After about six hours, or 5 o'clock in the morning, we again halted an hour for refrshment and rest, well knowing that the most difficult task still lay before us There was no feed to be obtained, and our morning repast consisted of what we had prepared at our last camp on the edge of the desert, and water from our canteens, but little remaining for our poor animals. It may not be generally known, but nevertheless is a fact, that a man can undergo more fatigue and hardship and last longer under the most trying conditions than the “lower animals."

About 9 or 10 o'clock in the morning the deceptive mirage began to get in its work. Some of the boys declared they could see little lakes, or ponds, of water but a short distance away. The ripples they said could be plainly seen along the pebbly shore, also trees with their green foliage. Finally the optical illusion became so real and apparently so near, that two of the boys rushed off where they were positve they would find water, but they had not preceded far before the scene changed, and nothing was visible but shimmering, moving sand. About II o'clock we noticed at no great distance, possibly a mile to the right, what appeared to be a small camp of emigrant wagons, but whether we were again deceived we could not tell. A small party with pack and riding animals being near us at the time, a couple on horseback rode out to investigate. On their return they reported finding a number of wagons with their covers quite intact and the bleached bones of human beings and animals scattered about. We had been told at Salt Lake of an emigrant train that had started to cross the desert against repeated warnings in '49. the year previous, which was never heard of after.

This, no doubt, was the lost train. Getting bewildered on that trackless "Sahara," they wandered about seeking water until their teams gave out, when men, woman and children sadly and miserably perished. The same terrible fate befell many who attempted the still more southern route, across Death Valley, which was significantly and appropriately named. We were now taking some of the medicine that had resulted so disastrously to so many others. Few can conceive the horrors of such a journey, and the desperate straits to which the crazed travelers were reduced to In some instances blood would be drawn from the arms as the tongue became parched and swollen, to relieve the frantic desire for water. Hundreds were following in our wake, some with wagons, which subsequently had to be abandoned. Among the fatalities was the death of two young men from Ohio, who died of thirst and heat. In all such cases the bodies were left exposed to the elements, as by no possibility could they be given decent interment.

Our third and last stop was made before reaching the "haven of rest" to which we were anxiously looking. Our feed and water, except a little we had carefully preserved in our canteens, was exhausted. One of our party, less prudent than the others, or being unable to control his thirst, had emptied his canteen, came to me and asked if I could spare a little from mine. I passed it to him, and upon giving it a shake on its return found it empty. I was tolerably dry about that time myself. I had been carrying a pebble in my mouth to prevent the excessive thirst with which all more or less were suffering. At least six hours lay between us and any hope of relief. And to aggravate the

conditions a light breeze came down the desert from
the north, passing over salty crustations, the inhaling
of which parched the tongue like leather.

The last ten or twelve miles were a dead level,
hard and smooth as a pavement and hot as a furnace;
it was every man for himself in the struggle to reach
water, and we were scattered along several miles. As
it happened I was in the lead, and three or four miles
before reaching the foot of the peak I left my ponies
and pulled out for water. They stopped at once and
stood with drooping heads. I had gone perhaps a mile,
when in the distance I noticed a mule and rider ap-
proaching. As soon as we met a canteen of good fresh
water was passed to me. How few prize God's good
gifts of nature until deprived of them. The rider had
been sent out by those who had preceded us with the
guides, knowing that much suffering would be expe-
rienced by those who followed. The young man sup-
plied those in need until his canteens were emptied.
Other relief parties were sent out with instructions that
no compensation under any circumstances should be
taken. I returned at once for my ponies and succeeded
in reaching a good camping place at the foot of Pilot's
Peak with plenty of grass and good spring water. All
had filed in by 5 o'clock p. m., some with swollen
tongues, but all in fine spirits. We had been twenty-
seven hours on the desert; traveling time twenty-four.
Here we remained two days and three nights, when
another forty mile stretch of the same kind was en-
countered, making this the only little oasis in traveling
130 miles.

a well written chapter

Read oct 14-1910

and again aug 24-1915

CHAPTER X.

HISTORICAL INCIDENTS.

I may be excused for departing from my own narrative or personal experience, now and then, to give interesting historical incidents from Fremont, Carson, or other trappers and mountaineers whom I have met. The following account will show the origin and what led to the naming of "Pilot's Peak," and the first time the route over which we have just passed, was traveled by white men. October, 1844, found Fremont, Carson, Maxwell and Walker, with others belonging to an exploring expedition, encamped on the shores of the great Salt Lake, facing that unknown coutnry of which the edge had scarcely been entered, and described by the few Indians as being entirely without grass or water to support any party that dare enter it. Still, to them, it was not entirely an unknown country, as at one time its eastern edge or shore was occasionally visited by wandering tribes of Indians, but now only a single family lived at that point to represent the vanished. aborigines. They were so abjectly poor that they could not show one little well of pure water, but had to quench their thirst from a brackish pool.

Two days after the expedition left Salt Lake they reached the summit of a low range of mountains.

(The same point where our little party first beheld the desert.) The first view that met their astonished gaze was a vast, bare plain of dry clay and sand, through which a few plants struggled hard to Afar off in the dim distance uninviting peaks of what seemed to be treeless mountains rose to a great height. A little apart from the main range a rather lofty peak appeared more promising than the others. Toward this they wended their way. Four of their men were sent on ahead, their guide being a naked Indian. A mule bore water enough to last four days. This little expedition was projected on the Indian guide's asertion that in a little distance he could show them a place where grass grew and water ran plentifully. This was meant as a scouting party, before the bulk of the expedition was irretrievably committed to that route. A column of smoke was to ascend from the summit of the mountain if they succeeded in finding water. As no signal was given, Fremont began to fear some ill had happened to his men, and to find out the worst at once the gallant explorer went ahead with the whole party, not waiting for daylight. In the morning one of the scouts was met on his return journey. The Indian had proved a sad failure, and he was sent to the right-about; the men, however, with more sense or more courage, kept on their "winding way," and after resting through the night continued their tramp. After traveling in all some ninety miles, they reached their refuge, which was duly welcomed.

The lofty peak of the mountain by which thev so happily steered their course was named by them "Pilot Peak." It was always referred to when they re