rising,
so it seemed, and the black whispered:

"Black fellow fire. Cookum damper. Roastum sheep's muttons."

"But there is no one, Jimmy," I said.

"Jus' gone long. Hear Jimmy come long. Run away," he whispered.

"That is no fire," said the doctor, stepping forward. "It is a hot
spring."

"Yes, yes, much big fire; go much out now. Mind black fellow; mind
spear killum, killum."

"Yes, a hot spring, and this is steam," said the doctor, as we went on
to where a little basin of water bubbled gently, and sent forth quite a
little pillar of vapour into the air; so white was it that the black
might well have been excused for making his mistake.

"Jimmy run long see where black fellow gone. Cookum dinner here. Eh!
whar a fire?" he cried, bending down and poking at the little basin with
the butt of his spear before looking wonderingly at us.

"Far down in the earth, Jimmy," said the doctor.

"Eh? Far down? Whar a fire makum water boils?" cried the black
excitedly; and bending down he peered in all directions, ending by
thrusting one hand in the spring and snatching it out again with a yell
of pain.

"Is it so hot as that, Jimmy?" I said.

"Ah, roastum hot, O!" cried Jimmy, holding his hand to his mouth. "Oh!
Mass Joe, doctor, stop. Jimmy go and find black fellow."

We tried very hard to make the black understand that this was one of
Nature's wonders, but it was of no avail. He only shook his head and
winked at us, grinning the while.

"No, no; Jimmy too cunning-artful. Play trickums. Make fool o' Jimmy.
Oh, no! Ha! ha! Jimmy cunning-artful; black fellow see froo
everybody."

He stood shaking his head at us in such an aggravating way, after all
the trouble I had been at to show him that this was a hot spring and
volcanic, that I felt ready to kick, and I daresay I should have kicked
him if he had not been aware of me, reading my countenance easily
enough, and backing away laughing, and getting within reach of a great
piece of rock, behind which he could dodge if I grew too aggressive.

I left Jimmy to himself, and stood with the doctor examining the curious
steaming little fount, which came bubbling out of some chinks in the
solid rock and formed a basin for itself of milky white stone, some of
which was rippled where the water ran over, and trickled musically along
a jagged crevice in the rocky soil, sending up a faint steam which faded
away directly in the glowing sunshine.

"I say," said