The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1895-01-31
BENTON, LOUISIANA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 3d. 1895

81 don't know about its diving, my
man, but it is Undoubtedly volcanic"
well. l s'pose that's wot makes
everything SO precious hot" growled
the honest tar, wiping his streaming
| forehead.
do you know. I rather think that
comes from the heat of the sea-" OBJ
Served Dr. Readon, as quietly as ever.
"Wot? the sea git b'ilin' hotr' cried
| Gaskett, with an air of desperation, as
| it this were too much to bear.
well, fish up a bucketful, and try
for yourself, if you don't believe me-"
| said the immovable professor, with
placid smile
$50 it's, by jingo! it's b'ilin' and no
mistake" cried the astonished seaman,
dipping his finger into the bucket
that he had drawn up, and hastily
withdrawing it. "Well. I've seed the
water warm in the Gulf stream. but
that warn't nothin' to this; why, Pm
blowed if yer couldn't bile a hegg
in it!'
Very likely, Mr.. Gaskett," re-
joined the scientist, becoming sud-
denly grave; land that's sign, un-
less I'm very greatly mistaken. that
you're going to see a sample of the
volcanic action about which you
heard me talk such as you won't for
| get in hurry
In fact, once or twice in the course
of that morning the smooth surface of
the bay was suddenly and strangely
agitated, though not a breath OF
wind was stirring; and on each of
these occasions a weird, hollow, un-
earthly rumble came sullenly from the
depths below.
Daddy Neptune's been and cotched
a cold" said one of the sailors, fore
| ing laugh; but his mates were in
no mood to join in the merriment, for
these mysterious phenomena, follow
ng 50 closely upon the equally mys-
terious hints of the professor, made
them all more uneasy than they would
have cared to confess.
All at once louder rum bling was
heard, the water boiled and bubbled
like seething caldron, several huge
waves came rolling in upon the shore.
making the anchored steamer rock
!: like toy, and then, to the amaze
, ment and terror of all who beheld it,
, small rocky islet heaved itself up in
the center of the bay to height of
more than thirty feet above the sur
face.
AS soon as the convulsion had SUBJ
| sided Prof Readon turned to the
astounded captain, and said, as coolly
as if the whole thing had taken place
by preconcerted arrangement:
Capt. Barnes, if you can spare me
one of your boats for half an hour or
so should like to examine that island
little"
you're quite welcome to the boat
answered the captain, with a grin;
"but if you mean to land upon that
island, expect you'll have job of it
to get anybody to go along with YOU"
In fact, SO far from being slow of
belief any longer, the sailors, after
what they had just seen, were now
ready to believe anything upon earth;
and for some time they turned a deaf
ear to all the doctors persuasions to
venture near the "blowed-up hisland."
At last old Ben Gaskett said, with i'm
pressive solemnity:
well, Mr. Readon, if you'll promise
as how that ERE hisland sha'n't go
down again until we gifts clear of it,
we'll take the risk"
The professor at once gave the re-
quired pledge, for his knowledge of
such phenomena was sufficient to as
sure him that there was no immediate
danger, and few minutes later the
boat was on its way to the newborn
island.
AS they neared it, Ben Gaskett (who
was steering) gave sudden start and
called out in a tone of the utmost as
tonishment: ''Why, Pm Dutchman
if there amt houses on it!'
$50 there are, sure enough" cried
the professor, looking keenly at the
mysterious island. swell, there, you
see, is plain proof that this island
must have risen and gone down again
once before, for they don't build
houses at the bottom of the sea-"
In truth, eve-y man of them could
now see plainly among the rocks of