on 



swell, as if some unseen power were trying to 

 force them further up the mountains, while they 

 were afraid to try it. Finally a series of low, coni- 

 cal peaks rose on the summit of the cloud-range, 

 and the peaks and the upper cloud-slope resem- 

 bled the upper portion of a circus-tent. There 

 were no rough places or angles. 



When darkness came on, the surface of this 

 cloud-range was at times splendidly illuminated 

 by electricity beneath ; and, when the darkness 

 deepened, the electrical play beneath often caused 

 the surface to shine momentarily like incandes- 

 cent glass, and occasionally sinuous rivers of gold 

 ran over the slopes. Several times I thought 

 that the course of these golden rivers of elec- 

 trical fire was from the bottom upward, but so 

 brilliant and dazzling were they that I could not 

 positively decide on the direction of their move- 

 ment. Never have I seen such enormous cloud- 

 forms or such brilliant electrical effects. 



The summit of Specimen Mountain, from 

 which I watched the clouds and electrical flashes, 

 is about twelve thousand five hundred feet above 

 sea-level. A calm prevailed while I remained on 



92 



