ently stiff angle, so as to form a
zigzag right up the face of the mountain.

"It is one of the wonders of the world," exclaimed the Doctor,
enthusiastically.

"It's a precious steep one, then," grumbled Joses.

"I can hardly understand it yet," continued the Doctor, "unless there
has been a tremendous spring of water up on high here. It seems almost
impossible for this path to be natural."

"Do you think it was made by men, sir?" said Bart.

"It may have been, but it seems hardly possible. Some great nation may
have lived here once upon a time, but even then this does not look like
the work of man. But let us go on."

It was quite a long journey to where the path turned again, and then
they rested, and sat down to enjoy the sweet pure breeze, and gaze right
out over the vast plain, which presented a wondrous panorama even from
where they were, though a far grander view awaited them from the top,
which they at last set off to reach.

There were the same difficulties in the way; huge blocks of stone, over
which they had to climb; rifts that they had to leap, and various
natural ruggednesses of this kind, to seem in opposition to the theory
that the zigzag way was the work of hands, while at every halting-place
the same thought was exchanged by Bart and the Doctor--"What a fortress!
We might defend it against all attacks!"

But the Doctor had one other thought, and that was, how high did the
silver lode come up into the mountain, and would they be able to
commence the mining up there?

"At all events, Bart," he said, "up here will be our stores and
treasure-houses. Nothing can be more safe than this."

At last, after a breathless ascent, Bart, who was in advance, sprang
upon the top, and uttered a loud cheer, but only to stop short as he
gazed round in wonder at the comparatively level surface of the
mountain, and the marvellous extent of the view around. Whether there
was silver, or whether there was none, did not seem to occur to him: all
he wanted was to explore the many wide acres of surface, to creep down
into the rifts, to cautiously walk along at the very edge of this
tremendous precipice, which went sharply down without protection of any
natural parapet of rock. Above all, he wanted to get over to the
farther side, and, going to the edge, gaze right into the glorious
canyon with the rugged sides, and try from this enormous height to trace
its course to right and left as it meandered through the p