Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-03-27

7 fleeces OF mist waved like bog-cottor
on phantom stalks.
They were coming down at length
INTO more urban country. Here were
not only trees but telegraph posts set
ting out on their journey over hill
and dale. Here were byreS and barns
/ mere were bills plaStered upon post and
/ tree. Walter Stokes kept his ewes
/ straight In front of him. There was q
certain glazed expression In them
He did not feel well this morning
They were going uphill now, the
last hill Of any size they had TO take
on the homeward journey. The car
was going sweetly in high gear, pro-
PEELED by the impetus the last down.
ward slope had given them They had
almost reached the top OF the hill now.
Below the hill the level land extended
all the way to the bashonS OF Edin-
burgh.
Wen not be long now" murmured
Spender. He sensed that this friend
was not feeling at his best. Would
you like me to take over?" But Stokes
did not reply. He did not seem to have
heard him
And so this moment they attained
the hilltop. The car seemed to pause
Tor one moment, then resume its fatal
hummed. But another sound than
these assailed the dawn-time air.
Bib" screamed Walter Stokes.
Bill Lookl" Stokes eyes were CLASSY
with horror. They saw a sight pre-
poSterous, chimerical, a sight which
was not there. On the main road which
here curved round westward under the
hills 1t seemed TO him that a terrific
cavalcade deployed its length
camels and elephants, camelS and ele-
plants. The unreal denizens of that
world OF alcoholic nightmare rode
between the camelS
humps or walked on bare feet beside
the monstrous trunks Of the elephants,
their eastern robes swinging as they
moved.
"Do you see?" shrieked Walter
Stokes again. Are they there?"
Are what there2" Bill Spender
shouted back. For it had seemed to
him, too. that his eyes had beheld
hing which manifestly they could not
be beholding at all. It had seemed to
him, too, he saw a line of elephants
slung across the milky morning mist, |
comical creatures of mirage woven
out Of the last moonbeaIns and the |
first rays Of the risen sun. Are what |
.here?" he cried out He refused to |
believe they were there unless he re-
;eived independent confederation.
But there was not time for an an |
wer to be given him. Walter Stokes had /
zone mad. He had gone mad. He had /
fitted both hands from the wheel to /
hut the hideous delusion from his
yes. The car Swerved at fifty miles
n hour towards the deep ditch on
he left-hand side of the road. Quicker
han thought, Spender had seized the
teering wheel. he had brought the
Iucking car to, he was diverting it
own the side road into the main road
Is the car sped by the long train of
casts and the smoky caravans that
anne up behind them, it occurred to
Jim that he should not have been so
after all. There had not been
Ime or light enough to read the posters
tuck on walls and trees, but he re-
rendered that several Of them an
ounced the imminent appearance Of
'uSoni's Mammoth Circus in a small
larket town some distance away. Sig
or Busoni drew attention to his world
lmous camelS and elephants in eS-
ecially large type. 1t was an intelligent
iece of publicity on Signor BuSoni's
art to parade his Cambodian caval-
ade through the lowland country
de. But Signor Busoni was likely to
rove more Of benefactor than he
ad imagined.
When the car had travelled an adj
Iuate distance beyond the last out
1Sts Of the travelling circus Spender
Fitched off the petrol and stopped
le car We'll, Bill" he asked NOR
antly. What on earth came over
,u?" Stokes had not yet removed his
ands from his eyes well" Spender
peated. I'm waiting"
They weren't there, were they?"
livered Stokes pitiably.
What weren't there?"
II thought not"
wv hat weren't there?" repeated
'ender sternly.
Those camels and elephants
thought saw camels and elephants"
"Oh, you did, did your Let me get
e WHEEL" Spender requested roughly.
% you know you nearly killed us
th2 Do you know that2"
Yes" shifted Stokes.
'Camels and elephantsl" sneered
ender. "Camels and elephantsl Oh.