124 THE NAUTILUS. 



Our first camp was in the desert solitude miles away from 

 anywhere. We made our frugal fire, our magic meal, and 

 then our bed in the open under the stars, amidst sand and 

 sage, in the shade of a palo verde. Scattering desert vegeta- 

 tion and sand extended in every direction, and over all the 

 blue, and the stars so bright, so near, so friendly to us. It 

 was hot awhile, then cool, and ere dawn, with all our blan- 

 kets, we were cold. 



"We are often asked: " But weren't you afraid of rattle- 

 snakes?" There are ten rattlers in Arizona and Mr. Ferriss 

 needs only three to complete his collection. Therefore, we 

 were looking for them all the time but saw not one. A horned 

 toad, mailed home, presented her new owner with seventeen 

 little ones just after her arrival. That is the most exciting 

 adventure we had 'mongst reptilia. 



The giant cacti (Carnegiea gigantea) were abundantly 

 decorated with what I thought were naming scarlet flowers, 

 but friend Ferriss soon taught us that they were ripe fruits. 

 Long poles enabled us to get enough to thoroughly appre- 

 ciate their fig-like lusciousness. The birds, bees and other 

 creatures enjoy them too and it seemed a shame to rob them 

 of their harvest. But the miles and miles of the "trees" in 

 every direction seemed evidence that there was plenty for all. 

 This first taste of the quiet of the desert was repeated many 

 times on our trip and we city dwellers loved it so we never 

 tired of its restfulness. 



Our chariot was a Ford, and it is still beyond my compre- 

 hension how anything made of metal by mere man can stand 

 up under the millions of maulings administered. 



But on we go past Florence and Superior. Here on Picket 

 Post Mountain we found our first shells and got a good taste 

 of desert savagery, as we nearly perished from thirst in our 

 too eager attempt. But it taught us to go slower next time, 

 and after cooling off at Superior we were all right again. 



Passing over the finished part of a new road, we ran upon 

 a peculiar and decided novelty re the road-builders near 

 Miami. This region used to be an Apache stronghold and as 

 late as fifty years ago was dangerous for a white man to 



