Show j r When George eorge Got Lost in the Desert i ll Bj n William Jr Jl George orge Franklyn had gone Konto to visit t this his uncle anti and aunt Runt who lived In In southern California not far from ther the rat r al at desert In whose whoso vcr very heart WitS was Spreading jiu the he Salton sea en When George left his hom home In one of tile the eastern tern stat states state the temperature lh there re was b below low zero ero It was wa In the month of ot February and a n heavy snow JR lAy all over the ground George was wan dr dressed ed for that sort lort of weather and when he arrived at El BI Po Paso o T To Te en rout route to southern California he was to lo p put t his hi overcoat out of or I almost suffocating I sight Its very 1 presence eAting cating hh him 1 The n nest morning on rising from rein hi his berth he hl dispensed with some of his heavier garments when dressing for tor I lit he had now come a salubrious climate where the theS sometimes s finds even February February Feb Feb- Feb Feb- FebI I S too warm for comfort comfortS S But G George Goorge or e did not feel uncomfortable yet t The TIll first suggestion 0 of too loo much heat for comfort In winter r clothing Vas was at Yuma Tuma Ariz that In Interesting Interesting In- In tere town that II lies ell below sea sen n level evel and whose houses have o double r roofs to protect the Inhabitants from Hl the tropical 1 sun which com comes s down so Sl fiercely during nine months l of or the year yeal There he found toun 1 a June day In winter r bright sun and soft soU warm sands stretching all aU around At Yuma thO train cro crossed d tho Colorado river that uncontrollable stream which has broken n through Its Us banks and la is filling filing up the great Salton desert baa In making making mak mak- ing of It a a. sea G George orge left the train at Yuma anc and walked about the station buying a string of oC heads beads from a a. Yuma Indian squaw who with a number of ot her herbe be was squatted equalled on a blanket In nt of or th the 18 railway II sta station statton on offering her ier wares for sale S In ten en minutes s George was again on I the he train g going w westward through tho ho Yuma de desert ert As they sped along through sand and wind nd George became became be- be uc- uc came deeply Impre impressed with the mys- mys t ery IY and silence of the desert and longed to go about In It It In tho the distance dis- dis Us ance tance both hoth to the tho right and the left leCt were vere dim urn mountains at times almost lost Jost ost In the purple haze linac that denoted great distance tance On top these mountains mountains moun- moun ains gleamed snow in the tropical sunshine a problem George could conIc not solve olvo Why Thy he asked himself If the he mountain tops are nearer to the burning sun than ore are the valleys do cIo dohey they hey l keep so cold But Dut the Jues- Jues remained unanswered As they pushed on Into tho desert the he heat became much greater It made George think of or an Aug August st day during a drouth In his own state slate Then I he r fell to thinking how it was that ery moment at his home Doubtless a n blizzard was In progress snow blowing and piling everywhere e In great drifts while here herc was he less than limn 2000 miles s from flom home riding under a tropical sun through great wastes of ot sand and endless sand saud It was evening c when George reached reach reach- ed ell tho little town where his uncle met him at tho the station But his Journey journey journey Jour jour- ney was not yet et ended Ho He stayed with his undo uncle at n. n hotel that night and early In tho the morning they oil r f for r t a n. ten mild drive 1 lv urS iT'd roads oads HI His uncle had hall a fruit ranch right on tho the edge of ot a desert esert his f orchards being fed b by means of ot 1111 gil gation t ho ii During the tho pleasant ride George expressed ex- ex pressed messed his wish to go Into the desert deserto I to lo o make some geological stU study Ho lie Hovas was vas deeply Interested In that science and wished ery very much to take advantage I tage age of this visit to the West Vest to fur fur- 1 thor his knowledge I Ill tell toll you ou what you ou may do said his hiM uncle who was fond of his I bright young nephew You ma may take lake a mule muJe tomorrow and ride over beyond beyond be be- yond ond that low range of mountains I Its It's a good days day's Journey journe to go and return You'll have to start before and tat cat a snack a.- a. you yuu I travel ers never walt wall on meals you kno know And the indulgent indulgent gent undo uncle laugh laughed 1 merrily Veil ven make a regular Westerner of ot you ou be before before be- be fore tore we let you return to civilisation 1 again Nothing would suit wit me better declared de de- de- de dared clarc George Ls Lq c the d desert ert Ju just t I beyond the tho mountains uncle One desert Is yes answered hl his i uncle Truth Is there them are so many thany deserts in this part Jart art of or California that i ione one Is lost for names for them The I geological name for that desert Is to 10 e seen on some somo ot of the maps but most of or them Ignore Its existence since It belongs to a chain of ot greater gre-at l' l ones But ut It is ha about as treacherous a one n. n as a man can lose his way in And Ill I'll advise you OU to follow Collow my In Instructions instructions In- In to the setter letter or you or-you you might never show up to have another trl l with us WI Ill I li follow your advice then laughed G George bre Im too fond of living JIving to take great chances of or losing I Imy my life Aunt Mary Iary may put my I name In the pot for supper sapper for Ill I'll not nut remain tout ut all ull night I Ilk lik r In lag Ing In a n bed bcd The next morning George was up upI tore before tho th sun and out with his uncle at th corral helping to fe feed fed d the cattle I and horses Then Old Trusty a mule used to th the tho mountain road was 88 sadI saddled sad sad- died for George to make hi his start to I the d desert As he pas passed d the kitchen door the Japanese took cook was waiting I for tor him bim U He held a small canvas bag tied with a cord so l loo cd that it could be hung over the pummel pommel of tho the saddle This bag bog contained a a. a I goodly a supply of rood foOd and drink k I Waving a farewell to his uncle and the tile cook the cook the other members of ot the family were not up yet yet yet-Gc yet George George orge Ml struck k off cIT at ot a trot Jog toward the then n nearby arby mountains that walled waned ih the desert des ert en froth from view After tiding riding for fur half baft an n hour he lie decided it was WAA breakfast and untying Ing the bag bae took out two tco thick slices of bread and butter and lund a liberal piece of cold b beef In Inthe Inthe Inthe the bag was a jug gallon of water from which h George refT refreshed himself after otter his meal Not quite so 80 full tull Of Or flavor avor as corr coffee but more wholesome he said to as he ho corked COrkEl the theS S jug and dropped It again Into the I bag I lie He had had full tull In Instructions from I his hitS uncle as to the tho route he was wu to toI I I follow There was wa a wagon road all the way to the valley that lay Uke like a I up dried lake b between t n two ICI low m mountain moun moun- tam tain ranC ranges R. R a vall valley that from rom heat un-I un and lack Jack of moisture was WM a d desert I I about ton ion miles long hong and seven ven to eight elg-bt wide Old Tru Trusty ty knew the and went ent ambling along alone through I the pass paN between two walls wan of oC mountains moun moun- a pa pasa pu that was full of or v vegetable getable life lite and picturesque rocks Enough melted snow found lt Its Its- way into this I little lilUe canyon to bring Into life lite the vegetation vege that grew there George dismounted and gathered some ome of the tho leaves from a palm tree still in ht Its t Infancy He also alo examined some ROme of Qt lh the ruck rock formations and the thO soil Then getting Into the saddle again h ho he went on towards the mystery I as u he called the desert The sun Bun s PIone tone one fro from straight above his Jl brad j I when he be entered tho the edge of ot fie die te I I waste or sand nand to the east eRt of of the moUn- moUn t 1 tame Drawing Old Trusty to a halt bait George sat at brt looking about him Within that th ar area a called the desert not one sign of or life of any kind was visible Sand Rena reflecting the heat such such ns as u Geog had land never r b beTor ro felt wes felt was spread p ead like a death pall pail over fv every overy ry Inch of 01 the ground that lay In iii that little secluded vall valley f Out Out- time it had hod been a small mull sea centuries rica ries of 01 heat h had tl dried It ft up Georges George's s 's uncle had warned him against advancing more than a Quarter quarter gear gear- ter of n a mill mile Into th the desert folt rl waste t. t But the th trouble thAt followed Wit yas not du cJu t to Gc d disobedience to to his undo uncle hut but to I iho hp fut fart th I wee wan no way woY of m measuring d distance l ce ceon on on that flat nat gleaming George rode iode on and on into the trackless ss 88 sand leaving no tracks behind blip Wh What Viat t the he supposed to be bc about a quarter of ofa ofa a R mile mUe Was as In fa tact fact t over i f a mile Haing Having hay Hav ing lug gone that distance he drew old Trusty's usty's rein and dismounted The mule was wa glad of or the ros rest and stood with bowed boned head sleeping Being v very ry warm an and thirsty thirst G George orge db- db cider to refresh himself With some food and water He lie sat Rat down In the shade of oC the mule and proceeded to oat eat Old Trusty did not nol s seem em to mind the heat or absence of water G Georges George's UndO uncle had salt sail that he was like a n camel camel camei could go an indefinite time without water 1 Ho TIe had lund be been n known to go two days lays without a a. drop an and had suffered no flO bad results front from it it ci either cither then As George was wa preparing to mount I again there came a sudden en breeze across the tIne de desert lesert erl Then G George olEe saw W sawa a regular sandstorm and torm In progress Just the theall all It was thickening and 1111 rapidly rapidly coping cOllIng coming his Ho lie Into the saddle ho and aid U l t In c oJ old Tr Trusty I r reins f 1 for CUI his Uncle tindo uncle Un un- cle do had Wf him of ur these thee squalls as ns he lie termed the sand sand- storms Hut But hardly had he lie got Into the saddle caddie when the wind wind full JJ of sand sand sand- nd- nd was about him making it Impossible bin ble for him to hold hi his eyes open It cut his fact face and neck and blinded old aid Trusty who Win stopped head down On on on old lid Trusty ur urged George kicking the mules mule's sides So without opening his eyes yes old ola Trusty wont went on oTt finding It almost t to walk walkIn In such Ruch a n storm Th Then 11 It was tt that thai a n t terrible fear ar seized George He lie could coull not R see soe any distance ahead ahad o of him and HIHI open his et eyt only nl fur for an Instant III at a 1 time II 11 fill It that had turned S in the he wrong din but hut he Ito thought ii iser fler to lihi ullo M Id t to take his hiM wa way according t. t u. u his animal In InThe inet In- In et I net S The heat was waR that of or a II furnace an anti and George Gurge had frequent recourse to h lib his H jug of or water 11 lie f had drunk about half of it when hl n h ho he decided 1 thai tat it was wv j extremely cru cruel 1 to take ra I it all and not so much as dampen the tb burning nostrils of tb the patient old eM mule DrawIng DrawIng DrawIng Draw- Draw I Ing in the rein tein he hO sprang ran t. t to the ground I poured the tho remaining coin COI con contents tents tenia of QC the jug Into his hat Mt rant and I put It under old ohl Trusty Trusty's no nose The suffering animal took the d draught at pt lono hn tn gulp and nd n. opened his hiM eY eyes JI long enough h to look his I 1 lo to After a n long time time seeming seeming c much 5 J I i P 5 S. S S sat it t l 4 In lIre Tie oJ of the U IJ o r and proceeded to 0 cat ent longer longel to George Georg than It realty really was wae old old Trust Trusty stumbled over t some rocks locks and dead tree trec branches Hopp nop shot through Georges George's 11 heart hoart IJo Io sprang prang from the tho Trusty's Trusty back Lack and anti examined the ground Yes Ye they thoy were at the tho edge of the desert crt Anti And now he ho could see ached of or him The mount mountains rose close clos b by And Ana there there- there there- directly II ID In their path was path was the tho road ninth loading leading Into the tho canyon through which they bad had come at noonday I Dear Dean 01 old Trusty said sala George Georgo c ing the mule with a n feeling fecHne of ot Intense jO Joy You dear old fellow t brought me roc safe from the tho de desert crt I would have gone gont In an all opposite di direction dIrection direction dI- dI hall had I followed my own 1 idee 1 of r thi compass Dut But well we'll Jl not tarr tarry here to congratulate tuI t ourselves No telling hat what this mystery might tako inkin a notion to lo do the We Ve will get on the theother theother other aid aid- of nC the mountain mountain its Its It's healthier for lor us At Al the ind of two hours George and old Tru Trusty t emerged from the c canyon faces aces homeward set In th the t they hoy could sos ee e a H tin tiny pock Hu k o on 1 thi the thit grout 1 l land nd the this 1 inoh 1 oh h e ht tir Georges George's uncle undo The Tho fin was settIng nr In I I g S hun lihn fro ti l in W t blowing blo sand rand nI smiled mulled wearily but hut gladly No more of or the tho desert tlc for me old Trust Trusty I dont don't know how you 1 0 feel I about it It but hUl I guess youve you've no love Jove for tor such an Inferno Come Corne can yon you limber Umber up your legs a bit livelier and get t us home In time for supper I feel fool that I 1 could coul drink a barrel of oC cold water and antl lie In a tub full of or It ft all night As for tor you OU rust Trusty Im I'm afraid you'll drink th well 11 dry And AntI old Trusty wild said never ne a word wordIn In I reply I f hut ul quickened his hi gait gall as If it I understanding the wishes of or his young mu t |