Bennett, Emerson - Prairie Flower 01

by The Prairie Flower (lit)

  It will be remembered, that on leaving the village of the Mysterious Nation, Prai rie Flower had taken care to furnish us a good supply of jerk ; and this, by killing more or less game on our route, we had been enabled to retain in our possession, to be eaten only in cases of extreme ne cessity ; consequently we did not fear suf fering for food, so much as for water ; and even the latter we were sanguine of find ing, ere anything serious should occur. The only matter that troubled us sorely, was the fear our noble animals would not be as fortunate as we, and that starvation might compel them to leave their bones in the wilderness, and thereby oblige us to pursue our journey on foot an event, as the reader will perceive, far more probable than agreeable.

  As we had eaten nothing the previous night, we now felt our appetites much sharpened thereby, and looking around in the hope of discovering game, my eye chanced upon a rabbit. The next moment the sharp crack of my rifle broke upon the solitude, and the little fellow lay deau in his tracks.

  Hastily dressing him and kindling a tire, we were already in the act of toasting the meat, when whiz-z-z came a dozen arrows through the nir, some of them actually penetrating our garments without wounding

  ADVENTJRES IN THE FAR WEST

  is. ac«f others burying themselves in the yround at our feet. Springing up with t cry of alarm, we grasped our rifles, dioiigh only one was loaded, and turned to took for the enemy. Upon a steep bluff, seme thirty paces behind us, we beheld ome fifteen or twenty small, dirty, miser able looking savages, with their bows and arrows in their hands, already in the act of giving us another volley.

  " By heavens ! Frank," cried Huntly, " it is all over with us now."

  " Never say die to such dirty curmud geons as them," I rejoined, more vexed than alarmed. " Quick ! Charley dodge behind this tree ! and while I load, be sure you bring one of them to his last ac count ! "

  While speaking I ran, followed by my friend, and scarcely had we gained shelter, when whiz-z-z came another flight of airows, some of them actually piercing the tree behind which we stood.

  " Quick ! Charley they are looking to ward our horses ! (These were feeding within ten paces of us.) There ! they are on the point of shooting them. Take the leader ! For heaven's sake don't miss of we are lost! "

  As I spoke, the rifle of my .friend belch ed forth its deadly contents, and the fore most of our foes, who was just on the point of discharging an arrow at one of the horses, shot it at random, and, with a loud yell, fell headlong down the bluff, and was dashed to pieces on the rocks below. Several others had their bows drawn, but on the fall of their companion, they also fired at random, and approach ing the bluff, gazed down upon his man gled remains, uttering frantic yells of rage and grief.

  By this time my own rifle was loaded, and taking a hasty aim, I tumbled a sec ond after the lirst. The savages were now alarmed in earnest, and retreating several paces, just made their faces visible, appa rently undecided whether to retreat or attack us in a body. This was an impor tant moment; but fortunately for us, the rille of Huntly was now again loaded, and taking a more careful sight than before, he l«xlgfd the tall in the head of a third. This created a terrible panic among our enemies, who fled precipitately.

  Now was our chance, and perhaps our only chance, to escape ; for we knew no thing of the number of our foe, nor nt what moment he might return with an overwhelming force ; and calling to Hunt ly, I darted to my horse and cut the teth er-rope with my knife ; and so rapidly did both of us work, that in three minutes we were in our saddles and galloping away.

  As we turned the southern point of thig desert island, we heard an ominous suc cession of yells, and some forty rods away to the right, beheld a band of at least fifty Indians, of both sexes, together with some twenty miserable huts. This was evidently their village, and, from what we could judge, they were preparing to renew the attack, as we had feared, when our ap pearance apprised them of our escape.

  To the best of our judgment, tney were Diggers, and on this oasis dragged out their miserable existence. Being divided from us by a ridge, neither party had been aware of the proximity of the other, until the discharge of my rifle at the rabbit. This it appears had alarmed them, and ex cited an immediate attack, from the fatal consequences of which kind Heaven had so providentially delivered us. We thought seriously of giving them a parting salute- particularly as they seemed to grieve so much for our departure but on second consideration, concluded we would reserve our powder and ball, not knowing how ne cessary to self-preservation these might yet become ; and so taking off our hats, and waving them a kind farewell, we dashed away over the plain.

  CHAPTER XXIII.

  A BARREN DESERT NO WATER ALARMIWQ

  CONDITION OF OUR HORSES CAMP A LIT TLE REFRESHED A SANDY DESERT IN CREASED SUFFERINGS DEATH OF MT

  FRIEND'S HORSE A DRAUGHT OF BLOOD

  CONSULTATION RESOLVE TO PRESS OH

  DEATH OF MY OWN HORSE AFOOT A

  TERRIBLE NIGHT HOPE IN SIGHT OF AS

  OASIS GRATITUDE ALMOST SUPERHU

  MAN EXERTIONS A STREAM

  EXHAUSTION RELIEF.

  INSANITY

  OUR progress through the day was ore? an arid waste of calcareous formation,

  THE PRAIRIE FLOWER; OR,

  Devoid of all vegetation, with the exception of a few tall, stiff, wire-like weeds, that grew here and there, where the soil ap peared a little moist and loomy. Deep : ravines, or cracks in the earth, in some ! places to the depth of it might be a thou sand feet, cut across the ground in every direction, and rendered everything like ! speed, or traveling after night, out of the question. These gullies, when very nar row, we forced our horses to leap but frequently had to ride around them on account of which our progress westward was slow and tedious. The sun here seemed at least twenty degrees warmer than on the highlands we had left behind us; and not having come to any water, we began about mid-day to feel the op pression of a burning thirst, while our well fed and well watered animals of the morning, showed alarming signs of expe riencing the same sensation, by lolling their tongues, occasionally smelling the earth, and snuffing the dry air. Oh ! what would we not have given, even then, for a bucket of water, cool from some deep well!

  We found no place to noon, and conse quently were forced to push forward, in the-' nope of reaching an oasis for our night's encampment.

  On, on we went, our thirst increasing to a "Teat decree, while the sun rolled

  O O '

  slowly down toward the west, and yet no thing around and before us but this same dull, arid waste. We now began to ex perience the effects of our rashness, and, if truth must be told, to secretly wish our selves safely clear of our undertaking, though neither breathed a word to the other of the thoughts passing in his mind. Our horses, too, seemed very much fa tigued, and required considerable spurring to hasten them forward.

  The sun had now sunk within an hour of the horizon, and yet the same cheerless prospect lay before us. We looked back, and far in the distance, like a mole-hill, could faintly trace the outline of the oasis of our last encampment ; while beyond, the snowy peaks of the Wahsatch glisten ed in the sunbeams. Advancing a couple of miles, we found ourselves compelled to camp for the night, without water, and with nothing for our horses to eat; and

  the fact of this was anything but cht ing.

  "What is to be done ? " asked Huntly. " We can not long exist without water, and our poor beasts are already suffering to an alarming degree, and will not be likely to hold out more than one day more at the most."

  " Well, I fancy by that time we shall come to a spot similar to the one behind us.'*

  " Then you think we had better go for ward ?"

  " I dislike the idea of turning back. Besides, we should probably fall into the hands of the savages, and death here looks full as tempting as there."

  "But our horses, Frank poor beasts ! see how they suffer."

  " I know it, and would to Heaven I could relieve them ! But we cannot even help ourselves."

  " D
o you think they can go through an other day like this ?"

  " I am xinable to say."

  " Oh ! it would be awful to be put afocil in this deseit ! "

  " By no means n, pleasant matter, I must own. Bui, ray friend, this is no time to got alanned. We have set out, after beiu^ duly warned, «ind must therefore make tl.e most of the circ-awstances we have broug'rtt upon ourselves. If our horses die, we musl use their blood to quench our thirst."

  " Heavens ! Frank," exclaimed Huntly, startled with a new idea, " what if another day's travel like this should still leave us in the bare desert, with no haven in sight? "

  " Why, I should consider our case near ly hopeless ; but we will trust to having better fortune."

  We now ate some of our meat with bul little relish, and throwing ourselves upon the earth, at length fell into a kind of fe verish slumber. A heavy dew falling du ring the night, refreshed us not a little. At the first streak of daylight, we were again in our saddles, and found, much to our joy, that although our poor bcavs had eaten not a morsel since die morning pre vious, they, like ourselves, were consider ably invigorated by a night of repose. Set ting forward again, as cheerfully as tin circumstances would permit, we traveled some two or three hours at a fast amble; but now the sun bey-an co be felt rathe/

  ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST

  ensibly, and our beasts to flag and droop, ' while o'ur sensations of thirst seemed in creased ten-fold. If this was the case in the morning, what would be the result ere another night? We shuddered at the thought.

  About noon, tne appearance of the ground began to change for the worse, which, in spite of ourselves, was produc tive of no little alarm. Gradually it be came more and more sandy, and an hour's further progress brought us to a desert more barren than ever, where not a living thiiv, vegetable or animal, could be seen, over a dreary expanse, that, for all we knew, might be hundreds of miles in ex tent.

  To add to the horrors of our situation, our horses were evidently on the point of giving out for as they buried their feet in the white, hot sand, they occasionally floundered, and reeled, and seemed in clined to lie down while our own throats, lips, and tongues began to swell, and the skin of our faces and hands to blister and crack. I recalled to mind the accounts I had read of bones being found in the great Arabian deserts, and I fancied that many years hence, some more fortunate traveler mfght so discover ours.

  Cheering each other as well as we could, we kept on for another hour, when the horse of Huntly reeled, dropped upon his knees, and fell over upon his side.

  " Oh God !" cried my friend in despair, " we are lost we are lost ! a nd such a death !"

  " Our last hope is here," I rejoined, dis mounting and plunging my knife into the dying beast ; and as the warm blood spout ed forth, we placed our parched lips to it, and drank with a greediness we had never felt nor displayed for anything before.

  This gave us no little relief for the time, and added vigor to our already drooping and weakened frames. But what could it avail us ? It might relieve us now might prolong our lives a few hours only to go through the same terrible tortures and find death at last. Unless we could reach a spring by another day's travel, or come in sight of one, our case was certainly hope less ; and to carry us forward, we now had nothing to depend on but. our own limbs and strength, while our path must be over

  a bed of hot, loose sand, where every step would be buried ankle deep.

  " Well, Frank," sighed Huntly at length, " what are we to do now ? I suppose we may as well die here as elsewhere."

  " No ! not here, my friend ; we will make one trial more at least."

  "And have we any prospect, think you, of saving our lives of seeing another green spot ? "

  " Why, you remember when on the Wahsatch, we saw some hills away in the distance ; and unless it was an optical illusion, I have a faint hope of being able to reach them before this time to-morrow."

  " God grant it, my friend ! for though I fear not death more than another, there is something horrible in the thought of leaving my bones here in the wilderness."

  "Well, well, cheer up, Huntly! and trust in Providence to carry us safely through."

  A farther consultation resulted in the decision to await the night, and if my horse proved able to proceed, to let him carry our sacks, rifles, «fec., while we were to keep him company on foot.

  By the time the sun had fairly set, we resumed our journey ; but after a la] " ri- ous travel of half a mile, my horse gaTv' out. Taking from him a portion of the jerked meat, our rifles, and such small ar ticles as we could not well do without, we left him to his fate, with many a sigh of regret.

  It was a clear, starlight night, and the air just cool enough to be comfortable; but unlike the preceding one, we no longer had the refreshing dew to moisten our bo dies and renew our strength. Still we suc ceeded better than I had anticipated, and, by exertions almost superhuman, placed many a long mile between us and our starting point, ere the first crimson streak in the east told that day was again dawn ing. To add hope to our drooping spirits, we now found the ground becoming more and more solid, and ere the sun pec-red over the mountains which were almost lost to view in the distance, we set our feet once more upon hard earth, similar in appear ance to that we had quitted for the sands. Struggling on a mile or two farther, we ascended a slight elevation, and, joy inex pressible ! beheld far away before us a

  100

  THE PRAIRIE FLOWER; OR

  rid,ge of green hills. All the extravagant, unspeakable delight of the poor, ship wrecked manner, who has been for days tossed about by the angry elements.without food to save him from starvation, without water to slake his consuming thirst, on beholding, in the last agonies of despair, the green hills of his native land suddenly loom up before him all his unspeakable emotions, I say, were ours ; and silently dropping upon our knees, our hearts spoke the gratitude to our All- wise Preserver which our tongues were unable to utter. True, the famished, worn - out mariner might die in sight of land and so might we in view of our haven of rest yet the bare hope of reaching it alive, gave ener gy to our sinking spirits, and strength to our failing limbs.

  Again we pressed forward, our now swollen and bloodshot eyes tixed eagerly upon the desired spot, which, like an ignis- fatuus, seemed only to recede to our ad vance. The sun, too, gradually rolling higher and higher, till he reached the ze nith of his glory, and began to descend to ward the west, poured .down his scorching rays (for they seemed scorching to us in the desert), dried up, as it were, the very marrow of our bones, blistered our parch ed and feverish skins, and caused our limbs to swell, till every step became one of pain almost unbearable. All our pre vious sufferings were as nothing, seeming ly, compared to our present ; and when vfe reached the bank of a stream, which wound around the base of the hills, the sun had already hid himself for the day, and we sunk down completely exhausted !

  Huntly, for the last two or three miles, had shown symptoms of confirmed insani ty had often raved about home, which he declared was just below him in a pool of clear water, which he, being chained to a rock, was not permitted to reach, although dying of thirst and had often turned to me, with much the look of a ravenous beast about to spring upon his prey so that, with the greatest difficulty, in my then

  weak state, I had succeeded in getting him to the stream, where, as I said before, we both sunk down in a state of exhaus tion. Had the stream been a mile, or even half a mile farther oft', we -just both have perished in sight of that water which alone could save us. Weak and worn out as I was, I still, thank God ! had my senses though sometimes I fancied they were beginning to wander and I knew that for either to indulge his appetite free ly, would be certain to produce death.

  As my friend seemed too feeble to move, and as I was in a little better condition though now unable to walk I 'crawled over the ground to the stream, which was not deep, and rolled into it, restraining myself even then from tasting a drop, un til my body was thoroughly soaked, and I felt considerably revived. After a b
ath of some five minutes, I took a few draughts of the sparkling element, and never in my life experienced such a powerful and speedy change for the better. Almost instantly I felt the life- renewing blood darting through my veins, and I came out of the water, as it were another being.

  Hastening to my friend, I partially raised him in my arms, and dragging him to the stream, tumbled him in, taking care to keep a firm hold. In a few minutes I had the satisfaction of seeing him slowly revive. Then scooping up the water with my hand, I placed it to his lips, which he drank eagerly. Gradually his strength and con sciousness returned, and with feelings which none but one in my situation can ever know, I at length heard him exclaim

  " Water ! water ! Thank God ! Frank, we are saved ! " and falling upon the breast of each other, overcome with emotions of joy, our tears of gratitude were borne a» vaj upon the river which laved our feet

  Eating sparingly, ever moistening our food, we at last found our farmer strength much restored ; and fording the stream, we threw ourselves upon the grassy earth, and tlept touvdly that night iyx» a Us western bank.

  ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST.

  101

  CH VPTER XXIV.

  CFFECTS OF OUR JOURNEY THE MYSTERY

  SOLVED EXPLORATION- GAME A SUP POSED DISCOVERY OF GOLD TRAVELS RE SUMED IN SIGHT OF THE SIERRA NEVADA

  INDIANS REACH THE MOUNTAINS

  ASCENT TEN THOUSAND FEET ABOVE THE

  SEA SNOW SUFFERINGS AN INDIAN