Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/111

 bank.

CH VPTER XXIV.

CFFECTS OF OUR JOURNEY THE MYSTERY

SOLVED EXPLORATION- GAME A SUP POSED DISCOVERY OF GOLD TRAVELS RE SUMED IN SIGHT OF THE SIERRA NEVADA

INDIANS REACH THE MOUNTAINS

ASCENT TEN THOUSAND FEET ABOVE THE

SEA SNOW SUFFERINGS AN INDIAN

HUT HOSPITAi TY IN SIGHT OF THE SA CRAMENTO ARRIVAL AT SUTTER's.

ON the following morning, we found our limbs so stiff and sore, as scarcely to be able to move about With great difficulty we gained the rivei, and bathed ourselves in its cool, refreshing waters, as on the eve ning previous. The result of this seemed rery beneficial; but still we suffered too much from our recent almost superhuman exertions, to think of leaving our present locality for a day or two at least.

Looking back over the desert which had nearly cost us our lives, we could barely perceive the shadowy outline of some of the highest peaks of the Bear River and Wahsatch Mountains; but not a trace of that ridge whereon we had stood before entering this unexplored territory, from whence we had beheld distant oases and streams, none of which, save the first, had been found on our route. How this could be, was a matter of serious speculation, until Huntly suggested the fact of our hav ing looked more to the southward than westward. His observation struck me quite forcibly; for I now remembered hav ing examined our compass, shortly after leaving the Indians, and of altering our course to the right, although previously I remembered, too, feeling somewhat sur prised at the time, that we had become so turned, but had afterward forgotten the trifling circumstance at least what then appeared trifling though, as events prov ed finally, a circumstance of life and death.

This then solved the mystery! We had come clue west, instead of west by south, and consequently had missed the very points we thought before us, and which would have saved the lives of our poor beasts.

For two days we remained on the bank of the stream, which we not inappropri ately named Providence Creek, without venturing away the listance of thirty rods

during the whole time. On the morning of the third day, we found our limbs so pliable, and our strength so far recruited, a$ to think ourselves justified in resuming our travels, or at all events in making an exploration of the ridge above us.

Accordingly, ascending to the summit of the hill which was densely covered with a wood somewhat resembling ash, though not so large we made out the up lands here to cover an area of five miles in breadth by twenty in length, running almost due north and south, and composed of two parallel ridges, full of springs of fine water, some of which ran outward and formed the stream we had first gained, and others inward, forming another in the valley between, both ot which, taking a southerly course, united on the way, and entered at last into a beautiful lake, bare ly visible from the highest point, and which also appeared the grand reservoir of the surrounding country.

Our present locality was a rich and beautiful desert island, and had our horses been here, they would have fared sumptu ously on the green, luxuriant grass of the valley. To the best of our judgment, this spot had never before been visited by human being, as no signs indicative there of could be found. The only game we could discover, were a few grbund animals resembling the rabbit, and some gay plum ed birds. We killed a few of each, and on dressing and cooking them, found their flavor, especially the former, very delicious and nutritive.

In this manner we spent a week on Mount Hope, as we termed the ridge, mak ing explorations, killing game, &c., and at the end of this time found our wonted health and spirits nearly restored. We knew not what was before us, it is true; but as kind Providence had almost mirac ulously preserved us through so many dangers, we no longer had dread of our journey, nor fears of our safely reaching the valley of the Sacramento, at which point we aimed.

One thing in our rambles struck us quite forcibly that in the beds of nearly all the streams we examined, we found a fine yellow substance, mixed with the dirt and sands, which had every appearance of gold. As we had no means of testing