d plain
was soon left behind, and their way lay among the hills, valley after
valley winding in and out; and as fast as one eminence was skirted
others appearing, each more elevated than the last, while the scenery
grew wilder and more grand.

The little horses were behaving very well, trudging along sturdily with
their riders, and every hour proving more and more the value of Yussuf's
choice. There was no restiveness or skittish behaviour, save that once
or twice the little cream-coloured fellow which Lawrence had selected
for himself and christened Ali Baba had shown a disposition to bite one
of his companions. He soon gave up, though, and walked or trotted
steadily on in the file, Yussuf leading, the professor coming next, then
Lawrence, and Mr Burne last.

They stopped at various points of the rising road to study the grand
patches of cedars, clumps of planes low down in the valleys, and the
slopes of pines, while in the groves the thrushes sang, and the
blackbirds piped as familiarly as if it was some spot in Devonshire
instead of Asia Minor. Then a diversion was made here and there to
examine some spring or the edge of a ravine where a stream ran. There
was plenty of time for this, as the two baggage-horses had to be
studied, and they were soon overtaken after one of these rides.

But at last a visit to a few stones on a hillside, which had evidently
been a watch-tower in some old period of this country's history, took up
so much time that the man with the baggage was a good hour's journey
ahead; and as they reached the track once more Yussuf turned to ask the
professor whether he thought the invalid could bear the motion if he led
the way at a trot.

The professor turned to ask Lawrence, who replied that he believed he
could, and then something happened.

The professor had hardly spoken and obtained his reply before Mr Burne,
who had been refreshing himself with a pinch of snuff, whisked out his
handkerchief according to his custom.

They were now going along a valley which ran between too highish walls
of rock, dotted here and there with trees--just the sort of place, in
fact, where anyone would be disposed to shout aloud to try if there was
an echo; but the idea had not occurred to either of the travellers,
whose thoughts were bent upon overtaking the baggage animals with their
stores, when quite unexpectedly Mr Burne applied his handkerchief to
his face and blew his nose.

It was not one of his fi