ake, which by its pure waters
exposed the bright yellow pebbles on which it wantoned, two streams ran
towards the right and left of the hill and lost themselves amidst the
groves, pasture and hillocks of the adjacent country. The prospects
around us were beautiful and enchanting. Lofty trees threw a delightful,
welcome shade, and the hill-side seemed covered with flowering shrubs,
which grew irregularly except where a torrent from the summit, now dry,
had during ages worn out a deep hollow bed for its rapid passage and
descent.

There were no roads or beaten paths in this secluded portion of the royal
domain, neither could there be seen any traces of habitation.

"Deep in yonder lake," said Omar, drawing up his horse suddenly and
swinging himself from his saddle near the spot where the waters,
springing from beneath some green, moss-grown rocks, fell with gentle
music into the river--"deep in yonder lake there lies a hidden mystery."

"A mystery!" I cried. "What is it?"

"Have patience, and I will reveal to you a secret known only to myself
and to the Naya; the secret that I told you must be preserved."

"But you say it is buried beneath these waters!" I exclaimed, puzzled.
"How will you reveal it?"

"Watch closely, so that if occasion arises you will remember how to
exactly imitate my movements," he answered, and when we had tethered our
horses, he led me away from the edge of the lake up the hill-side some
distance to where a number of points of moss-grown rock cropped up out of
the turf.

After searching among them for some minutes he suddenly stopped before
one that rose from the ground about three feet and was perhaps ten yards
in circumference, examining it carefully, at last giving vent to an
ejaculation of satisfaction.

"You see this rock, Scars!" he cried. "Does anything about it appear to
you remarkable?"

I bent, and feeling it with both my hands, carefully examined its side,
top and base.

"No," I answered, laughing. "As far as I can detect it is the same as the
others."

"You would never guess anything hidden there?" he asked, smiling.

"No."

"Well, watch and I'll show you." And with these words the Naba of Mo
approached the rock at a point immediately facing me, and placing his
hands upon the side, about two feet from the ground, drew out bodily a
portion of its lichen-covered face about eighteen inches square, that had
been so deftly hewn that when in its place none could detect it had