The Permian of Texas 213 



Nothing would settle this water but boiling it, 

 although it might be cleared a little by the pulp of 

 cactus leaves. I have sometimes gone to the trouble 

 of peeling the broad leaves of the prickly pear and 

 beating them into a mucilaginous pulp to throw into 

 a pail of muddy water. The mud attached itself to 

 this material and sank with it to the bottom; but 

 even then the clarified liquid remaining on top did 

 not make a very tempting drink. I soon got used 

 to the thick red water, however, as had the other 

 inhabitants of the country, and for six seasons drank 

 it thankfully, when I was thirsty. When a man is 

 thirsty, he drinks first and tastes the water after- 

 wards. I once asked an old cowman what he did 

 for drinking water on the range, and he answered, 

 " Wherever and whatever a cow can drink, I can." 

 And cows will take filthy water, if they can get no 

 other. 



All that winter I worked in these desolate beds, 

 walking over thousands of acres of denuded rock, 

 searching without success for the fossil fields. The 

 dominant color of these beds is red, but the tints 

 vary so that the eye is dazzled and wearied by the 

 constant change. There are countless concretions 

 too, all of which had to be looked over. If fine 

 specimens had rewarded the labor, all would have 

 been well, but I know of no work more trying than 

 spending day after day in a fruitless search. 



