LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 95 



least half a day by the short cut. To their cost they proved the 

 old saying, that " a short cut is always a long road," as will be 

 presently shown. 



It has been said that from the southwestern extremity of the 

 Great Salt Lake, a vast desert extends for hundreds of miles, un- 

 broken by the slightest vegetation, destitute of game and water, 

 and presenting a cheerless expanse of sandy plain, or rugged 

 mountain, thinly covered with dwarf pine or cedar, the only evi- 

 dence of vegetable life. Into this desert, ignorant of the country, 

 the trappers struck, intending to make their short cut ; and, trav- 

 eling on all day, were compelled to camp at night, without water 

 or pasture for their exhausted animals, and themselves ravenous 

 with hunger and parched with thirst. The next day three of 

 their animals "gave out," and. they were fain to leave them be- 

 hind ; but imagining that they must soon strike a creek, they 

 pushed on until noon, but still no water presented itself, nor a sign 

 of game of any description. The animals were nearly exhausted, 

 and a horse which could scarcely keep up with the slow pace of 

 the others was killed, and its blood greedily drunk ; a portion of 

 the flesh being eaten raw, and a supply carried with them for 

 future emergencies. 



The next morning two of the horses lay dead at their pickets, 

 and one only remained, and this in such a miserable state that it 

 could not possibly have traveled six miles further. It was, there- 

 fore, killed, and its blood drunk, of which, however, the captive 

 squaws refused to partake. The men began to feel the effects of 

 their consuming thirst, which the hot horse's blood only served 

 to increase ; their lips became parched and swollen, their eyes 

 bloodshot, and a giddy sickness seized them at intervals. About 

 mid-day they came in sight of a mountain on their right hand, 

 which appeared to be more thickly clothed with vegetation ; and 

 arguing from this that water would be found there, they left 

 their course and made toward it, although some eight or ten 



