Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1908-02-13
DANCING MOUNTAINS
Wondrous Mirage That Came
With the Break Of Day.
A SUNRISE ON THE DESERT,

Strange and Fantastic Scenes on the
Arid Wastes Of the colorado-An
Aerial Exhibition Of Most eewider-
Ina Maenificence and Variety.
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 hasty supper and, dead
tired with our hard days march, had
at once rolled ourselves in our blankets
awoke some time later feeling stiff
and uncomfortable. rolled over and
took a 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 looked across its fiat 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 light seemed to be
growing there, but SO slowly that I had
to compare that part of the horizon
with other places to assure myself that
1t vas there. Little by little it grew
and diffused 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 brilliancy. A hound, sleeping
with his back against that Of one OF
the guides, broke the deathlike silence
with long drawn, muffled whine.
One of the horses drew a deep sigh,
got to his feet, shook himself and be-
gan to MUNICH at little pile of hay
left over from his evenings meal. This
little stir of life had to do duty for the
universal hum and whir and move
ment that mark the break of dawn In
habitable parts of the world. Over all
this fat waste no sound or sign Of AMI
nation greeted the coming Of another
day. The expanse laystark and still
while the life awakening light spread
| OUT over the SKY.
AS l watched the pale blue tinted
glow evenly spread over the eastern
sky gradually deepened at the bottom
and took on reddish flush. Suddenly
long white beams shot upward, their
tips almost directly above radiating
like the ribs of an open fan. These
silvery rays shimmered few moments
and then died down as all at once a
scintillating point Of dazzling light
flashed out at their base. Distant hill
and nearby cactus leaped out Of their
semiobscurity and stood up bold and
clear as in the garish light of MONDAY.
The point grew until it was the half
Of blazing disk, which suddenly melt
ed and ran along the horizon, where 1t
lay. glowing lake Of gold.
Then curious thing happened to
the low range of mountains that lay
beneath and extended beyond the lake
Of gold. They proceeded to conduct
themselves in manner wholly I'M
heard of in such staid and dignified
features of the topography. Mountains
have long done yeoman service in po-
4 cry oOae5 SlSCMnClC All lllGI0-
ture as type of all that is firm seated,
lasting and unyielding These particu-
lar mountains, however, set out to
make new reputation for their kind
First those in the shallowcr waters of
this lake Of light detached themselves
from their firm set bases and slowly
dOated upward, while their compan-
ions on the dry land at the edge tot
tered and reeled in an intoxication Of
amazement at their wonderful per-
Torrance. The mountains then sank
slowly down again upon their bases;
then they jumped up and down quick
" several times just to make sure that
they had mastered this accomplish
ment, new to the mountain family.
After taking thought for a moment
our gymnastic mountains proceeded to
turn handsprings, alighting sometimes
on their heads and standing there in a
most marvellous manner, considering
how top heavy they must have been
with their prodigiously big feet thus
up in the air. Their neighbors seemed
to regard this exhibition with squirt
Of envy which sometimes broke into
emulation, but this emulation proceed
ed no farther than the evolutions Of a
quadrille, advancing and receding,
bowling and scraping, right hand to
your partner and all hands round.
firing at last of this form of amuse-
ment, our surprising mountains now
engaged in another-one not less aston
fishing. They became workers of mag.
ic, painters, scene Shutters, and was
treated to a most wonderful display of
modern cities and medieval castles
floating battleships and cathedrals of
massive and intricate architecture
scenes Of peaceful rural life with sleep.
ing lakelets and feeding herds, Indian
tepee villages and streets Of Chicago
skyscrapers. 1t was truly an exhibi
ton Of most bewildering magnificence
and variety, and know must have
watched 1t with mouth agape.
But something meanwhile was hap
pening to our lake OF fire. 1t was dry
ing up and all at once condensed into
huge blazing ball. hanging clear OF
the horizon. Our mountains, whose
antics were thus SO near to being re
vcaled in the broad light of day, swift
II sought their accustomed places anl
after n final tremblc or Two reassumct
the severe demcanor, the unmoving Mt
titudc and stony stare that their kind
always present to the world except a
daybreak on the desert-Harvey II