The Pioneer Boys of the Columbia; or, In the Wilderness of the Great Northwest

by St. George Rathborne

  CHAPTER XXIV

  ON THE BURNING DESERT

  NO sooner had Dick gained this point than he gave a whoop. It was asound that Roger would recognize if he were living, and capable ofgiving back any sort of reply.

  Dick's heart seemed to cease beating for the moment, such was the agonyof suspense that gripped his whole being. Then, when he caught a returnwhoop, he knew his chum was at least alive.

  "Where are you, Roger?" he called, unable to see anything of the boy,although a little way down the sheer slope he caught sight of the deadsheep, just where it had fallen, after slipping over the edge of theopposite grassy plateau.

  "Down below here, making my way to the game," came the reassuringanswer.

  "Are you badly hurt?" demanded Dick.

  "Nothing that counts for much; and I'm bound to get my sheep, now I'min the hole. You can't really blame me, Dick."

  "Never mind about that now," the one above told him; "but do you knowhow you are ever going to get up out of that place again?"

  "There's only one way that I can see, Dick--you must go back, and,when the men come along, borrow that rope Jasper Williams alwayscarries with him. Perhaps he will come back with you, and help drag meup--after I've saved the horns."

  Knowing how determined Roger could be, once he had set his mind on athing, Dick did not attempt to argue with him, though he believed theother was taking advantage of his position.

  "Now I can see you, Roger, and, by the way you are advancing along thebottom of the crevice, I reckon you must be all right. Yes, I will goback and get the rope. Perhaps some of the men may want to try muttonfor their supper to-night, and, if so, they can haul the carcass ofyour sheep up out of the hole."

  "I'll try to be ready for you when you come back," called Roger, wavinghis hunting-knife toward his chum; for by that time he had reached thespot where his quarry lay, and was evidently in a big hurry to set towork upon the pair of wonderful, massive horns.

  Dick went back over the rocky trail until he reached the pass, where hefound the two horses just as he had left them. Voices close at handgave the welcome news that the other members of the exploring partywere approaching; and, even as he looked, the foremost came in sightaround a bend in the pass.

  The men were greatly interested when they learned that Roger hadactually shot a specimen of the mountain sheep of which they had heardthe Indians talk. There was no lack of willing recruits when Dick oncemore climbed the bank, and started toward the place where he had lefthis chum.

  Jasper Williams was one of the three men who insisted on accompanyingDick, and of course he carried with him the long, tough rope which hadmore than once on the journey proved to be worth its weight in silver,as for instance, when it came to hauling the batteaux up some rapids inthe river.

  When they reached the abrupt slope, down which Roger had managed toslip, one of the men came very near doing the same thing. Only for thetimely assistance given by Jasper Williams, they might have had twocomrades to haul up from the depths; and the man, being heavier, mightnot have escaped so luckily as the boy.

  Roger had worked fast, and succeeded in cutting loose the curving hornsthat had given the old ram such a majestic appearance. He insistedon sending these up the first time the rope came down. Then, at thesuggestion of Williams, he next attached the carcass of the sheep,which was also safely hauled up.

  Last of all Roger himself came up. He had some minor bruises as theresult of his fall, but he bravely stood the pain, and was proud of hisrecent feat.

  Great was the wonder and admiration of Captain Lewis and CaptainClark when they set eyes on their first Rocky Mountain sheep. It wasextremely doubtful if any white man had, up to that time, ever beheld aspecimen of the _genus_. They could hardly blame Roger for wanting tocarry the weighty horns along with him, though doubting the wisdom ofsuch a course.

  Dick, after considerable argument, finally convinced his cousin that itwould be very foolish to burden his horse after that fashion, when, incrossing those desert lands, they had heard so much about, he would becompelled to carry a supply of water.

  "The captain assures me the chances are three to one we will come backby this same pass over the mountains, and why not cache the hornssomewhere? Nothing is apt to hurt them, and, once on the way toward theriver, it will be easy to carry them with you. Then, when we again getaboard the boats, your troubles will be over."

  Roger was not altogether unreasonable. This sort of logic convinced himthat most of the others in the party would consider him foolish if hepersisted.

  In the end the horns were placed securely in a niche in the rocks wherethey were not likely to be disturbed by any prowling wild beast. Thespot was marked so it could be easily found again; and after this hadbeen done Roger felt relieved.

  When they came to cook some of the sheep and test its worth as food noone was wildly enthusiastic over it. In fact they pronounced it tough;though admitting that a young specimen might prove altogether different.

  Roger was even instructed to remember this in case he ever had anotheropportunity to procure fresh mutton; and, having already secured thedesired horns, he readily promised to keep the advice in mind.

  It happened, however, that another chance at the mountain sheep nevercame his way. In two more days the expedition had crossed the greatdivide, and found that, when the sun went down, they could see far awaytoward a level horizon.

  Remembering all the dismal tales related by the superstitious Indiansof sandy wastes where only a sparse vegetation grew, the men began tofeel a new anxiety. Just how far away the goal they were seeking stilllay not even the astute leader, Captain Lewis, could more than guess.It might be a hundred miles, and perhaps many times that; for they hadby this time reached a point where they had nothing to depend on, savethe vague stories told by wandering Indians whom they happened to meet.

  Some of these, however, mentioned a great body of salty water, the endof which no human eye could reach, as lying far beyond the hot deserts.There were also rivers spoken of, where the great fish swarmed incountless millions, like the stars in the Milky Way overhead, or thesands on the shore of the "Big Water."

  Roger hugged these stories to his heart. He fancied that, once theystruck that river of the mighty game fish, he would be in his glory;for, if there was one thing above all others Roger loved to do, it wasto fish.

  The time finally came when they found themselves on the verge of thedesert of which they had heard so much. There could be no such thingdone as pass around the sandy waste, and their only course was to headstraight into the setting sun.

  At the time they had with them an Indian whom Captain Lewis hadsuccored on the way. The fellow had fallen and injured his leg so thathe walked with the greatest difficulty, limping badly. He had lost hisbow, and being unable to provide himself with food, and far from hishome, he stood a good chance of starving to death.

  They had fed him and looked after his injuries. The Indian professed tobe very grateful for such help, and for several days had clung to theexpedition, though able by then to walk fairly well.

  He had assured them, through signs mostly, that he could serve themas guide across the hot waste of sand, as he had himself crossed iton many occasions. Captain Lewis considered this a fair return forwhat he had done. Dick, however, did not altogether like the Indian'slooks. He thought he had a crafty way of watching everything, and thathis admiration for some of the horses might lead him to attempting atheft, unless he were diligently watched.

  Still, since the captain seemed to trust him, Dick did not think it washis duty to say anything. It might look as though he were inclined tobe bold. At the same time, he made up his mind that, whenever it waspossible, he would keep an eye on the red man.

  That night they filled with water the skin bags they had by degreesprovided for the purpose. A spring that gurgled close by the camp gavethem an unlimited supply of the necessary fluid; and they were warnedby the guide that it would be the last waterhole they would expect tocome across f
or many days.

  In the morning the start was made, not without misgivings. No one couldsay what terrible things lay before them, and the men cast wistfulglances back toward that cooling spring, as though they disliked to saygood-by to it.

  That day was one which served to give them a new experience, for, up tothen, few of the explorers had ever known what it was to travel over asandy waste where the sun beat down with blistering effect, and the airseemed fairly to quiver with the heat.

  No living thing had they seen all day long, save perhaps a skulkingsmall animal, which the men at first thought to be a dog, though itmust have been a coyote; a few sage hens; and some gophers, thatburrowed in holes in the ground, from the entrances of which theytimidly watched the horses file slowly past.

  In every direction lay cacti of various species and heights, whilethorny plants belonging to the same family, and bearing a smallpear-like fruit which the Indian told them was edible, lay upon theground.

  They were glad when night came with its refreshing air. The camp wasmade in the open desert, for there was not a tree of any size in sight.And it seemed to the boys that, when the sun went down that evening, itwas several times as large as usual, as well as fiery red. It beckonedthem on just as before, since they knew well that _somewhere_, beyondthe desert, the sun must be setting behind the vast ocean which theyall aspired to see.

  Another like day followed, and all of them began to suffer more or lesson account of the heat, and the sand glare, which affected their eyes.On account of this, it was suggested that hereafter they rest duringthe hottest part of each day, and continue their journey as far intothe night as the horses could stand it.

  They seemed to be thirsty most of the time, and the horses, too, neededmany a refreshing drink in order to continue their labors. More thanone uneasy glance was cast toward the supply of the precious fluid. Ifthe skin sacks should spring a leak the wanderers must face a desperatecondition, indeed.

  So they settled down for the second night upon the open desert. Eachday would be very much like another, unless they were unfortunateenough to experience one of those dreaded sand storms they had heardabout, the terrors of which they could now easily imagine.

  The guide, however, had spoken cheering words in his own tongue, and,by holding up two fingers of his hand, gave them to understand theywere by this time half-way across the desert. If they could stand thisfor two more days there was hope that the worst would be over.

  All of them were very tired after that long day's traveling, and, sinceno danger could come upon them out on the arid waste, sentries weredispensed with. Dick sat up longer than the rest, thinking he ought tokeep an eye on the dusky guide; but the Indian appeared to be soundlysleeping, and weariness finally compelled the boy to succumb.

  The morning came and brought with it a very disagreeable surprise. Atsome time during the night the sorely tempted Indian guide, forgettinghis obligations to Captain Lewis, had taken an extra horse theyhad along and started on the back trail; not only that, but he hadalso carried off considerable of their supply of water, leaving theadventurers face to face with a terrible calamity.