243



A FEARFUL MARCH-INTENSE SUFFERING.



all entirely dried up. The first night out, the horses,
eight in number, strayed off in search of water, and were
lost. Now commenced a day of fearful sufferings. No
water had been found since leaving the fort. The loss of
the horses made it necessary for the company to separate
to look for them; Mansfield and Wilkins going in one di-
rection, Meek and the old Flathead woman in another.
The little coolness and moisture which night had imparted
to the atmosphere was quickly dissipated by the unchecked
rays of the pitiless sun shining on a dry and barren plain,
with not a vestige of verdure anywhere in sight. On
and on went the old Flat-head woman, keeping always in
the advance, and on and on followed Meek, anxiously
scanning the horizon for a chance sight of the horses.
Higher and higher mounted the sun, the temperature in-
creasing in intensity until the great plain palpitated with
radiated heat, and the horizon flickered almost like a
flame where the burning heavens met the burning earth.
Meek had been drinking a good deal of rum at the fort,
which circumstance did not lessen the terrible consuming
thirst that was torturing him.
   Noon came, and passed, and still the heat and the suffer-
ing increased, the fever and craving of hunger being now
added to that of thirst. On and on, through the whole
of that long scorching afternoon, trotted the old Flathead.
woman in the peculiar traveling gait of the Indian and the
mountaineer, Meek following at a little distance, and go-
ing mad, as he thought, for a little water. And mad he
probably was, as famine sometimes makes its victims.
When night at last closed in, he laid down to die, as the
missionary Smith had done before. But he did not re-
member Smith: he only thought of water, and heard it
running, and fancied the old woman was lapping it like a
wolf. Then he rose to follow her and find it; it was al-