eyes haggard.
face and hands emaciated, wringing
her hands and waving them frantically
at the band of hungry desert dogs.
The youngest child was gone, but the
oldest, dazed and clinging wildly to
her skirts, was crouching In the SAND
at her feet. trembled and frightened.
Child Saves Last Horse
Shortly after Hampton arrived to
the rescue the youngest child, years
old, came toddling across the sand,
leading the one remaining horse.
Hampton learned afterward that this
child-a mere baby-actually had left
the camp and led the animal in search
Of Of water! That it had walked nearly
a mile and a half through the desert
sand and darkness before finding It's
way back to the wagon.
Hampton was not long in getting
the two children and the almost raving
woman to his homestead, where he
gave them water and restoratives ana
proved himself within a few minutes
to be a most efficient nurse, unabashed
by the presence of the woman.
"a desert rat or traveller, who hap
pened to be passing the night at the
homestead, was hurriedly dispatched
for assistance. and to appease the wo-
man, who had now become more ra-
tional and was concerned only for the
safety of her husbands body, Hamp-
ton returned to the corpse.
'It is one OF the most tragic and al
most incredible facts in the case that
this brave life-saver, Hampton, stood
for two days and two nights beside the
dead body of Robert Pulley before as
sistance came. Hampton, according to
Mrs. Pulley TOOK up ner own HSnt
against the coyotes, and with gun and
club did not falter in his vigil during
all those two long days of terrible heat,
danger and suspense. For the sake
of the woman and children, whose
lives he had saved. he determined the
body of her husband should be returned
to her for Christian burial. He made
good.
"Friends of the family arrived two
DAYS later and the body was buried
very decently. The woman and her
two children were given an extra horse
and in the care of friends managed to
get back to Riverside with their few
belongings. The wife is yet barely out
of danger, however, as the heat and
tragedy greatly affected her and left
her in a much weakened condition.
"It is to be hoped that although
hundreds-almost thousands-hsve met
similar fate to that of the Pulley fam
iiy, it will not be long before the peo-
pie of California will realize the hor-
ribIe features of their neglect and,
understanding the dangers and terrors
of the desert and the grim necessity
for sign or guide posts, will insist that
they be put up in all Travelled sections
of the great desert"
rRnEkaAAJ EHIInNEnEN