Arizona state miner., 1924-11-08
WHEN THE DESERT MoCKs

Phoenix on a summer morning to
spend the day on the desert Before
starting care was taken that plenty
of gas was on hand as we'll as can
teens Of water and abundance of grub
as only a good housewife could pre-
pare it
The spin from the city led them
through delightful country scenes
along a highway bordering the Ari
zOna canal and the world of verdure
was left only when the car turned
and entered the desert lying to the
left
After an hour of zig-zag travelling
it was decided to park the car in
one Of the many depressions or
washes at the base of a mountain,
the thick growth of greasewood and
mesquite offering a shade.
The occupants of the car spent
some little time chatting and view
ing the distant mountain ranges and
valley through field glass.
Finally some one suggested that
Brown and Smith go after rabbits
the two men readily agreeing, the
former taking an automatic rifle and
the latter a shot gun.
AS Smith was master of the ex-
perition Brown never thought to
observe land marks in the neighbor-
hood Of the car and the two men
arra1 after the elusive jack rabbits.
After an hour of futile effort in
the broiling sun, Smith shouted across
ravine that he was going to the
car and disappeared from view. Mr..
Brown noted the direction taken by
his companion and thought he would
soon overtake him but time slipped
by and still no Smith was to be
seen nor was the car in sight.
Brown was very thirsty and he
suddenly recalled how he had nearly
perished from thirst on a desert a
few years before, and he thought he
would get to higher ground where
he could get better view of the
lower country. Climbing up on a
high rocky ledge he looked over the
landscape but the car and it's occu-
pants had vanished
From where he stood he could see
the little town of Scottsdale a few
miles away and farther in the dis
tance the city of Phoenix sent up
light clouds of smoke, and he knew
he was not lost, but he was tired
and hot, and possessed a burning
thirst. He must get to the car
and water!
Leaving the ledge he decided he
would go down and pick up the trail
OF the car. He found auto tracks,
but none appeared to be made re-
Gently. Every cactus, every tree, and
the hill itself seemed different. He
was sure he was near the locality.
He heard some one hailing him, and
he waved his hat and shouted an an
swer, looking eagerly for the person.
He could see no one nor did he hear
the voice again.
There was no longer any saliva in
his throat or mouth, and his tongue
feIt hot and dry. He caught him
self muttering an extract from Kip
ling, with a tongue like a patch of
hell" Queer how everything looked
different, and stranger still how he
kept thinking of the ice water in the
thermos bottles cached in the car.
Was the desert mocking him?
Pulling himself together he rea-
soned he must reach water while he
was still strong, and water could be
found at a lunger camp some two
miles distant. He wouldn't drop the
ID gun, even if he was seeing
things, for it belonged to Smith.
He started walking rapidly toward
the camp. He noticed shadows mov-
ing over the ground. Looking up he
beheld several buzzards few yards
over his head, and he could see the
scrutinizing eyes of the foul scaven-
gers as they circled above him. 'T
will show you BIRDS" he muttered
that am not going to lie down here
and let you feed on me-
He quickened his pace and soon
reached the camp, the matron, a
pleasant woman, conducting him into
the house and giving him the much