up high among the mountains. The peasants call it a spirit
light, but it must be the sulphurous glare rising from one of the old
cones, above some of which I have seen smoke hanging at times."

"Why, Yussuf, you are quite a professor yourself, with your cones, and
sulphurous, and arguments," cried Mr Burne.

"A man cannot be wandering all his life among nature's wonders, effendi,
and showing English, and French, and German men of wisdom the way,
without learning something. But I will watch each night and see if I
can make out the light over the mountains."

"Do, Yussuf," cried the professor eagerly.

Yussuf bowed.

"I will, excellency, but it is not often seen--only now and then."

They began to descend the side of the defile, and before long came upon
a fine grove of ancient planes, upon some of whose leafless limbs tall
long-necked storks were standing, placidly gazing down at them unmoved;
and it was not until the party were close by that they spread their
wings, gave a kind of bound, and floated off, the protection accorded to
them making them fearless in the extreme.

"Stop!" cried the professor suddenly, and the little party came to a
stand by a rough craggy portion of the way where many stones lay bare.

"Well, what is it?" cried Mr Burne impatiently, "I'm sure those are
natural or live stones, as you call them."

"Yes," said the professor; "it was not the stones which attracted me,
but the spring."

"Well, we have passed hundreds of better springs than that, and besides
it is bad water; see, my horse will not touch it."

"I thought I was right," cried the professor dismounting. "Look here,
Lawrence, that decides it; here is our first hot spring."

"Hot?" cried Lawrence, leaping off and bending over the spring. "Why,
so it is."

"Yes, a pretty good heat. This is interesting."

"It is a volcanic country, then," said Lawrence eagerly. "Oh, Mr
Preston, we must see a burning mountain."

"It does not follow that there are burning mountains now," said the
professor smiling, "because we find hot springs."

"Doesn't it?" said Lawrence in a disappointed tone.

"Certainly not. You would be puzzled to find a volcano in England, and
yet you have hot springs in Bath."

"Effendi, be on your guard. I do not like the look of these people,"
said Yussuf quickly, for a party of mounted men, all well-armed, was
seen coming from the opposite direction; but they passed on scowling,
and examining the littl