the bank; and then we discovered that the gourd had
slipped down under his chin, and turned completely around, with the holes
at the back of his head, in which position it was stuck fast.

Patsey groped blindly about for a few minutes, greatly incensed at our
roars of laughter; and then, convinced of his inability to get rid of the
mask unaided, seated himself upon the ground, and quietly submitted to
have it removed by breaking it with rocks.

The instant it was off, he flew at Hal, and would have soundly thrashed
him, "for the thrick he had put upon him," had not Jerry interfered to
prevent. This adventure, however, completely cured Patsey of boasting;
for not once again during the entire trip did he indulge in what had
heretofore been a favorite pastime. Nor was Patsey the only one who
learned a lesson while at the Pimo villages. Master Hal, who was
determined to try his hand at trading with the natives, found it anything
but a profitable business; for he disposed of nearly his entire share of
the stock of goods, for articles that were utterly useless to us, and
which we were obliged to abandon before getting through.

Five days from the Pimo villages, we reached Fort Yuma, at the junction
of the Gila and Colorado rivers; but, with the thermometer at 118 deg. in
the shade, we remained at this post only long enough to cross our wagons
over the Colorado, when we found ourselves upon the borders of the great
California desert, which extends in all directions as far as the eye can
reach, except towards the south-west, where, fifty miles away, a
mountain-range is to be seen, its blue peaks towering high in mid-air.

The entire country, for hundreds of miles, is covered with a loose,
shifting, blinding, white sand, and is entirely destitute of vegetation
or water.

We fancied we were well prepared for the journey over this vast plain;
but, notwithstanding the care taken, we suffered all the torments that
thirst can inflict, while our poor animals almost famished by the way.
Our route was plainly marked, the entire distance, by the bleached bones
and dried carcasses of mules, oxen, and sheep, interspersed with
abandoned wagons and whitened skeletons of emigrants, who had perished on
the way. At one place, we came upon a train of seven abandoned wagons,
loaded with household goods. The harnesses remained where they had been
thrown, after removing them; provisions were lying exposed upon a box, as
though the family had be