Evening star., 1909-05-23

sitting. parching heat from the baks0
alkali. torrid rocks and scorching sands
When the Mexican's breathing becanss
less stertorous the intaking OF each
breath was accompanied by q retching
and hiccoughing that threatened fatal ex-
haustion. On the third day sight and
hearing became normal Monday, August
2S the rescuers started with Pablo for
weilton. reaching there the next morning.
Raw eggs were secured and the Mexican's
life was saved. He was taken to Yuma
the next day, where he was guarded for
a time: but by August 81 he had SO far
recovered as to be permitted to eat his fill
of watermelons. and for the whole OF that
day the Mexican did nothing but sit ana
methodically devour melon after melon.
Within another week he was we'll and
pounds; but his strong. stif black hair.
which fortnight before had showed
hardly a streak Of gray, had lost half its
mass. and what remained was iron-gray
throughout.
During the time OF Pablo's wanderings
in the desert the temperature never fell
below SAY degrees, while the high point
reached was 1892 degrees. The average
for the period. day and night, was prac-
tically 30 degrees: the average variation
in temperature between night and day for
the period was less than eleven degrees.
Moisture for the period was four-one-
thousandths of an inch. The region 10
utterly desert in character. and In the
worse, save. perhaps. Death valley.
Tine record of Pablos travels was set
down at the time by DR.. MCGEE. and II
constitutes one of the most remarkable
and altogether unique contributions to q
very little known phase of human suffer.
ing and human endurance.
August Is Pablo. with his companion.
rode thirty-five miles. when the compan-
ion turned back, Pablo continuing on foot,
with two gallons of water and other sup
plies. some ten miles before sleeping.
Wednesday he located the ledge for which
he was searching. and after posting no.
tices Of location. ate sparingly. drank less
and started northward, searching vainly
for the road that had falsely been de-
scribed to him by his worthless guide.
Before nightfall the water in his cam
teen was exhausted. and from that day.
August Is. to August Is. from Wednes-
day night to the next Wednesday morn
ing he wandered, lost In treckiess,
burning furnace of sand and rock. with
out a drop Of water.
During all that endless week the Mexi-
can sought fruitlessly for way out.
Once he found few agaye plants and
tried to extract bit Of moisture from
their stems. Even a few flies and spiders
which he caught one night at sundown
were chewed for the infinitestimal traces
OF moisture contained within their bod
les.
On the third day Pablo became con-
vinced that his guide had wilifuliy misied
him and he became possessed with the
idea Of revenge-of finding the man ana
knitting him. This obsession Of vengeance
spurred the Mexican on for miles and
miles. and finally without doubt resulted
in saving his life, for had he not become
possessed with the idea that he must and
would find the guide and kill him he
would doubtless have lain down and Der.
ished outright. far from the camp where
his rescuers at last brought him back Ia
life
But during almost the whole OF the
week of torment through which he passed
Pablo was conscious; he knew what he
was doing and why he was doing 1t. He
was in the desert just eight days and
nights, and not until the very last did he
lose consciousness. During the eight
days he rode thirty-fiye miles and walked
or crawled between one hundred and ono
hundred and fifty miles. For fully one
hundred and sixty consecutive hours he
was without water. q desert record with
out known parallel Half the victims OF
desert thirst die within thirty-six hours
of deprivation OF water: another quarter
die within forty-eight or fifty hours. and
the remaining quarter within from sew
enty to eighty hours. usually half the
time Of Pablos stress.