still winding through the valley, but
in the afternoon this opened out into open country once more. Jack had
his glasses out and gave a yell of delight.

"There's the lake! Dead ahead!"

Even without the aid of glasses they could all see the shimmer of water
in the sun, three miles ahead. The Masai gave a yell of joy at the news
that they had nearly reached the end of their journey, but they could
not hope to get up to the lake until evening with the slow-moving oxen.
So, leaving the doctor and the Indians to defend the wagon if need were,
Schoverling and his two assistants rode slowly onward to have a look at
things and pick out a suitable place for the night's camp.

In half an hour they were standing on a slight rise that sloped down
gently to the waters of the lake. These were thickly cloaked with reeds,
but there was no sign of the high jets of hot water of Selim's story on
the _Mombasa_.

"See that steam up at the other end of the lake?" said Schoverling,
looking through his glasses. "That's where the hot springs are, no
doubt."

"There's the island," cried Jack excitedly, who had moved a hundred feet
away. Joining him, the others were now able to see a low island which
had been hidden by intervening trees. It lay barely half a mile beyond
them, and seemed almost a part of the shore. Beyond this the trees
seemed to get thicker, while across the lake itself the green and brown
hills rose to the height of a few hundred feet. In fact, hills seemed
to be all around them, save to the south.

"Shouldn't wonder if this was one of the craters of an old volcano,"
declared the General.

"The ground has risen slightly, since we left the wagon, and those hills
all around would indicate such a thing, as would the steaming hot
springs up at the other end. Well, we can ride forward to the island.
Mowbray's camp must be there somewhere."

Keeping a wary eye open for any danger, they rode on until they arrived
opposite the island. Here, under a group of spreading mimosas, they saw
vague signs of an old camp. All was overgrown with vegetation, but as
they rode down to it the indications of a camp were clear.

"There are tattered old tents, all right," exclaimed Charlie in huge
excitement. "But animals and the weather have covered things up pretty
well."

Arriving on the spot, they leaped from their saddles and kicked away
vines.

"Here's a gun-butt," shouted Jack, holding up a moulded fragment of
wood. "And here's th