azzas of his quarters.

We heard no more the crackling and fizzing of the stern-wheeler's
high-pressure engines at daylight, and our eyes, tired with gazing at
the red whirlpools of the river, found relief in looking out upon the
grey-white flat expanse which surrounded Fort Mojave, and merged itself
into the desert beyond.

CHAPTER VII. THE MOJAVE DESERT

Thou white and dried-up sea! so old! So strewn with wealth, so sown
with gold! Yes, thou art old and hoary white With time and ruin of
all things, And on thy lonesome borders Night Sits brooding o'er with
drooping wings.--JOAQUIN MILLER.

The country had grown steadily more unfriendly ever since leaving Fort
Yuma, and the surroundings of Camp Mojave were dreary enough.

But we took time to sort out our belongings, and the officers arranged
for transportation across the Territory. Some had bought, in San
Francisco, comfortable travelling-carriages for their families. They
were old campaigners; they knew a thing or two about Arizona; we
lieutenants did not know, we had never heard much about this part of our
country. But a comfortable large carriage, known as a Dougherty wagon,
or, in common army parlance, an ambulance, was secured for me to travel
in. This vehicle had a large body, with two seats facing each other, and
a seat outside for the driver. The inside of the wagon could be closed
if desired by canvas sides and back which rolled up and down, and by a
curtain which dropped behind the driver's seat. So I was enabled to have
some degree of privacy, if I wished.

We repacked our mess-chest, and bought from the Commissary at Mojave the
provisions necessary for the long journey to Fort Whipple, which was the
destination of one of the companies and the headquarters officers.

On the morning of September 10th everything in the post was astir with
preparations for the first march. It was now thirty-five days since we
left San Francisco, but the change from boat to land travelling offered
an agreeable diversion after the monotony of the river. I watched with
interest the loading of the great prairie-schooners, into which went the
soldiers' boxes and the camp equipage. Outside was lashed a good deal of
the lighter stuff; I noticed a barrel of china, which looked much like
our own, lashed directly over one wheel. Then there were the massive
blue army wagons, which were also heavily loaded; the laundresses with
their children and belongings were placed in the