awyer. "You don't suppose that
I am going to stand still and not make any effort to help the boy, do
you, Preston? Hang it all, sir! he is as much interest to me as to
you."

It was evident that Mr Burne was suffering from exhaustion, but he
would not give in, and for the next two hours he clambered on after his
companions, till it seemed hopeless to attempt farther progress along
the defile in that direction, and they were about to go back in the
other, to try and find a way up there, when Yussuf, who was ahead,
suddenly turned a corner and uttered a cry of delight which brought his
companions to his side.

There was nothing very attractive to see when they reached him, only a
rushing little torrent at the bottom of a rift hurrying to join the
stream below; but it was full of moment to Yussuf, for it led upward,
and it was a break in the great wall of rock.

Yussuf explained this clearly, and, plunging down, he was in a few
minutes holding out his hand to his companions, and pointing out that
the path was easier a few yards on.

So it proved, for the stream grew less, and they were able to climb up
its bed with ease, finding, too, that it led in the direction they
wanted to take, as well as upward, till, at the end of an hour, they
were able to turn off along a steep slope with a wall of rock above them
and another below.

The obstacles they met with were plentiful enough, but not great; and at
last, when they felt that they were fully a thousand feet above the
torrent, and somewhere near the spot on which they had hailed Lawrence,
Yussuf stopped, but no one was to be seen.

"That must be the shelf below us yonder, effendi," said the guide. "I
seem to know it because of the big tree across the valley. Yes; that
must be the shelf."

He led the way to try and descend to it, but that proved impossible,
though it was only some fifty feet below.

Retracing their steps they were still defeated, but, upon going forward
once more, Yussuf found what was quite a crack in the rocks, some huge
earthquake split which proved to be passable, in spite of the bushes and
stones with which it was choked, and after a struggle they found
themselves upon an extensive ledge of the mountain, but no Lawrence.

"The wrong place, Yussuf," said the professor, as Mr Burne seated
himself, panting, upon a block of stone, and wiped his face.

"No, effendi; but I am sure it was here," said the Turk quietly. "Hush!
what is that?"

T