Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-10-09

lahors had been unusually steady and
entirely creditable, it was deemed ad-
Visanie TO gram hI.n q holiday. mere
fore Bellies driver, Tim Murdock, LED
him out of the great Sutro Tunnel and
where he cast off the halter and turned
&C q ap- AllA 10 bleak hlil-top,
Belize adrift-
beizie olnked his brown eyes. The
bright hot sunlight dazzled his vision
airy organs. Four years under ground
is conducive to blindness, and Belize
had pulled ore cars in the drifts of the
deep Comstock mines, and trotted to
and fro through the Sutro Tunnel fully
that length of time. So Belize blinked
his eyes and gazed about him in
dumfounded manner. He didn't know
whether to be pleased with his unusual
freedom or bdIuea at nc loe& "a CA
listing in such a brilli9nt atmosnhern.
Perhaps Belize remained on that par
tlcular tnOn t"~ ir". :
longer. 1t is certain, however, that as
soon as the sun dropped behind the
crest of bald old Mt. Davidson, the
sportive by the time nights sable pail
iell upon the dreary landscape. Thus
did the overworked mules vacation
begin; the days slipped by, and ere
long the bony, long cared, solemn
looking Beelzebub became familiar
object as he roamed about the Vir-
ginia hills.
Strange things will happen, and it
became apparent that this visible
ribbed donkey was thriving on his sage
brush diet His master noted the fact,
and decided to terminate Bellies fur
Tough. Mules were none too plentiful
just then; work was pressing, and,
take it all around, Belize could ill be
spared, especially since he no longer
cut the same figure as did the rack of
bones that emerged from Sutro Tun-
mel four weeks previous. So Tim Muir
dock was detailed to roundup the re-
juvenated Beelzebub. His accustomed
haunts were searched, no brown mule
with the peculiar markings of Belize
could be discovered. Inquiries were
made, but no one remembered seeing
him within the last week. Finally 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 clew, and Tim
got an extra day off, mounted a spare
mule, and struck out in pursuit of the
wandering Belize.
Steamboat is noted for its hot
springs, geysers and the altogether ex-
traordinary formations in and about
that locality. These springs are a
favorte resort for natural scientists,
J and offer splendid field TO the re-
searches of biologists.
There happened to be particularly
Jealous professor sojourning at Steam
| boat about the same time Belize was
rustlng for new growth of bone and
muscle. Two prospectors, firmly be-
lieving they had struck bonanza" :"
were extending an old tunnel in hill
| side, about half mile from the main
springs and geysers of Steamboat.
Quite friendship sprung up between
the young professor and these two
miners The three made frequent ex-
petitions, bent on investigating the
wonders of hot springs, surmising
causes and effects of internal heat. and
the prospectors listened in utter fasci-
nation to the theories propounded by
Professor Mellins.
One sultry night heavy earthquake
/ uh nf tl1,r
Nevada and California. 1t played odd
tricks in and about Steamboat
Springs. The main geyser went dry.
When Professor Mellins discovered
this fact, his rapture knew no bounds.
He recorded yoluminous notes on the
natural phenomenon, and began the
preparation of exhaustive lectures for
future classes to digest. While busily
engaged in jotting down notes, and
gazing into the cayernous dry vent OF
the erstwhile geyser, the two prosrec
tors hove in sight. They were breath
less, tired, yet gasped out voiublt
and excited description of an unprece.
dented freak of nature that had taker
place on the site of their tunnel. 81
! lACOueIeuI was Iue dCCOunJ given Dy
the two men that it was with difficulty
they were understood; but Professor
Mellins comprehended at once thai
something stranger still than the mere
disappearance of the spring had iol
lowed il the wake OF tn" trembler.
"By the trumpeting elements. boys
this is great" Professor Mellins forci
bly, expressed himself by using hi.
favorite term. as he beheld a long ir'
regular flssure beginning a few yard.
from the mouth of the tunnel and run
ming directly into it, extending as fal
as the eye could penetrate the gloom
Putting jets of steam arose in thir
clouds, converting the prospectors' tun
mel into a veritable steam retort. "As
suredly the subterranean force tina
elected the water N the main sprins
has found new outlet here" said Pro
fessor Mellins
But, professor, that amt the phe
nom what amazes us. Just you lister
to the Internal racket"
| Eror, tho in cnolya daci6 or