Part 59 (1/2)

Don heard the question, but he was too breathless to speak, and had hard work to keep his feet, leaving everything to the guidance of his companions, who kept on for above a quarter of afernssulphurous odour arose

But a short ti with the cold, but the exercise circulated his blood; and now, as his eyes grew ed to see that they were in a rough hut-like place open at the front The sulphurous odour was quite strong, the stea chilling effect of the water, and he listened to a peculiar gurgling, bubbling noise, which was accompanied now and then by a faint pop

He had hardly realised this when he felt that his clothes were being stripped from him, and for a moment he felt disposed to resist; but he was breathless and wearied out, and rough as was the attention, it struck hi hiarments were dry, and hence he suffered patiently

But that was not all, for, as the last garati said sooing to be done, Don felt hi a wrist or ankle, and holding hiati, ent behind hiati, with a peculiar grunt His men all acted with military precision, and, to Don's astonished into a rocky basin of hot water

His first idea was to struggle, but there was no need He had been lowered in rapidly but gently, and he felt Ngati place the back of his head softly against a smooth pleasantly-warone through, was so delicious that he uttered a sigh of satisfaction

For now he realised the hospitality of the people who had brought him there, and the fact that to recover hiht his, used by theh of satisfaction, and as he lay back covered to his chin in the hot volcanic water, he began to laugh so heartily that the tears ca on in the darkness with Jem, as a less tractable patient, especially as he had taken it into his thick head that it was not for his benefit that he was to be plunged into a hot water pool, but to make soup for the New Zealanders around

”Mas' Don!” he cried out of the darkness, ”where are you? I want to get out of this Here, be quiet, will yer? What yer doing of? I say

Don't Here, what are you going to do?”

Don wanted to say a word to calh, it seemed to him as if his nerves were relaxed beyond control, and his companion's perplexity presented itself to hi but lie back there in his delicious bath, and laugh hysterically; and all the while he could hear the New Zealanders gobbling angrily in reply to Jele went on

”That's your gaht it of a set who calls theirselves men Shove me into that hot pot, and boil me, would you?

Not if I knows it, you don't Hi! Mas' Don! Look out! Run,to cook me alive, the brutes Oh, if I only had a cutlash, or an iron bar”

Don tried to speak again, but the words were suffocated by the gurgle of laughter

”Poor old Jeht

”I tell you, you sha'n't Six to one, eh? Leave off Mas' Don, they're going to scaldin a tub Hi! Help!”

There was the sound of a struggle, a loud splash, and then silence, followed by Jem's voice

”Oh!” he ejaculated ”Then why didn't you say so? Hoas I to know you meant a hot bath? Well, it arn't bad--Mas' Don!”

”Yes”

”What! Ha' you been there all the tihing”

”Larfin'? Are they giving you a hot bath?”

”Yes”

”Arn't it good?”