The Scouting Expeditions of McCulloch's Texas Rangers; or, the Summer and Fall Campaign of the Army of the United States in Mexico--1846; including Skirmishes with the Mexicans, and an accurate detail of the Storming of Monterey; also the Daring Scouts at Buena Vista together with anecdotes, incidents, descriptions of country, and sketches of the lives of the celebrated partisan chiefs, Hays, McCulloch, and Walker. Page: 48
251 p. : ill. ; 20 cm.View a full description of this book.
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48 THE WATER-HOLE.
The weather was so unmercifully hot, that to prevent our horses'
backs from scalding, we had frequently to dismount, and unsaddle,
and rub them dry before we could proceed. The poor beasts
seemed to feel the heat more sensibly, if possible, than we did.
The tardy step, the half-closed eye, the drooping head, and
the panting and expanded nostril, plainly manifested the degree
and extent of their sufferings. Water was demanded on every
side. We had emptied our gourds and canteens of their contents
early in the day, and were now suffering intolerably from
thirst.
" Water! can't that infernal guide find us water ?" shouted a
voice in the rear.
"( Keep quiet there, men," said McCulloch; " scatter out on both
sides of the road, and see if you can find a water-hole."
The order was promptly obeyed, and the men rode off in all directions
to prosecute the search.
The sun was about half an hour high, when a horseman came
galloping up with the joyful news that he had found a water-hole
about half a mile to the right. Helter-skelter, without order the
party scampered off to reach the quenching nectar of their burning
thirst. It was a wild, hard race, but McCulloch reached it
first, and dismounting, threatened to shoot the first man that rode
into the pond. The water-hole was a mere mud-puddle at best.
and could not have contained much over a hogshead of water;
so that, had not our captain taken the precautions he did, it
would not have sufficed for half of the company. For man and
beast had suffered so much for want of water, that when they did
reach it, they were inclined to rush into the middle of the pond,
which would have rendered it unfit, even for the animals. The
order was now given for every man to dismount and fill his canteen
and gourd, and drink sufficient to satisfy himself; afterwards
the horses were led up to the edge, and allowed to drink
without muddying the water. Notwithstanding it was stagnant
and lukewarm, it was drunk with avidity. The pack-mules' turn
came next, but they were not so easily managed, for in spite of our
exertions, two or three broke away, and after running into the
middle of the little pond, and taking their fill, they rolled over and
over into the mud, seeming to enjoy extremely the pleasuresof
the bath. Luckily for them, we had all drunk as much as
we wanted, or the poor beasts would have paid dearly for their
pleasure.
Several of the men, who had wandered about during the day
in search of water, had eaten large quantities of the ripe prickly/
pear, which grows in great abundance all over the country. Th6
fruit is much in shape like a pear, of a blood red colour, very
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Reid, Samuel C., Jr. The Scouting Expeditions of McCulloch's Texas Rangers; or, the Summer and Fall Campaign of the Army of the United States in Mexico--1846; including Skirmishes with the Mexicans, and an accurate detail of the Storming of Monterey; also the Daring Scouts at Buena Vista together with anecdotes, incidents, descriptions of country, and sketches of the lives of the celebrated partisan chiefs, Hays, McCulloch, and Walker., book, 1859; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth38096/m1/52/?rotate=270: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.