登陆注册
15439000000003

第3章 CHAPTER THE ARIZONA DESERT(3)

"It's seventy-five. We'll get there day after to-morrow. If the snow in the mountains has begun to melt, we'll have a time getting across."That afternoon, a hot wind blew in my face, carrying fine sand that cut and blinded. It filled my throat, sending me to the water cask till I was ashamed. When I fell into my bed at night, I never turned. The next day was hotter; the wind blew harder;the sand stung sharper.

About noon the following day, the horses whinnied, and the mules roused out of their tardy gait. "They smell water," said Emmett.

And despite the heat, and the sand in my nostrils, I smelled it, too. The dogs, poor foot-sore fellows, trotted on ahead down the trail. A few more miles of hot sand and gravel and red stone brought us around a low mesa to the Little Colorado.

It was a wide stream of swiftly running, reddish-muddy water. In the channel, cut by floods, little streams trickled and meandered in all directions. The main part of the river ran in close to the bank we were on. The dogs lolled in the water; the horses and mules tried to run in, but were restrained; the men drank, and bathed their faces. According to my Flagstaff adviser, this was one of the two drinks I would get on the desert, so I availed myself heartily of the opportunity. The water was full of sand, but cold and gratefully thirst-quenching.

The Little Colorado seemed no more to me than a shallow creek; Iheard nothing sullen or menacing in its musical flow.

"Doesn't look bad, eh?" queried Emmett, who read my thought.

"You'd be surprised to learn how many men and Indians, horses, sheep and wagons are buried under that quicksand."The secret was out, and I wondered no more. At once the stream and wet bars of sand took on a different color. I removed my boots, and waded out to a little bar. The sand seemed quite firm, but water oozed out around my feet; and when I stepped, the whole bar shook like jelly. I pushed my foot through the crust, and the cold, wet sand took hold, and tried to suck me down.

"How can you ford this stream with horses?" I asked Emmett.

"We must take our chances," replied he. "We'll hitch two teams to one wagon, and run the horses. I've forded here at worse stages than this. Once a team got stuck, and I had to leave it; another time the water was high, and washed me downstream.

Emmett sent his son into the stream on a mule. The rider lashed his mount, and plunging, splashing, crossed at a pace near a gallop. He returned in the same manner, and reported one bad place near the other side.

Jones and I got on the first wagon and tried to coax up the dogs, but they would not come. Emmett had to lash the four horses to start them; and other Mormons riding alongside, yelled at them, and used their whips. The wagon bowled into the water with a tremendous splash. We were wet through before we had gone twenty feet. The plunging horses were lost in yellow spray; the stream rushed through the wheels; the Mormons yelled. I wanted to see, but was lost in a veil of yellow mist. Jones yelled in my ear, but I could not hear what he said. Once the wagon wheels struck a stone or log, almost lurching us overboard. A muddy splash blinded me. I cried out in my excitement, and punched Jones in the back. Next moment, the keen exhilaration of the ride gave way to horror. We seemed to drag, and almost stop. Some one roared:

"Horse down!" One instant of painful suspense, in which imagination pictured another tragedy added to the record of this deceitful river--a moment filled with intense feeling, and sensation of splash, and yell, and fury of action; then the three able horses dragged their comrade out of the quicksand. He regained his feet, and plunged on. Spurred by fear, the horses increased their efforts, and amid clouds of spray, galloped the remaining distance to the other side.

Jones looked disgusted. Like all plainsmen, he hated water.

Emmett and his men calmly unhitched. No trace of alarm, or even of excitement showed in their bronzed faces.

"We made that fine and easy," remarked Emmett.

So I sat down and wondered what Jones and Emmett, and these men would consider really hazardous. I began to have a feeling that Iwould find out; that experience for me was but in its infancy;that far across the desert the something which had called me would show hard, keen, perilous life. And I began to think of reserve powers of fortitude and endurance.

The other wagons were brought across without mishap; but the dogs did not come with them. Jones called and called. The dogs howled and howled. Finally I waded out over the wet bars and little streams to a point several hundred yards nearer the dogs. Moze was lying down, but the others were whining and howling in a state of great perturbation. I called and called. They answered, and even ran into the water, but did not start across.

"Hyah, Moze! hyah, you Indian!" I yelled, losing my patience.

"You've already swum the Big Colorado, and this is only a brook.

Come on!"

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 寻梦之源的世界

    寻梦之源的世界

    他曾经是拯救世界的英雄,天赋异能的他拯救了地球的过去、现在、未来。当身世之谜被解开,当天赋异能源于血脉。平静的生活被打破,在校学习的日子一去不复返。辗转踏入源的世界,一切,又是新的开始......
  • 重生之宁做农门妻

    重生之宁做农门妻

    夫君停妻另娶之夜新娘惨死,被污凶手林芸浴火自焚以明心志,一朝重生她发誓再也不做状元妻。种种田酿酿酒斗极品揍渣男,带着爹娘发家致富奔小康,可谁能告诉她这冷面刀疤男为何来求亲?她可不可以拒绝?某男冷笑:“拒绝?晚了!娘子,我们来生孩子吧!”--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 海上尘天影

    海上尘天影

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 总裁宠上瘾:萌妻hold不住

    总裁宠上瘾:萌妻hold不住

    “楼君岩,欠你的我都还清了,你还想怎样?”慕子衿想不通,堂堂楼氏集团的的少当家,不是应该很忙?可是他动不动就追着她跑是个什么情况?“还清了?”男人邪魅一笑:“你当我楼君岩这么好睡?”慕子衿撇嘴,说的好像他受了委屈一样,吃亏的明明是她哎!“那你想怎样?”“一个原则:人若犯我,十倍还之!”男人猛地将她压在身下:“你睡我一晚,我就得睡你一辈子!”
  • 白色眷恋

    白色眷恋

    因为不满皇马6比2的比分,中国青年律师沈星怒砸啤酒瓶,结果电光火石间,他穿越成了佛罗伦蒂诺的儿子,且看来自09年的小伙子如何玩转03年的欧洲足坛
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 忆昔盛世

    忆昔盛世

    叶朝索家一夜之间被血洗,唯有孤女索忆幸存,看到父亲留下的信,是一意孤行的报仇,还是如父亲所言放下仇恨,肆意江湖?当再次遇到那个许下重诺的男子,是选择停留?还是离去?凤凰涅槃,浴火重生
  • 当爱之记得忘记

    当爱之记得忘记

    如果有一天一无所有,连记忆都抛弃你,还会有谁,一如既往地深情对你?
  • 若许所爱隔山海

    若许所爱隔山海

    如果有一个女孩爱你爱到可以为了你去死,那么让她去死吧,我来爱你。
  • 邪道大亨

    邪道大亨

    正与邪,邪与正,哪个能够说的清,世间事,从来都是正邪不分,邪正交融……