ich formed the robbers' town, and
farther away, and still more to the left, lay the way to the entrance,
where there was quite a grand room, and a goodly fire burned; but the
fugitives could only see snow: the air was thick with it, and they kept
on until Yussuf stopped so suddenly that they struck one against the
other.

"What is it?" said Lawrence, who was next to him now, the Chumleys
having asked him to go before them.

"I have lost my way," said Yussuf angrily; "the snow has deceived me.
The old temple should be here."

"Well, here it is," said Lawrence, who had stretched out his hand.
"Here is one of the columns."

"Ha!" ejaculated Yussuf; "good boy! Yes, the fourth; I know it by this
broken place in the side. Two more steps and we are in shelter."

It was a proof of his admirable powers as a guide to have found the way
in the midst of the blinding snow, but no one thought of that. Every
mind was strained to the greatest pitch of tension; and when Yussuf led
the way into the old temple, and the footsteps were heard upon the
marble floor, Mr Burne started and thought that their pursuers were
upon them.

"Here is the place," said Yussuf. "Lawrence effendi," he continued as
he raised the stone, "you know the way; go first and lead. I must come
last and close the stone, so that they may not know the way we have
come."

"Is there any danger?" said Mrs Chumley excitedly.

"None at all," replied Lawrence. "It is only to walk down some rough
steps."

She said no more, but let herself be helped down through the opening,
and in five minutes they were all in what seemed to be quite a warm
atmosphere, waiting in the intense darkness while Yussuf carefully
closed the stone.

"There is nothing to mind," said Lawrence. "I have been all the way
down here, and I will tell you when the steps end and the rough slopes
begin."

He spoke aloud now, in quite a happy buoyant manner which affected the
rest, and their spirits rose still higher when Yussuf suddenly struck a
match and lit the lamp which his forethought had provided.

This done they stood in the rugged arched passage to shake off the
clinging snow with which they were covered, and with spirits rising
higher still the whole party followed Yussuf, who, lamp in hand, now
went to the front.

"I should like to stop here for an hour or two to examine this roofing
and the steps," said the professor. "Pre-Roman evidently. We have
plenty of time, have we no