CRAZY OLAF AND OTHERS

IN CAMP, August 31, 1914.

DEAR MRS. CONEY,--

We are across the desert, and camped for a few days' fishing on a
shady, bowery little stream. We have had two frosty nights and there
are trembling golden groves on every hand. Four men joined us at
Newfork, and the bachelors have gone on; but Mr. Stewart wanted to
rest the "beasties" and we all wanted to fish, so we camped for a day
or two.

The twenty-eighth was the warmest day we have had, the most
disagreeable in every way. Not a breath of air stirred except an
occasional whirlwind, which was hot and threw sand and dust over us.
We could see the heat glimmering, and not a tree nor a green spot. The
mountains looked no nearer. I am afraid we _all_ rather wished we
were at home. Water was getting very scarce, so the men wanted to
reach by noon a long, low valley they knew of; for sometimes water
could be found in a buried river-bed there, and they hoped to find
enough for the horses. But a little after noon we came to the spot,
and only dry, glistening sand met our eyes. The men emptied the
water-bags for the horses; they all had a little water. We had to be
saving, so none of us washed our dust-grimed faces.

We were sitting in the scant shadow of the wagons eating our dinner
when we were startled to see a tall, bare-headed man come racing
down the draw. His clothes and shoes were in tatters; there were
great blisters on his arms and shoulders where the sun had burned
him; his eyes were swollen and red, and his lips were cracked and
bloody. His hair was so white and so dusty that altogether he was a
pitiful-looking object. He greeted us pleasantly, and said that his
name was Olaf Swanson and that he was a sheep-herder; that he had
seen us and had come to ask for a little smoking. By that he meant
tobacco.

Mrs. O'Shaughnessy was eyeing him very closely. She asked him when he
had eaten. That morning, he said. She asked him _what_ he had eaten;
he told her cactus balls and a little rabbit. I saw her exchange
glances with Professor Glenholdt, and she left her dinner to get out
her war-bag.

She called Olaf aside and gently dressed his blisters with listerine;
after she had helped him to clean his mouth she said to him, "Now,
Olaf, sit by me and eat; show me how much you can eat. Then tell me
what you mean by saying you are a sheep-herder; don't you think we
know there will be no sheep on the desert before t