wings were not those of our athaleb. At first I thought it was the
fluttering of a sail, but it was too regular and too long continued
for that. At length I saw through the gloom a vast shadowy form in the
air behind us, and at once the knowledge of the truth flashed upon me.
It was another monster flying in pursuit!

Were we pursued? Were there men on his back? Should I resist? I held
my rifle poised, and was resolved to resist at all hazards. Almah saw
it all, and said nothing. She perceived the danger, and in her eyes I
saw that she, like me, would prefer death to surrender. The monster
came nearer and nearer, until at last I could see that he was alone,
and that none were on his back. But now another fear arose. He might
attack our athaleb, and in that way endanger us. He must be prevented
from coming nearer; yet to fire the rifle was a serious matter. I had
once before I learned the danger of firing under such circumstances,
when my opmahera had fled in terror at the report, and did not wish to
experience the danger which might arise from a panic-stricken athaleb;
and so as I stood there I waved my arms and gesticulated violently.
The pursuing athaleb seemed frightened at such an unusual occurrence,
for he veered off, and soon was lost in the darkness.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE ISLAND OF FIRE

At last there appeared before us what seemed like a long line of
dull-red fires, and as we looked we could see bursts of flame at
fitful intervals, which shone out for a few moments and then died
away. Upon this now our whole attention was fixed; for it seemed as
though we were approaching our destination, and that this place was
the Island of Fire--a name which, from present appearances, was fully
justified. As we went on and drew steadily nearer, the mass of glowing
fire grew larger and brighter, and what at first had seemed a line was
broken up into different parts, one of which far surpassed the others.
This was higher in the air, and its shape was that of a long, thin,
sloping line, with a burning, glowing globule at each end. It seemed
like lava running down from the crater of a volcano, and this
appearance was made certainty on a nearer approach; for we saw at the
upper point, which seemed the crater, an outburst of flame, followed
by a new flow of the fiery stream. In other places there were similar
fires, but they were less bright, either because they were smaller or
more remote.

At length we heard beneath u