The splendid wayfaring : the story of the exploits and adventures of Jedediah Smith and his comrades, the Ashley-Henry men, discoverers and explorers of the great central route from the Missouri river to the Pacific ocean, 1822-1831 . Then the soil became sandy, and soon theparty was floundering through a wilderness ofdunes where not even sagebrush grew. Withdrooping heads the sweating animals labored onthrough the thirsty land. Away to the northeastthe snow-clad mountains, tauntingly near to theeyes but discouragingly distant for the feet, ght-tered in the white glare of the day. The sunburne
The splendid wayfaring : the story of the exploits and adventures of Jedediah Smith and his comrades, the Ashley-Henry men, discoverers and explorers of the great central route from the Missouri river to the Pacific ocean, 1822-1831 . Then the soil became sandy, and soon theparty was floundering through a wilderness ofdunes where not even sagebrush grew. Withdrooping heads the sweating animals labored onthrough the thirsty land. Away to the northeastthe snow-clad mountains, tauntingly near to theeyes but discouragingly distant for the feet, ght-tered in the white glare of the day. The sunburned red over the rim of the melancholy waste,and disappeared, and the air turned chill. Nightwithout wood or water or grass! Having paused for an hour to rest the wearyanimals, the band forged ahead with their faces tothe North Star; and sullenly half the night they la-bored on through an empty world where the softpadding of the hoofs and the wheezing breath ofthe horses seemed very loud, so oppressive was thestillness of that dead land. Then when the Dip-per was upside down above the Pole, the bandhalted and the packs were taken off. Until day-break the ponies nosed and pawed the sand, nicker-ing pitifully for grass and The Return i6i In the white of the morning they were movingagain at a slow, stumbling pace. By sunrise theyhad entered a rolling prairie country where oncemore the sagebrush grew; and when the day washalf way up the sky, topping a hogback, the lead-ing pony lifted his head and neighed; whereat thewhole cavalcade, with ears pricked forward, fellto nickering joyfully, and the men shouted withthem. Yonder but a mile or two away was awinding strip of green ! Soon forty horses, freed from their loads, werethrusting parched muzzles into the waters of theupper Sandy and rolling luxuriously in the greengrass. Thenceforth the trail was easy, and the partymade good time up the Little Sandy, through therecently discovered pass and down the Sweetwaterto the place of
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectexplorers, bookyear19
