Forthemostpartthesurfaceofthehillswasnaked-dryandcomposedofsandandrock。Ourwayfollowedthesand-bottomsbetweenthehills。Andthesand-bottomswerebare，saveforspotsofscrub，withhereandthereshorttuftsofdryandwitheredgrass。
Watertherewasnone，norsignofwater，exceptforwashedgulliesthattoldofancientandtorrentialrains。
Myfatherwastheonlyonewhohadhorsestohiswagon。Thewagonswentinsinglefile，andasthetrainwoundandcurvedIsawthattheotherwagonsweredrawnbyoxen。Threeorfouryokeofoxenstrainedandpulledweaklyateachwagon，andbesidethem，inthedeepsand，walkedmenwithox-goads，whoproddedtheunwillingbeastsalong。OnacurveIcountedthewagonsaheadandbehind。I
knewthattherewerefortyofthem，includingourown；foroftenI
hadcountedthembefore。AndasIcountedthemnow，asachildwilltowhileawaytedium，theywereallthere，fortyofthem，allcanvas-topped，bigandmassive，crudelyfashioned，pitchingandlurching，grindingandjarringoversandandsage-brushandrock。