n, half buried in the sand,
entirely denuded of flesh, and laying as if he had calmly lain down to
die. Shuddering at the spectacle, they rode on a few paces, when
another, and another, met their sight, until they had counted fifteen
skeletons. They had probably been a party lost in the desert, and being
unable to extricate themselves had miserably perished in that dreary
spot.

Surveying these a moment, and then with a glance at their own store of
provisions, they urged on their horses until night, when they were
obliged to halt, for their animals exhibited signs of giving out from
fatigue, although no indication of the expected forest, with its supply
of water and game, was in view, as they had anticipated. Nothing but a
plain of sand, occasional rocky beds, and huge boulders scattered among
them were seen. Well it was for them that they had taken an extra
supply of provisions, or they, too, might have perished by a death more
lingering and terrible than cannibals could inflict. With heavy hearts
and dread forbodings when light again dawned, they once more resumed
their journey, the desert retaining the same appearance it had the day
before, until towards night, when, to their joy! a forest loomed
against the horizon. Forgetting their fatigue, they urged their wearied
beasts on, mile after mile, until darkness hid every object in its
mantle of gloom. Still on they went, till the horses paused, trembling
and tottering, ready to fall. They could proceed no farther. Giving
them water and grass, they ate their own supper and lay down to sleep,
with the expectation of being in full view of the forest when daylight
should break upon them.

Worn with fatigue they slept soundly, forgetting for a few hours, the
terrible anxiety that tortured them when awake, and the sun had already
risen before they awoke from dreaming of beautiful forests, through
which clear streams went murmuring, and where game of every
description, from the huge buffalo to the tiny singing bird, abounded.
Rousing themselves, their first thought was of the forest, and looking
around not a vestige was to be seen, and the truth gradually dawned
upon them as they gazed horror stricken in each other's bloodless
faces, that they had seen a mirage, and that, instead of terminating,
it betokened that the desert extended far beyond them. Seeing the panic
into which they were all thrown by this discovery, Howe said in a
cheerful tone--

"Come! come! this will n