Did I ever
expect to witness such a seen? No, oh no," I sez. "What do you spoze
is goin' on inside of that great roarin', blazin' monster?" Sez he, "I
know what's goin' on inside of me; I know I am jest starvin', faintin'
away fur want of food."

"Well," sez I soothin'ly, "when we get back to the Volcano House I
will ask for some bread and milk for you."

"Bread and milk!" sez he bitterly. "I want pork and beans, and ham,
and biled greens, and chicken pie and Injun puddin'!"

"Well, well," sez I, "be calm. Do jest see them great waves and fields
of lava, milds and milds of 'em, once jest melted fire, rollin' on and
rollin' on--what a sight!" sez I. On one side wuz a sort of a high
terrace, over which the fiery flames had fell and hardened into solid
waves lookin' some as our Niagara would look if her flowin' waters
should suddenly harden as they flowed. I pinted it out to Arvilly, who
wuz by my side. Sez I, "Do look at that! It seems as if Nater had jest
hung up that stupendous sheet there and writ on it the word Glory!
Unapproachable glory and magesty!"

Sez Arvilly dreamily, "If I could jest dig out in that smooth lava the
words, 'The Twin Crimes of America--Intemperance and Greed,' and train
the volcano to run blazin' fire into the mould, what a advertisement
that would be for my book, or for the 'Wild, Wicked and Warlike Deeds
of Man.' It would help the sale of both on 'em tremendously."

And I sez, "Don't try to train no volcanos, Arvilly; you would find
them worse to handle than any man you ever tackled."

"Well," sez she dreamily, "I believe it could be done."

Robert Strong and Dorothy stood clost together, he a-protectin' her,
as I spozed. 'Tennyrate he seemed dretful careful where she stepped
and how and when, and she looked up real confidin' and sweet into his
face, and then, awestruck and wonder smit, down into the burnin' lake
below. The Englishman and Scotchman had gone on a little nigher to it,
with the guide. Hale-mau-mau (House of Endless Fire), well did the
natives name it. Well, it wuz long before we tore ourselves from the
sublime seen, and I dremp of it all night. I see Josiah bore from me
on the lava flood, and then agin I wuz swep' from him and dashed up on
a billow of flame, and visey versey, versey visey. I had a dretful
night, and got up twice and looked out of the winder on the grand
spectacle. But towards mornin' I had a beautiful vision: my pardner
and me wuz bore back to Jonesville,