or which the wind blew over them. Rosie was very much
afraid whenever this happened. She thought that Josie and Rollo were
lost; but Mr. George assured her that there was no danger.

"I should think there would be a great deal of danger," said she.

"So should I," said Mr. George, "of my own judgment. But I do not go by
my own judgment in such cases."

"Whose judgment do you go by?" asked Rosie.

"By the guides'," replied Mr. George. "The guides know all about the
mountain. They are up here every day. They have been watching it for
years, and they can tell where it is safe to go, and where it is
dangerous, better than any stranger. So I give up my judgment entirely,
and go altogether by theirs. You will see Rollo and Josie coming back
out of the smoke pretty soon, as safe as they went in."

This prediction proved to be true. In a few minutes, on account of some
change in the gusts of wind, the masses of vapor in the crater broke
into openings, and rolled off towards the other side, and in the
openings Rosie could see the boys coming back over the black surface of
the lava, their footsteps making a curious sound upon it, as if they
were walking over clinkers. Very soon they reached the side, and then
came toiling up the path which ascended the slope of sand.

Rollo and Josie were both full of enthusiasm in describing what they had
seen at the bottom of the crater, and near the cone, and they strongly
recommended to Rosie to go down too.

"I'll go with you, Rosie," said Josie, "and show you the way."

But Rosie declined the adventure, and Mr. George told her that she did
right to do so.

"Why, what is there to be afraid of?" asked Josie. "There is no
danger--not the least in the world."

"True," said Mr. George; "but going into such places does not give so
much pleasure to young ladies as it does to such courageous young
gentlemen as you. But I wish to go down myself, and I will leave Rosie
under your care here while I am gone."

Pretty near where the party stood while engaged in this conversation,
several persons were gathered about what seemed to be a fire. A sort of
smoke came up from the ground in the centre of the group, and by the
side of it were one or two baskets containing eggs, bread, bottles of
wine, and other refreshments. Mr. George led the way to this place, and
then he found that what seemed to be a fire was really a jet of hot
steam and sulphurous gases that was issuing from a cleft among the