The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1884-08-08
Mushroom Growth.

that region the BOYS one night had a
queer experience. They had spread
their blankets on level patch Of ground
under the lee Of a allig rock and turned
m for the night Both men had been
asleep for some hours. when they were
awakened by the shaking Of the earth.
"what was that 2" demanded Bill.
"What was thaty" returned Jack.
"why. thought l felt myself shak.
ing"
"well. so did 1; hut what theny II
was merely n light earthquake shock.
The men were soon asleep again. but
presently Bill awoke and cried out:
"Jack, what are you poking me for p
"Meg That's good; what for are you
poking me?"
Il have done nothing of the kind"
"Therel" cried Jack; "there il Is again.
Did you feel IL. Bill?'
II feel it now." said Bill. "Thereis
something lifting the bed"
"Blowed II there isn't and don't you
hear that queer ticking and cracking
noise?"
"Deyil, yes and the ground is Ger.
tainly heaving up. Damn If don't be-
lieye there's hot spring breaking out
square under u.s."
"By the Lord Harry, that's just what
Il Is. " hat queer smell there isl
Don't you notice it?" and Jack arose Ia
sitting posture. Looking about, he
said: "lts devilish dark. but I'm going
TO get up and see what's going on here. >
As Jack so remarked, he threw out his
legs to arise bat instead of striking the
ground with his feet, as he expected to
do. he found his legs suspended in the
air-he couldn't touch bottom.
"Good heavens!" he cried, "here's the
devil to pay The earth has opened
and we are lying on the edge of crev.
ice that may be n thousand feet deer
for all we can tell Put out your hand
Bill, and see IL you can touch ground
on your slde.'
No ground In reach" answered Bill
after cropping about for u tine; Tthere
must also he big crack on this side
We seem TO tottering on a mere pima
Gle of ground
"Yes, and the way it's heaving and
working under us it's liable to tumble
In at any moment, But what can we
do in the dark =" and Jack groaned.
The two men lay in n Precipitation of
fear for nearly two hours before the
gray of dawn began to streak the EAST,
being each moment sturbed by mys-
terious motions beneath their blankets,
which came pressing up like strong
bubbles rising through bed of thick
mud.
When daylight came the two men, to
their great wonder, found that instead
OF there being crevice on each side of
them, their bed had been lifted bodily,
and stood more than six feet above the
level of the ground.
Bill says that still in great fright he
jumped 10 the ground.
Then he saw wonderful sight. All
under the bed was perfect mass of
mushrooms. IL was the mushrooms
springing up beneath the blanket that
had lifted them into the air and given
them such fright.
Said Bill, "the only way To account
for such groWth is, that the lee of the
rock is an old camping place of the In-
dians, and the ground was naturally
moist and rich. The germs of the
mushroom arg everywhere in the earth
ready to spring into life. That mass of
mushrooms would have been fortune
to us il we could have at once landed
the bunch whole in San Francisco. We
were afterward somewhat disturbed by
mushrooms coming up of nighta and
rolling us out of bed, but we had come
to understand them and were not so
frightened as we were that night under
the lee OF the big rock. We saw some
that we Travelled two miles TO reach.
thinking they were the tents of pros
pectors. No doubt you have heard
something about the big mushrooms
that are growing out in eastern Neva-
da this season. Well one night one
came us squarely between me and Jack.
All at once 1t gave a mighty heaye and
sent Jack rolling down the side of the
mountain and left Inc hanging over
the edge Of A.; but there Is Jack
now across the street. Excuse me |
want TO see him about our assays" and
away Bill rushed TO meet his chum.
''Let me tell you sir" said would-be
savant of large pretentions, "that my
present knowledge cost me 10000 thai
ers and the labor of lifetime to ac-