Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-26

! In the beginning II ia more mental.
of course. than physiCas. An angry
sense Of impatience and impotence for
while overrides the physical dis
comfort, until fatigue steps in.
During the whole day | kept walk
ing. | memorized the contour. OF the
| dunes. l watched the sun and worked
out a rough idea of direction. 80 that
| might he sure that. whether
reached the camp or not. should AT
! least not travel further away from II.
| and so minimize the chance of my
| compa MONS finding me. 1t was fortu-
| nate that | did so. as il turned out.
IN and down the dunes I tramped
nv mind and body exhausted tramped
| until the sun went down. and then.
| too tired to move. | sat on the side of
| q dime. For while there was not
| enough strength left in mo to battle
with the insecure footing Of the sand
| I seemed TO ne waiting. but memory
sp,rred by the bitter yearning Tor
| water. can produce greater discomfort
| than fatigue.
NV tongue was beginning to swell
my lips were scorched. tried a shout
| gain. but could not do much more
| than make hoarse raspng. ana re
membsred all had read Of the
| Sahara.
recalled the little grave we had
seen the grave Of French soldier
| who had somehow got separated from
his co,nrany. and had died OF thirst
| within reach Of water. ] remembered
| the heroic Rarth. who finally saved
his life by opening his veins ano
drinking his own blood. ! remembered
! that men can 60 mad in eight hours
lost and thirsty in the desert.
| And then. as the sunlight faded
In tho far distance I saw a slender
beam outlined against the SKY.
| knew IT for what il was Inc me
cha MICS had turned on our searchlgh'
and | stumbled toward It, u grew
stronger as the light Of day failed
and in the dark II stood out clearly
II seemed only few yards away. MI,
/, took me hours to reach the camp.
did reach II. however. and. looking
hack on that moment. the rest q
tho day somehow takes on les'
threatening aspect
Yet. there lies the greatest natura
obstacle in desert exploration. NJ!
own thirst was quenChed because W.
had stock Of water with us. Iher'
we're times when We were perliousi!
low. as an expedition. and the ration
was very meager.
we found the wells dried up before
us, and days when 1t was necessa
TO restrain ourselves little Longer
before we drank what water W.
| foupd Some Of the wells are 81
alkaline that to- drink Of the waite
insnres a rapid. and unplea 81 MT. ehd
4 r 4
THE Ergs had not finished win us
The desert still kept one card u
n,ay There are times when the ga
hara takes on strangely human
charac, cris, IT,. and malicious aspec
At that. It seems intent on preserv
ing itself. on defeating the work q
men.
when all other things fail. 1t cal
still let loose the terrific weapon
it's own surface. We found tha'
ton when We believed that we wer
safely through. Not until we Wer
actually out of the desert could W.
count on freedom from the il'-inten
ton of the country.
All travellers through the deser
know the relentless power OF IN
drifting sand. even when II is drift
ing slowly. The tops of the dune
are I'm constant motion. the sand
,,ncea singly trickling forward as pa
tiently, as irresistihly, as fate. Man.
an ancient city has Succumbed I" tn
sand and now lies buried hundred
or more feet below the surface.
Most of the time its motion /
scarcely perceptihle. at other times
ia all motion. as heavy and deva ST a
ing as the sea in its fury. Gases var