own till they are bearable.
It took six days to fill up the cold pond."

"We have not yet got the booths made for the women to dress in,"
continued the captain, "for we have no women yet in our settlement; but
you see what convenient ones we have set up for the men."

"But surely," said the Hebrew, looking round with interest, "you have
far more hot water than you require."

"Yes, much more."

"What, then, do you do with the surplus?"

"We just let it run into the swamp at present, as it has always done,
but we are digging a big drain to carry it off into the river. Then,
when the swamp is dry, we will plant eatable things in it, and perhaps
set up more booths and huts and dig more baths. Thus, in course of
time--who knows?--we may have a big town here, and King Hudibras himself
may condescend to lave his royal limbs in our waters."

"That may well be," returned the Hebrew thoughtfully. "The Hot Spring
is a good gift from the All-seeing One, and if it cures others as it has
cured Prince Bladud, I should not wonder to see the people of the whole
land streaming to the place before long. But have you given up all
thought of returning to your native land, Arkal? Do you mean to settle
here?"

"Nay, verily--that be far from me! Have I not a fair wife in Hellas,
who is as the light of mine eyes; and a little son who is as the plague
of my life? No, I shall return home once more to fetch my wife and
child here--then I shall have done with salt water for ever, and devote
myself to hot water in time to come."

"A wise resolve, no doubt," said Beniah, "and in keeping with all your
other doings."

"See," interrupted Arkal, "there is the river and the women's bath, and
the big drain that I spoke of."

He pointed to a wide ditch extending from the swamp towards the river.
It had been cut to within a few yards of the latter, and all the men of
the place were busily engaged with primitive picks, spades, and shovels,
in that harmonious unity of action of which the captain had expressed
such a high opinion.

A few more yards of cutting, and the ditch, or drain, would be
completed, when the waters of the swamp would be turned into it. Those
waters had been banked up at the head of the drain and formed a lake of
considerable size, which, when the neck of land separating it from the
drain should be cut, would rush down the artificial channel and
disappear in the river.

Engineering in those days, however, had not bee