Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-01-22
DANCING MOUNTAINS
Wondrous Mirage That Came
With the Break of Day.
4 SUNRISE ON THE DESERT.


Our little party OF four, two old hunt
ers and prospectors and two tender
feet" was far out on the Colorado des-
ert, near the Mexican boundary line.
We had pushed on late into the even
ing, cooked a hasty supper and. dead
tired with our hard days march, had
at once rolled ourselves In our blankets.
1 awoke some time later feeling stifr
and uncomfortable. rolled over and
took minute to think out the cause OF
this, ending by lifting my head and
looking about me. The air was per-
fectly clear. and. though no moon was
shining, the night was quite light from
the myriad Of stars that seemed on
the point Of bursting out OF the sky
with the energy OF their twinkling.
My eyes dropped TO the deserts level.
and I looked across Its fat stretch OF
sand. thinly planted with stunted cac-
tus, to the jagged range of low noun
tains that reached along the eastern
horizon.
As l looked a light seemed TO be
growing there. but so slowly that had
to compare that part OF the horizon
with other places to assure myself that
II was there. Little by little It grew
and didused itself upward and out
ward The silhouette OF the noun
tains became more distinct. The stars
on that side Of the sky began to lose
| their briiliancy. y hound. sleeping
( with his back against that OF one OF
/ the guides. broke the Geathlike silence
l rr-sHnn
/ one Of the horses drew a deep Sigh.
/ got 70 his feet. shook himself aud Le-
/ gan 10 MUNICH at q little pile Of hay
/ left over from his evenings meal This
/ little stir Of life had 10 do duty for the
| universal hum and whir and move
/ ment that mark the break % dawn IN
habitable parts of the world Over all
/ this fiat waste no sound or sign OF ami
nation greeted the coming OF another
day. The expanse lay stark and still
while the life awakening light spread
out over the sky.
As I watched the pale blue tinted
glow evenly spread over the eastern
Sky gradually deepened at the bottom
and took on q reddish flush. suddenly
long white beams shot upward. their
tips almost directly above radiating
Ike the ribs Of an open fan These
silvery rays shimmered few moments
and then died down as all at once a
Scinulatng point OF dazzling livhi
flashed out M their base Distant hin
and nearby cactus lcapcd out OF their
semiobscurity and stood up bold and
clear as IN the Garish light Of noonday
The point grew until 10 was the halt
Of blazing disk. which suddenly melt
ed and ran along the horizon. where II
lay. glowing lake OF gold
Then n curious thing happened "a
the low range OF mountains that Lax
beneath and extended beyond the lake
Of gold. They proceeded TO conduct
themselves In manner wholly IN
heard OF in such Sta.d and dicnifet
features OF the topography. Mountain.
have long done yeoman service I'm 100
etry. song and elsewhere in litera
ture rs type Of al that Is firm seated
lasting and unyieldiug. These particu
lar mountains. however. set out {,
make 4 new reputation for their kind
First those IN the shallower waters o.
this lake OF light detached themselve
from their firm set bases and slowl,
toated upward. while their conpau
ions on the dry land at the edge tot
, tered and reeled IN an iutoxication c
amazement 2t their wonderful peg
Torrance. The mountains then sau'
slowly down again upon their bases
, then they jumped up and down quick
y several times Just 70 make sure tina
they had mastered this ACCOMPLISH
ment, new 10 the mountain family
. After taking thought for q momeu
our Gymnastic mountains proceeded q
turn handSprings. alightlnc sometime
on their heads and standing there In
most marvellous manner. couside~.n.
/ how top heavy they must have b,,e,
with their prodiCiouSly big feet thu
M In the air. Their neighbors SCENE,
10 regard this exhibition with q SPUR
or envy which sometimes broke int
emulation, but this emulation proceed
ed no farther than the evolutiOns Of .
Qu2drille. advancing and recedlnc
bowling and scraping. right hand {,
your partner and all hands round
firing 1T last OF this form Of amuSe
ment, our surprising mountains nov
engaged in anOther-one not less aston
iShing. They became workers Of max
&c. painters. scene shutters. and 7 wa.
treated - a most wonderful display o
modern cities and medieval castles
uoaung battlcShipS and cathedralS o
massive and intricate architecture
scenes OF peaceful rural life with sleep
ing lakelets and feeding herds. India,
topee villages and streets or Chicac.
SkyScraperS. II was truly an exhibi
ton Of most bewildering magnidcenc,
and variety. and I know must hav,
watched ii with mouth agaDe.
But something meanwhile was han
peninS 10 our lake Of fire. It was dry
ING up and all al once condensed inf.
I huge blazing ball. hanging clear a.,
the horizon. Our mountains. who's,
antics were thus so near 10 being re-
vealed in the broad light Of day. swift
" sought their accustomed places and
after final tremble or two reaSSumed
the severe demeanor. the unmoving at
utude and stony stare that their kind
always present TO the world. EXCEPT n,
daybreak on the deSert.-Harvey II
keSSler in Los Angeles Times.
from which he was rescued. On Marcl