72 NEW TEACKS IN NOETH AMEEICA. 



-out ; still tlie party, botli mounted and on foot, kept bravely on 

 tkrougli the scorching heat, until twenty-tliree miles of tlie 

 desert had been staked, levelled, and chained. By this time 

 the sun "was setting ; and the hot wind coming from the 

 south, sent up clouds of dust. Aa no " Sand Creek" came 

 across our path, I started on a-head about four o'clock with 

 the chief wagon-master to search for it, and, if possible, to 

 find water to camp by. 'We kept a little to the right, and 

 aJ^er a ride of ten miles came to a broad arroyo, or dry bed, 

 which we thought might be " Sand Creek." This we followed 

 for four miles ', but not finding a trace of water, returned at 

 sundoTVTi to camp. Two or three tents were being pitched, 

 while several of the party, from the top of a lofty undulation, 

 were intently Yie\ving through their glasses a distant row of 

 trees, and a long silver thread, winding away to the eastward. 

 Could it be water, or only a mii-age ? Perhaps a bank of 

 shining sand in some diy water-coui'se ! 



m 



As the setting sun lit up the horizon, there seemed to be no 

 doubt, from its breadth, that, if it were water, it must be the 

 Arkansas.- General Wright consulted his maps, and concluded 

 that this was impossible, as the Arkansas River could not be 

 less than thirty-two miles distant. So we halted for the night. 

 All our stock were suffering terribly for want of water. The 

 horses stood motionless on thi-ee legs, with ruffled coats and 

 drooping necks, now and then smiffini? the dry parched grass, 



o 



look at their corn. The 



wont, did manage to eat up their corn, but they made the night 

 hideous with theii- frightful cries. A himdi-ed mules uniting 

 their voices at interv^als in chorus, louder and more frequent 

 as the night changes into morning; kicking at each other, 

 and rattling their chains, in vain efforts to escape and quench 

 their burning thirst : these form perhaps the most diabolical 



i 



