The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-11-02


is sage. 'All righ,, Mellins. we'll be
ID in the morning
l. Greatest recent phenomenon, dc
e tor, guarantee YOU"
u Thank you, professor; will be eli
I to investigate it. See you in the NOR
q ing. Gooaby."
'Goodby"
PROFESSOR Mellins paced nervous
between the dry basin OF the la
Queen OF the Springs and that fres
creVice at the tunnel. He heard wit
satisfaction the irregularly repeate
rumbles, denoting unparalleled interic
disturbances.
Hours will slip by, no matter no,
tedious the minutes hang. DR.. Endlir
with Professors Smith and Lander
ana couple of newspaper reporters
ahghted the following morning from
the bright yellow ~. & T." coaches
Professor Mellins greeted them will
delight, his ruddy face beaming as onl,
a mans can who has played the stellar
part In oommendable act.
Time was a valuable item to these
scientists, and, directly after a light
lunch, the party sailed forth to inves-
ligate the outbursts of Dame Nature
PROFESSOR Mellins piIoted them to the
gaping hole where the madly boiling
waters were so suddenly and complete
~ 1nguifed. This ostensible fact duly
impressed the learned men. and they
examined everything in a practiced
ana professional manner.
But We fail to hear the internal ex-
pioslons, Professor Mellins.''
An, that you soon will, Dr. Endlin:
pray accompany me up this hill, and
VIII conduct you to the SPOT"
NOW, various reports had spread
rapidly and over wide field in regard
TO this shaking up of the earth at
steamboat Springs. Accounts varied
from faint rumor describing a dried-
UP spring to the disappearance of the
"hoie Steamboat station. 1t depended
OF course, on the number of times the
tale hao been repeated. Curiosity got
.he better OF a number of these good
people, consequently the scientists he
neid at least score of men and
women persistently following in their
wake.
Inc assure still zigzagged into the
tunnel; hot, vapory clouds hung over
the crevice; but the activity of the
steam-Jets could not be COMPARED with
tnose OF the preceding day. Professor
Meiiins looked slightly crestfallen. The
TWO prospectors, not having a reputa-
tlon at stake. took cheerier view of
Things. Besides, they were not ex-
eager to have their bo-
hanza tunnel forever filled with steam
ana uncanny noises echoing through
IL. therefore, after a few minutes
spent In silently and fruitlessly en-
ieaVoring to catch a subterranean
crash, one OF the prospectors inter-
;eded with: We'll, Doc. this here nbe-
1omenon kinder goes by fits and starts
ina IL pars to be restin' betwit a fit
ma a start right now; but Just Won
Wait a spell"
ana they awaited a spell-nearlv
lalf an hour; long enough tn disg,st
ne simply curious, and several re-
raced their steps toward the hotel
sting iall rather uncomplimentary re-
iarks about pack of fools" Even
ne patient DIR. Endlin strobe back and
'rth somewhat perturbed in thinking
oout MS fatiguing trip and the pre-
GUS time wasted.
n.,N 1
but the long-expected really han
'neu. A fierce column of steam
thed up from the fissure. quickly
lcceeded by two lesser upheayals.
en- a rasping groan, drawn out in
rKy notes, each more weird and l
'netrating than the foregoing. 1t Gre
cd big sensation everybody c
Aed at everybody else; the incredu- 4
is ones trembled, and the prospector
10 uttered the suggestion wait
ell, shouted out, "What'd 7 tell "
~" b
When the last vibrations of the sur. e
sing din died away, Professor Mel. u
tairly Rugged himself for low DR.
am said nothing when pressed for
opinion. The lesser lights volun. LII
red their private theories; those Vi
mad deserted in disgust appeared Of
N the scene once more.
IN interval of quietude prevailed
scarcely a sign of steam could no I'll
erved at the jagged rent in Mother "
TN. Nevertheless. dozen men had Oh
rd the unearthly racket: these IN
e busily engaged in telling the Isl
srs just how it sounded, and bid sp
them to remain and convince al
nselves in spite of their in M
Iulity.. ga
was this aggregation of humanity
caught the eye of Tim Murdoch.
mad been scanning the country all
way down from Virginia City for la
or sight of the vagrant Beelzebub. .ns
was not a man who let slip an o.
rtunity of finding out a bit of uel
J, and he refined his mule up the III
leading to the group of people at aro
mouth. on
hwat's the disturbance, Hank?" oei
s you. is it, Tim? Disturbance, ant
say? Well, | wonder! If Won LOO
heard underground thunder. CON
J your chance"
aith. an did yez have an airth. A
g here, Hank?" und
Ire. Tim. It's paralyzed our bo. nea
tunnel, and locked up a roarin' drol
inside of it, to boot" abo
hos the gintlemen with the est
S and KNOWN jibs?' in d
1entists. Tim, and they hail from mer
big institution of big learning" thar
Iakers, an yez are sthrictly in it the
er little wan-horse tunnel, amt Dope
iank?" has
Hank nodded ready acquies- stra'
ter.
mad guided his mule directly in at a
OF the tunnel; he halted there
azed in open-eyed establishment. Pc
lule appeared unduly interested. throl