Our first night’s camp was out on the barren waterless plain, now known as the Mojave Desert.  There were no shrubs large enough to make a fire of, and nothing to tie our cattle to, so we fastened all our animals together to keep them from scattering and getting lost.  We ate a little dry meat and drank sparingly of the water, for our scanty stock was to last us another day, when we might reach prospective water holes.  Starting early, John and I took all but Old Crump and the other travelers, and hurried on to try and find the water holes as early as possible.  We, as well as the oxen were very dry, for we left all the water we had with the party, for the children, for they cannot endure the thirst as the older people can.  We reached the camping place before night.  Quite a time before we reached it, the cattle seemed to scent the water and quickened their pace, so we were confident it had not dried up.  We got ahead of the oxen and kept there until we reached the little pond and then guarded it to keep them from wading into it, in their eagerness to reach some drink.  They all satisfied their thirst, and then we removed the harness, built a fire of the dead cabbage trees which we found round about, laid down the beds and arranged them neatly, and had all nicely done before the rear guard came up, in charge of Captain Crump.  The party was eager for water and all secured it.  It was rain water and no doubt did not quench thirst as readily as water from some living spring or brook.  There was evidence that there had been a recent shower or snow to fill this depression up for our benefit.  The Jayhawkers had passed not more than a half mile north of this spot, but no sign appeared that they had found it, and it was left to sustain the lives of the women and children.

It often occurs to me that many may read incredulously when I speak of our party eating the entire flesh of an ox in four or five days.  To such I will say that one cannot form an idea how poor an ox will get when nearly starved so long.  Months had passed since they had eaten a stomachful of good nutritious food.  The animals walked slowly with heads down nearly tripping themselves up with their long, swinging legs.  The skin loosely covered the bones, but all the flesh and muscles had shrunk down to the smallest space.  The meat was tough and stringy as basswood bark, and tasted strongly of bitter sage brush the cattle had eaten at almost every camp.  At a dry camp the oxen would lie down and grate their teeth, but they had no cud to chew.  It looked almost merciless to shoot one down for food, but there was no alternative.  We killed our poor brute servants to save ourselves.  Our cattle found a few bunches out among the trees at this camp and looked some better in the morning.  They had secured plenty of water and some grass.

Young Charlie Arcane seemed to grow worse rather than better.  His whole body was red as fire, and he screamed with the pain and torment of the severe itching.  Nothing could be done to relieve him, and if his strength lasted till we could get better air, water and food he might recover, but his chances were very poor.