ummer volume,
the effects of the storm having passed away, and the sandy bed being
nearly bare.

Theirs proved quite an easy task now, in spite of weariness; and as
evening fell, they reached Hamed, camped by the roadside, with the
horses grazing on the bushes and herbage, all being ready to salute Ali
Baba with a friendly neigh.

They had a long journey before them still; but there was only one thing
to be done now--unpack the provisions, light a fire, make coffee, and
try to restore some of their vigour exhausted by so many hours of toil.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

A FORMIDABLE PARTY.

Fortunately for the travellers a glorious moonlight night followed the
glowing evening, and they reached in safety a mountain village, where,
awed by their appearance and display of arms, the rather surly people
found them a resting-place.

For days and days after this their way was on and on, among the
mountains, deeper and deeper in the grand wild country. Sometimes they
encountered good and sometimes surly treatment, but the beauty of the
scenery and the wonderful remains of ancient occupation recompensed the
professor, while Mr Burne in his snappish manner seemed to be satisfied
in seeing Lawrence's interest in everything around him, his relish for
the various objects increasing every hour.

For the change was unmistakable; he was making rapid progress back to
health; and instead of the rough life and privations of hunger, thirst,
and exposure having a bad effect, they seemed to rouse up in his nature
a determination that rapidly resulted in vigour.

"What are you going to show us to-day, Yussuf?" asked the lad, one
glorious autumn morning, when the little party were winding along one of
the many mountain tracks, so like others they had passed that they might
have been repeating their journey.

"Before long we shall reach the great ruins of which I have so often
spoken," replied Yussuf, smiling at the boy's eager look.

"At last!" cried Lawrence. "I began to think that we were never going
to get there. But is there nothing to see to-day?"

"Yes," replied Yussuf. "We are approaching a village now. It lies
yonder low down in this rift--where the cedars are half-way up on that
shelf in the mountain side."

"Yes; I see," replied Lawrence; "but what a place! Why, they must be
without sun half their time."

"Oh, no, effendi," said Yussuf; "certainly they are in shadow at times,
but though the village seems to lie l