I02 ELDORADO 



150 miles distant, the top of a mountain range could be 

 indistinctly seen, which we subsequently learned wvs 

 the Humboldt range. The same monotonous condi- 

 tions of camping and traveling continued for the next 

 two or three days, finding only small patches of a poor 

 quality of grass and equally bad water. 



Arriving at a range of hills, or low mountains, 

 which the condition of the atmosphere had prevented 

 our seeing distinctly at a long distance, we decided to 

 enter a narrow, rocky gorge, and take our chances for 

 a successful outcome on the opposite side, as the dis- 

 tance apparently was not very great, instead of look- 

 ing for a more feasible crossing elsewhere, as others 

 probably had done. It is worthy of remark here that 

 very little evidence of travel could be seen at this time. 

 The few who had preceeded us on the "fools' cut-off" 

 had paid but little regard to a definite route, they, 

 like ourselves, only aiming now to keep a westerly 

 course and look for grass and water, as their only hope. 

 A dim pack trail at this point was the only evidence 

 that we were not the sole human beings on that deso- 

 late, treeless and almost waterless region. 



We filed in to the gorge with Captain Hardy in the 

 lead. As we advanced it became more narrow and 

 difficult, if not dangerous. The only available pack 

 trail led along the precipitous side of the gulch, per- 

 haps 100 feet above the bottom. In passing the point of 

 a projecting rock, the trail being very narrow, one of 

 the horses, losing his balance by a misstep or the pack 

 striking the point of rock, he rolled and struggled to the 

 bottom of the gorge. With the exception of smashing 

 a long-used coffee pot and frying pan — very necessary 

 articles for our housekeeping — and a few bruises on 



