ders and ashes. Then
we can zigzag up. It looks no distance to the top, and we could do it
easily to-night."

But the mate's plan was considered the best: to get some distance up and
pitch their tent at the edge of the forest at its highest point, and
then have their good night's rest and start upward as soon as it was
daylight.

They carried out this idea, skirting round the dense patch of forest,
and getting above it to the open ground, where they had to wind in and
out among rifts and blocks of lava which formed a wilderness below the
ash slope. Then, going close to the forest edge, they soon found water,
a couple of little sources bubbling out from among the rocks, and oddly
enough within a few yards of each other, one being delicious, cool, and
sweet, the other so hot that they could hardly immerse their hands, and
when it was tasted it was bitter and salt to a degree.

While the two men set up the tent and made a fire to boil the kettle, a
short expedition was made by the three young naturalists, it being a
settled thing that there was to be no collecting next day, but every
nerve was to be strained to reach the mountain top.

The ash slope ran up rapidly from where they stood, as they shouldered
their guns and looked about them, and naturally feeling that they would
have enough of that the next morning they turned down among the lava
blocks for a short distance and then paused before plunging into the
forest below.

From where they stood they were high enough to see that there was not so
much as a bush above; all was grey, desolate, and strange, and the
wonder to them was that the trees beneath them had not been burned up in
one or other of the eruptions which must have taken place. Possibly,
they felt, the sea winds had had some effect upon the falling ashes and
hot steamy emanations and driven them from the forest, but it was a
problem that they could not explain, and it was given up for the instant
and left for future discussion.

There were other things to see that hot late afternoon, each full of
wonder and beauty, and appealing to one or other of the party, each man
finding enough to satisfy even his great desire for knowledge; and in
turn, and with plenty of tolerance for each other's branch of study,
they paused to examine incrustations of sulphur, glorious orchids, and
bird and beetle, gorgeous in colour, wonderful in make.

But nothing was collected, only noted for future exploration, and,