The Saint Paul globe., 1901-04-02


| seen better -slay ays-and in view of the fac
that his ribs were protruding in trul,
| remarkable style, and that his labor:
had been unusually steady and entirely
| creditable, it was deemed advisable tt
grant him holiday Therefore Belize.
| driver Tim Murdoch, led him out of the
| great Sutro Tunnel and accompanied hin
to bleak hill top. where he cast of
! the halter and turned Belize adrift.
There are 10 very productive grazing
! districts in the vicinity of Virginia City
and Bellies prospects OF recuperating
| lest vfgor did not promise we'll Knolls
and gullies covered with scant sag
brush, varied by patches OF alkali, void
/ even of brush, were not pleasing tc
behold, nor did they TEEN with proven,
der. But then mule resembles a goal
in at least two respects-he can clint
well ard Is able to subsiSt on the most
| impossible fare
Belize blinled his brown eyes T. {
| bright hot sunlight dazzled his visual
| organs Four years under ground is
| conducive TO blindness, and Beize ha6
| pulled ore cars in the drifts of the dee I
| Comstock mines and trotted TO and frc
| through the Sutro Tunnel fully that
| length of time So Belize blinked hi;
| eyes and gazed about him in dumb.
founded manner. He didn't know wheth-
| er to be pleased with his unusual free
| dom, or panied at the idea of existing
| in such brilliant atmosphere.
Perhaps Belize remained on that par
| ticular knoll two hours, perhaps longer
It is certain. however, that as soon as
the sun dropped behind the crest of bald
| old Mt. Davidson, the mule seemed re-
| lieved; he grew quite sportive by the
time nights sable pail fell upon the
dreary landscape. This condition of af-
fairs appeared natural to Belize only
! his movements were not limited to the
! narrow confines Of an underground drift
or tunnel. And then, much to his re-
| lief, no everlasting car ratified at his
i heels. oh. indeed this mule was happy
and he almost forgot to forage for fool
so interested did he become in exploring
! the boundless scope of his new quarters
! Thus did the over-worked mules vaca-
tion begin; the days slipped by. and ere
! long the bony, long -eared, solemn-look-
ing Beelzebub became a familiar object
! as he roamed about the Virginia hills
Strange things will happen, and it be-
| came apparent that this visible-rfbbed
| donkey was thriving on his sage brush
| diet. His master noted the fact and de-
| cided to terminate Bellies furlough
| Mules were none too plentiful just then;
| work was pressing, and take it all
/ around, Belize could i'll be spared espe-
! cially since he no longer cut the same
| emerged from Sutro tunnel four weeks
! previous. So Tim Murdoch was detailed
| to roundup the rejuvenated Beelzebub
His accustomed haunts were searched; /;
| no brown mule with the peculiar mark
| ings Of Belize could be discovered. In
| quiries We're made but no one renem,
! bered seeing him within the last week.
| inally the stage driver informed Tim
! that he '=seen a mule ambling down
Geiger Grade, pretty close to Steamboat
| Springs day before yesterday" This
seemed a self-evident cIew. and Tim got
an extra day off, mounted a spare mule,
and struck out in pursuit Of the wander
ing Belize.
Steamboat is noted for its hot springs.
geysers and the altogether extraor-
| binary formations in and about that
! locality. These springs are a favorite
resort for natural scientists, and offer
| a splendid field to the researches Of
| geelogists.
| There happened to be particularly
Jealous professor sojourning at Steam
boat about the same time Belize was
rustling for a new growth of bone and
| muscle. Two prospectors, firmly belieY
| ing they had struck a ''bcnanza," were
| extending an old tunnel III a hillside,
about half a mile from the main springs
and geysers of Steamboat. Quite a
| friendship sprung up between the young
| professor and these two miners. The
| three made frequent expeditions, bent
on inyestiga ting the wonders of hot
/ springs, surmiSing causes and effects OF
1 internal heat, and the prospeetors listen
| ed in utter fascination to the theories
l. hpropounded by Prof. MellinS.
/ One sHltry night a heavy earthquake
/ shook up a goodly portion of Western
/ Nevada ana California. It played odd
I tricks in and about Steamboat Springs.
Mellins discovered this fact, his rapture
knew no bounds. He recorded yofuInin>
GUS notes on the natural phenomenon,
| and began the preparation Of exhaustive
I lectures for future classes to digest.
/ While busily engaged in jotting down
notes, and gazing into the cavernous dry
/ vent of the erstwhile geyser, the two
prespeetors hove in sight. They were
| breathless, tired, yet gasped out volu-
| bic and excited description of an Iln-
precedented freak of nature that had
/ taken place on the site of their tunnel.
/ So incoherent was the account given by
| the two men that it was with difficulty
they were understood; but Prof. Mellins
| comprehended at, once that something
| stranger still than the mere disappear
sance of the spring had followed in the
| wake of the temblor.
"By the trumpeting elements, boys, this
is great!' Professor Mellins foreibiy ex-
| pressed himself by using his favori {
| term, as he beheld a long, irregu al
| fssure beginning few yards from the
| mouth Of the tunnel and running directly
! into it, extending as far as the eye coulG
| penetrate the gloom. Putting jets ol
! steam arose in thin clouds, converting tht
! prospectors' tunnel into veritable steam
| retort "Assuredly the subterranear
| force that elected the water in the mair
/ spring has found a new outlet here,
! said Professor Mellins
| "But, professor, that amt the phenom
what amazes US. Just you listen to the
! Internal racket
Even as the miner spoke a decided
rumbling resounded within the tunnel
| it grated on the ears and appeared te
! emanate from the very bowels of the
] earth. The three were silent; the mys-
terious workings of natures unseen anc
| powerful forces appalled, them. Another
| cloud of steam spurted up; another
| grinding roar; it reverberated in a jerky
hollow manner, then dwindled away to
an almost metallic gurgle. The miners
bronzed faces turned shade paler.
Boys this is wonderful wonderful
| If Dr. Endlin were only here! Trumpet
ing elements! I have it. I'll telephone
! him. He cannot afford to miss the op-
portunity of beholding this odd spec.
| tacle" Impulsive Professor Mellins lei
| his inpulsive enthusiasm have full sway
/ and with the final rumbling sound echo
! ing in his ears, he dashed maGly dowr
! the hill to the hotel.
! His impatience and anxiety caused HIN
! to speak harshly to the hello" girls
and by the time he got San francisco
his mind was turbulent. Nevertheless
telephone facilities in the Far Wes