gun at the white turrets beneath them,
screening her eyes to pierce through the smoke! So thinking, her foot
stirred restlessly, and she exclaimed:

"I don't call this _life_, do you?"

"What do you call life?" said St. John.

"Fighting--revolution," she said, still gazing at the doomed city. "You
only care for books, I know."

"You're quite wrong," said St. John.

"Explain," she urged, for there were no guns to be aimed at bodies, and
she turned to another kind of warfare.

"What do I care for? People," he said.

"Well, I _am_ surprised!" she exclaimed. "You look so awfully serious.
Do let's be friends and tell each other what we're like. I hate being
cautious, don't you?"

But St. John was decidedly cautious, as she could see by the sudden
constriction of his lips, and had no intention of revealing his soul to
a young lady. "The ass is eating my hat," he remarked, and stretched out
for it instead of answering her. Evelyn blushed very slightly and then
turned with some impetuosity upon Mr. Perrott, and when they mounted
again it was Mr. Perrott who lifted her to her seat.

"When one has laid the eggs one eats the omelette," said Hughling
Elliot, exquisitely in French, a hint to the rest of them that it was
time to ride on again.

The midday sun which Hirst had foretold was beginning to beat down
hotly. The higher they got the more of the sky appeared, until the
mountain was only a small tent of earth against an enormous blue
background. The English fell silent; the natives who walked beside the
donkeys broke into queer wavering songs and tossed jokes from one to the
other. The way grew very steep, and each rider kept his eyes fixed on
the hobbling curved form of the rider and donkey directly in front of
him. Rather more strain was being put upon their bodies than is quite
legitimate in a party of pleasure, and Hewet overheard one or two
slightly grumbling remarks.

"Expeditions in such heat are perhaps a little unwise," Mrs. Elliot
murmured to Miss Allan.

But Miss Allan returned, "I always like to get to the top"; and it was
true, although she was a big woman, stiff in the joints, and unused to
donkey-riding, but as her holidays were few she made the most of them.

The vivacious white figure rode well in front; she had somehow possessed
herself of a leafy branch and wore it round her hat like a garland. They
went on for a few minutes in silence.

"The view will be wonderful," Hewet assured them, tur