Part 94 (1/2)

”I should think it is always falling like this, Jem”

”Oh!”

No er or freedoreat fist froratulatory way, and the hours glided on till it began to grow dark, and another horror assailed Don

It was evident that they ht there in the cold and damp, for to attempt to escape in the dark would be madness, and hoould it be if they dropped off to sleep and slipped?

He shuddered at the thought, and sat in silence gazing at Ngati, aited cal had quite filled the chasm, when he rose, and it was evident that he did not consider escape in the darkness i Don's arm, he uttered the one word ”Come!” and led the way out from beneath the watery arch, to stand, as soon as they were quite clear, shading his eyes and gazing through the transparent gloom in search of their enemies

Apparently satisfied, he tapped both on the shoulder, and with a shudder of dread Don followed hiulf

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

NGATI'S DISGUISE

The return journey proved to be less perilous than the descent The awful chaos of water was beneath the so intense that everything was hidden but the mass of rock over and by which they cli waiting see but the task on which they were engaged So that, to Don's surprise, he found hiulf left behind, and then cla on and on by the side of the torrent chasm, past the other perilous parts, and before he could realise the fact, they were all together on the shelf, crouching down Here Ngati slowly raised his head, to stand gazing over the edge at the level above, watching for a long tirunt

He mounted directly, bent down and extended a hand to each in turn, and then taking the lead, went cautiously onward to get out of the deep rift, and find a place that would enable theround

It was still dark, but not so dense but that they could pick their way, and they passed on till they reached the hot spring, a little beyond which Ngati believed that they could strike up to the left, and cross the mountain to reach the plains beyond

Another half-hour was devoted to retracing their steps, when Don stopped short, his ear being the first to detect danger

They were passing the , and for a ht that a sound which he had heard careyish-black h of soning to them to lie down and wait, he crept onward, to be absent about a quarter of an hour, when he returned to say a feords in his native tongue, and then squat down and bury his face in his hands, as if in thought

”They're just in front, Mas' Don I keep hearing of 'em,” whispered Jem ”Sometimes I hear 'eh the echoes, Jeati answered the question in silence, for, rising quickly, after being deep in thought, he silently picked sorass and moss, rolled it into a pear shape, and bound it on the end of his spear Then holding the weapon up high, he bent his body in a peculiar way, and stalked off slowly, turning and gazing here and there, and fro his spear, till, as he ht, he had all the appearance of so the mountain slope

”Moa! Moa!” he whispered, as he returned ”Jereat birds, too, Jeerly ”Can you do that?”

”Can I do it?” said Jehted that his plan was understood, and he rapidly fashi+oned rough balls to resemble birds' heads for his companions'

spears, and made them turn up their trousers above the knee, when, but for their white appearance, they both looked bird-like But this difficulty was got over by Ngati, who took it as a matter of course that they would not object, and rapidly ss, and faces with the slimy mud from the volcanic pool

”Well, of all the nasty s to stand this? He has filled my eyes with mud”

”Hush, Jem!” whispered Don

”But shall we come across any hot baths by-and-by?”