heet of water, several miles in length, the
shores barren and destitute of vegetation, and without a sign of bird
or animal life. My heart mis-gave me, as I noticed how silent, dead,
and forbidding the place was: noticed, too, that the horses made no
attempt to reach the water they were dying for, but stood dejected and
spirit-less where I had let go of their bridles. A few staggering
strides and my awful doubt was confirmed. For the water was as salt as
brine!

And now for a time I gave way to absolute despair. I was exhausted, and
tortured by thirst, my lips cracked and swollen, my tongue like
leather; and I felt that when the sun reached its full power I must
perish in the horrible agony and madness of a death from thirst unless
indeed my revolver saved me the last torture! Sorely was I tempted, as
I lay there by the brink of the salt lake, where I had thrown myself
down in the agony of my disappointment.

But, thank God, I kept my sanity, and even in that terrible plight Hope
again crept into my heart.

"T'samma!" There might be t'samma there to the right where the dunes
were higher, and the sand redder, certainly a little dark vegetation
appeared to show in the hollows.

And so I staggered to my feet again, and leaving the horses I made my
panting, laborious way across to the dunes I had marked, on the eastern
shore of the lake. They were about half a mile away, and it seemed as
though I should never reach them, but at length I entered the hollow
between two of them, and found a few stunted bushes covered with red
berries the size of cherries, and the like of which I had never seen
before. I hesitated to eat them, for many of the desert berries are
poisonous, and almost all are bitter and acrid, but I could see no
t'samma, and so I bit one, hesitatingly at first, but as the sharp,
delicious flavor penetrated my scorched palate, ravenously.

Cool, full of juice, and of a flavor something like a black-currant,
they tasted to me the most delicious morsel that had ever passed my
lips, and all thoughts of their being poison left me, as I plucked and
ate them greedily. Most grateful they were, and soon I felt a new
being, though some poisonous properties they must have contained, for
within a few minutes I felt a rush of blood to my head, a buzzing in my
ears, and was soon staggering as though drunk. I ate no more then, and
in a short time the effects passed off, and wonderfully refreshed and
invigorated, I made my