r L

BELZIE, A WASHOE CANARY. Th* Subterranean Siren of Steamboat Springs

BT JOHN HAROLD HAMLIN

.A

BeUlc was a goo^ mule—yet he had I-eu Setter daya—and In view ot the Urt that bla ribs were protruding In a iruly remarkable style, and that his labors had been unusually steady and entirely creditable. It was deemed advisable to ^ mil. lit in a noHitay. i'nerefoir Belzle's driver. Tim Murdoik. 1 him out of the great Sutro Tunnel ai where he cast off the halter and turn n.m -'"'IThuXo a bleox hill-top.

Belxie adrifL

r-«-ii»e iiiiukcd his brown eye*. The bright, hot sunlight Carried his slslon-

s under g

fl and lurned

ary organt. Four years under ground is coinludve to blindness, and Eclzle

>.-nni In the di

deep C and fn

pulled ore «

fully iked

d fro through the Sutro Tunnel fi that length of time. So Bclrle bllnl his eyes and gazed about him In a dumfotiuded manner. He didn't know whether to he pleased with his unusual iryeuoui or p-iatu u. i^ra ov_va-

leting In sueh a hiilU^n*

Perhaps Belzie remained on that par-

longer. It is certain, however, that as soon as the sun dropped behind the crest of bald old ML Davidson, the mule seemed relieved; he grew quite

the time night s sable pall e dreary' landscape. Thus

irtlve by the time

i the dreary landscape,

overworked mule's vacation

fell upoi did the

begin; the days slipped by. and ere long the bony, long-eared, solemnlooking Beelzqbub became a familiar object as he roamed about the Virginia hills. Strange things will happen, and It became apparent that this visibleribbed donkey was thriving on his sage brush diet His mas.-er noted the fact, and decided to terminate Belzle’s furlough. Mules were none too plentiful just then; work was pressing, and. take it all around, Belzl" couTB’-Ul be spared, especially since he no lodger ic figure as did the rack of

with the peculiar markings of Belzie - could be discovered. Inquiries were nembei

Stage driver informed

Grad Sprii

ngs. d aed a

•tty close to Steamboat y before yesterday. - ' This jelf-evident clew, and Tim

a extra day off. mounted a spare mule, and stnick out In puresit of the wandering Belzie. \ Steamboai ■'J«. noted for'flta hot springs, geysers and the altogether extraordinary formations in and about that locality. These springs are a favorite resort for natural scienotta, and offer a splendid field to the re-

searches of geologists.

There happened to be a particularly

• zealous pro! boat about

rustling for a hew growth of bone and muscle. Two prospectors, firmly believing they had stnick a "bonanza." were extending an old tunnel In a hill-

side. about half a

tunnel In

a mile from the n min

springs and geysers of Steamboat. Quite a friendship sprung up between the young professor and these two miners. The three made frequent exped^ione. bent on investigating the wonders of hot springs, surmising causes and effects of internal heat, and the prospectors listened In utter fascination to the theories propounded^bjr

•Professor Mellins.

One sultry night a heavy earthquake ■book up a goodly portion of western Nevada, and California. It played odd tricks In and about Steamboat

The main

Sprint When

In geyser went dry. Mellins discovered

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 cavernous dry vent of the erstwhlie geyser me two pre^pv*. tors hove in sight They were breathlets, tired, yet gasped out a voluble and exdted descripnr-a of an unprece dented f:eak of nature that had taken , place >»n the site of .their tunnel. Bo incoherent was the account given by n that It was with difficulty

understood; b • orajurhqnfied i

® I* 0

they were understood; but Professor

Mein

^ . m&: ti}«t

something stranger still thsn the n disappearance of the spring had

trange

ce of lciv-<-u In the wsk*

• By the

. i o the c

trumpeting e

this Is great: 5. Professor : bly expressed himself t

petlng ele phone bin

Trum-

1T1 tele-

talllc gurgle. The miners - bronzed

faces turned s shade paler.

Boys, this Is wonderful, wonderful!

If Dr. Endlin were only here!

elements! I have It He *an not afford

ding Tofesaor Mel-

istasm have full sway; final rumbling aound

dated

1 to miss

the opportunity of beholding this odd

impulsive Pi

ithusl

spectacle. -- lins let his and with

ech<

loing in his cars.

I madly

down the bill to the hotel. HU impatience and anxiety caused

tho

him to speak harshly tc girls, and by the time Francisco 'his mind

Nevertheless telej Far West event!

desired connections.

i harshly to the "hello - ’

he got Sah

was turbulent

ephone facilities In the ually bring about the

Professor

Mellins’s heart beat rapturously as he recognized Dr. Endlin a voice over the

wire.

"Yes. this Is I. Mellins; am at Steamboat Springs. Xcv. Big earthquake here last night. Springs wept dry, but cracked other big fissures in earth's surface. Subterranean rumblings plainly audible. Come up at once;

In*

Hurry! Dr. Endlin, the noted geologist. pUred a dea. of confidence in Prolessor Mellins. and as he had felt the earthquake in San Francisco, he thought the professor certainly had r hU

gh>

■in the momiqg. ’ "Greatest recent phenomenon, doctor. I guarantee you." "Thank you. professor; will be gliid to Investigate it See you In the morning. Gooaby."

•■Goodhy."

Profesror Mellins paced nervously between the dry basin of the late Queen of the Springs and that fresh

obacrvfd Earth, h heard the were busll

others just

at the jagged rent in Mol Nevertheless, a dozen men

tarthly

ily engagt it how It

ilker had

racket; these In telling tha sounded, and bid'

I

A GREAT ELEPHANT SHOT.

sign -Tim

Professors Smith and lAndcre. Wonderful. I tell you—Iff wonderful.

rrsvk-e-a* the turn

lugs mel.

satisfaction the Irregularly rumbles, denoting unparalleled

disturbances.

Hours will slip by. no r tedious the minutes hang, with Professors SrJlth ai

He heard with

allghte* the brli

r. End Hi Lander

swing mon r “V. t T." roaches. ? greeted them with

a man's can whe

scientists, and. directly after, lunch, the party sallied forth t ligate the outbursts of Dame

Profee

light

to Ipves- * Nature.

gaping hole where the madly boiling waters were eo suddenly and completely Ingulfed. This ostensible fact duly impressed- the learned men. and they examined everything In a practiced

and professional manner.

"But we fail to hear the Internal ex-

plosions. Professor Mellins."

•'Ah. that you soon will. Dr. Endlin: accompany me up this pill and i

conduct you to the spot"

'lout over

to this shaking up of the earth at Steamboat Springs. Accounts varied from a faint rumor describing a driedup spring to the disappearance of the whole Steamboat station, it depended, of course, on the number of times the

pipy Will •

better of a number of these good people, consequently the scientists beheld at least a store of men and women persistently following In their wake. The fissure still zigzagged Into the tunnn( hot. vapory clouds hung over the crevice; blit the activity of thq steam-jets could sot be compared with those of the preceding day. Professor Mellins looked slightly crestfallen. The two prospectors, not having a reputation at stake, took a cheerier view of thihga. Besides, they were not excruciatingly eager to have their bonne!

•ftdmenon kinder goes by fits ant and It 'para to ba restin' bet* and a start right now; but ji

ents. bors.-j :111ns ford- I

d himself by using his fs*ori»e term, as he beheld a long Irregular fissure beginning a few yards from the mouth of the tnnnel and running directly Into it. extending as far as the eye could penetrate the gloom. Puffing Jets of steam arose tn thin clouds, converting ihe prospectors' tunnel into-e veritable steam retort "Assuredly the subterranean force that

affected the -water la the main spring'

ha> found a new outlet here," 'saidVProfessor Mellins. —J

wr. that all it yo» listen

to the infernal racket!’

Even as the miner spoke a.decided tumbling mounded within the tunnel; - Jt gsated on the ears and appeared to emsen-f from the very bowelgvof ihe earth, The tnrec men were silent; the

znysterlom workings

seen and kjoverfut "o-~ Another cloud of s tcam spurted

ndlng —■- '• —

eye of Tim Murd< who had been scanning the country aU the way down from Virginia City for a or sight of the vagrant Beelzebub, was not a man who let slip au opportunity of finding out a bit of news, and he reined his mule up the trail leading to the group of people al the tunnel's mouth. "Phwat's the dlshturbanre. Hank?" ■Tt'a you. U It. Tim? Disturbance, you sayt Well. ! wonder! If you Minder,

now's your chance." "Faith, an - did yez have an alrthquake here. Hank?" "Bure, Tim. It's paralyzed ogr bonanza tunnel, add locked up a roarin' fury inside of it, to boot." "Who's the gintlemen. with the specks and knowin - Jtbs?" "Scientists. Tim. and they hall from some big Institution of big learning." B'Jakers. an' yez-are sthrictly in It I yer little Wan-horee tunnel, ain't yez. Hank?" And Hank nodded a ready acqulcs-

Tim had guided his mule directly In front of the tunnel; he. halted there and gased in open-eyed astonlshm

“-i—neu,

and

| spent In silently and. fruitlessly enj deavorlng to catch a subterranean | crash, one of the prospectors interceded with: "Well. Doc, tVjs here phe-:

its and starts;

jtwlt a fit just you

wait a spell." ' And they awaited a apcll—nearly hall an hour; long enough to disgust the simply curious, and several retraced their steps toward the hotel, leting fall rather uncomplimentary re; marks about a "pack of fools."' Even the patient Dr. Endlin strode back and forth somewhat pertfirbed In thinking about his fatiguing trip and the precious time wasted. j But the long-expected'''really happened. A fierce coltunn of steam

e. quickly iphcavals;

t in

succeeded bf two 1 then a rasping groan,

jerky notes, each more weird a penetrating than the foregoing. It c ated a big sensation — ererybo

lous ones trembled, who uttered the

spell, "sh you!" '

I KUgg

Wit.

“WtyU'd I

t a tell

up: another grinding roar; ft rever-

berated in a jt; ky. hollow dwa dwindled away to

A.

natures un-

«r; It'r*vcr-fl/ti low rnanrer.**, in aiznoct me-WV

When the last vlbraHons of the prising din died away. Professor Mellins fairly hugged himself for joy.' Dr.

Endlin said ttothi)

ifcn. The Hezer liyhu volnn-

thCir private theory

had tSctrrted in disgust

the scene onco mon-. interval .

sctrccly % sign, of_ steam could be

gased in open-eyed astonishment The mule appeared unduly interested,

;ed up hta .long

It was a forerunner of several denser columns. Professors and all others drew near, epecting to hear the resultant rumble. It came; not so distinctly as formerly, but loud enough to startle them. A hush fell upon the throng. Man's significance seems Infinitesimal when Nature's stupendous force asserts Itself In s manner that indicates only a tithe of what she might do. The hush was rudely broken—not by a commenting human voice, not by mother Internal clamor, but by a strl-

anoth

dent grating cry Issuing from, the

throat’ of Tim's mule. The

c bray of an

r.ss Is akin to the filing of n

This particular bray created all of this effect and more In addition. Although getting

iter found h

BenisrksM* Kcplolu of (irurrsl Mlchaal Id India. Writing of the veteran officer, Gen. J. Michael, C. & L. V>f the Madras staff corps, who was In his lime a noted elephant shot, a correspondent of the Madras Mail states that one of Michael's earliest exploits Inspired his native attendants with a wonderful amount of confidence In him. as well u might .it got among a herd of elephants In very long grass, and for some lime could not get a shot. At last be got up to one. and dropping It dead. Jumped onto the body, and with a second gun dropped two more elephants before they had time to make off. I had heard It said of Michael that he was in the habit of going out with three double barrelled guns, and bad frequently got fire elephants in five shots, but could never get a sixth, as he always made it a rule to keep one barrel In reserve. I had an opportunity of asking him If this were true 1 cannot recollect what he saidshout having performed this feat more than once, but he told me how he Just missed getting a sixth elephant out of a herd through a mistake. He got up to a herd In Jungle and commenced operations on s turker that was standing by a clump of bamboo. The smoke hung and he could not see what happened, but on the other side of the clump of bamboo be saw a tusker, which he presumed was the one he had Just fired at, so promptly dropped It He had got three more out of the herd, and was reduced to his last barrel, when another elephant.

elephi

The following Is the feat 1

ollectfon of which

easy chance, which he conld hat have missed, but he would - not break his rule, so let him go. On returning to the clumpjof bamboos be found two tuskers dead, making five elephants In all. and regretted he had not broken his rule for once. Think of "'three brace" of elephants for a day s bag.

eat in the rec-

•h I happen to know

the general himself finds most satisfaction. because he considers it showed thorough knowledge of the game: One day he was out botanizing with a friend, and was unarmed. They heard elephants fn a sholab below and Michael sent back for his rifles. On

down Into the sholah Mfrhael

not eactly a repetition of the subter- found Ms quarry was two tuskers, evirsnean cannonading, there was much [ dently traveling one behind the other.

J He Intercepted them and had covered

1 — the leader and was Just going to fire

when It flashed through his brain that the second would escape him— greedy man. He accordingly dropped hlndermpst elephant first, and. as

ited the leader wheeled

round, got blocked by.bis prostrate

time to

out beside him—(he two fell

the h

he anticipate

got I

ilon. a >y hi

with

Moses! Yez gapli

cawks! An' it's a folne thrick yer afther playin'! Underground thunder It Is—is It? Him that shtuck me good mule Beelzebub Inter 'that sweatln. shteamin* hole fer the iddlfication ol blitherin’ sclentics will plaze to shtep out an OIH paste his ugly mug!" Professor Mellfns fell back against a V-onvenlent back in a dazed condition The noted Dr. Bndlln's countenance reflected a sardonic sneer. Several derisive hoots passed the lips of the

hereinbefore - mentioned Incredulous en , „ s

J 2-boro h

ad back, ye domned fools, an' | j n iho gauge of hU powder flask was rescue me poor Oar lint Bel | fivc drams, but when he was loading * ,c: " | for elephants be used to «dd a little Tim Murdock had leaped from hlf more. Compare this with the metal mule's back; he tore-wildly Into the. end charges used for the game now. now comparatively cleAr atmosphere j H|y success In this particular form of

their tusks together. Goner Michael shot the majority of hU hui dred and odd elephants with a

e muz;

r gun, just as a maximum charge

of the tunnel

view.

Different emotions filled the bryastr | splendid shooting. His directions for of the different individuals^ Dr. End I finding the way to the brain of an ele-

(S*l ' ' J

disappeared from sport was due quite a

feet knowledge

r I -.ntsniilft •fe'w-itfnfl

(see was a study: hopelessly dlaplril

lint, and seemed to pUy him, Yet j

led and unap-' hol .

p roach able aspect that best beoomet a man of letters. The mapority of the spectators chuckled, looked wise, and

lanced at j phant were as follows:

the hopelessly dispirited Profcssot, ••i n ,aglne a ramrod (there wxre ram-

Melllns. and seemed to pity him. yel j rods in

un *l > hole to earhole throuch the elep!

I U

head, and another bisecting eally: In whatever position

be. aim for this point of bisection." have heard It said of Mkhael that he

— light

rentured, ,i,i s one imaginary point that be.

after 1C|

mtes or so had elapsed, s com mo els& , prwurt , e u, al

In the d--'- '

a fe mini

lion was

depths.

-Bacl

me Bel

yez ai Back

ck. back. I dale! Och,

iere, a tin

fool set

It's homesick

arc for a tunnel, acushla. me own

arc, darllnt!”

Slowly, carefully, surely, Tim Mur dock steered hla charge out of the treacherous tunnel. Once the sure footed mule slipped, and his hind feet wnt down into the crack that made the tunnel's floor dangerous ground Then, and only then, would Tim per mlt any of the “fools" to assist him. When Belzie backed out Into day light. It added the laat straw to Pro lessor Melltns's undoing. 11c glanced at the unsightly slunk quickly down the Hn and his comrades couU : ludicrous side of things. a«d 1

a sort of wav,.lost sight of everything else. I presume that It goes without saying that if you find yourself in such a position that your gun cannot penetrate to the desired point you "innst not fire at all In the old days wild elephants were looked upon as things to be got rid of. and government gave rewards for shooting them—I think it was 60 rupees for a cow, 90 raftees

ic tusks werefae shooters.—London

As (Its Bat Viewed It

“Hers is an account," said Mr. Morse, pointing to a paragrai

■aph In

evening paper, "of the way In .which a boy was saved from drowning by a wsstiff which beloageo to his cousin. the edge

footing dashed

Tim', riding animal welcomed BeV it U

ric with a prolonged bray. Belzie. t0T a boy to go

bruised, famlahed. and with huge patches of hair actually steamed from

his hide, responded In a

!sl I in

axle this

hide, responded In a woe-begone groan. The warm hearted Tim lav endearing terms upon his un ucky Belzie; he procured a''can ol 1 e-grease and liberally' plastered "ointment" over the succored mule's burns. Every now and again he would pause In these proceeding! and let forth .such a voltev'of etronz -

language, "forslnsl the.

idiots." as almost guaranteed an 1m- j mediate growth of new fcnlr ori Bel-1

zlc’s scalded limbs.

too:

'Why. mother." said

sorrowful astonishment,

father read it because it showed how

I'd be'wherever I

near tne water."

boy, in thought read It

whcrcrei

you’d only let him

perfectly safe

If you'd only let him buy dog."—Youth's Companion.

I went * a big

Why They Conld Not Bond tho Pool-rard. The wife of a distinguished general

loldli

voltey «f stron* ;

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