Im crossing Death Valley and I thought Id call on
you. Adams stride made three ofone of these steps. The limit that he had put upon
his endurance was to reach the shack. After breakfast Adam set out to find his
burros.
It stirred Adams blood, so sluggish this
morning.
Yet this rugged, bold, uneven surface of
mountainwall shone in the sunlight. If the desert could develop invincible energy of
strengthin a man, he would earn it.
Sheeluded Adam, for she was a quick and nimble
burro.
But self-preservation was the first instinct and
the first law ofhuman nature, or any nature.
Different here was it from the place miles below
where Adamhad crossed. Virey had areason for finding a hell on earth.
She had a white face and large, deep eyes, strained
and sad.
The woman suddenly seemed to be struck with Adams
tone, or theappearance of him.
It was as if she had not particularly noticed him
atfirst. These are few, but, taken by the years, theyseem many.
Death Valley was more than sixty miles long and
from seven to twelvewide.
After he had unpacked near theshack, his first move
was to light a candle and take it to the door. Adam persevered, but the labour
ofholding him was greater than that of supporting him.
This was the margin of theplace that from afar had
looked like a frozen stream.
Sheeluded Adam, for she was a quick and nimble
burro.
How impossible to realise that, untilconfronted by
physical proofs of the passing of time!
Virey had areason for finding a hell on earth. It
was necessary to findnarrow places in these and leap across. Maam, is your husband
just right in his mind?
Does he know that a white woman absolutely cannot
live here in DeathValley?
Of whatavail the strong arm, the desert-taught
fierceness to survive? I slept better than for long, she replied, and I think I
knowwhy. By atom and by mass it was in motion, working down to a level. Perhaps if
you watch him awhile you can tell. Thatmust be the secret of the power of the desert
over men.
No, itwas a man crawling on hands and knees. Inside
the little shack it was almost too dark to see plainly.
The usual spring and buoyancy of his physical being
was lacking this day.
Sir, I thank you again, she replied, her voice
thrilling richly. My husband watches me like a hawk, but not yet does he know
myfears. Sir, your kind words warm a cold and forlorn heart, she said. Adam decided
to pitch his permanent camp, or at leastsleeping place, here on the
grass.
It was a valley where nature had been prodigalof
her treasures and terrible in her hold upon them. Thatmust be the secret of the
power of the desert over men.