ere, let's do what they do with
horses. Just wash our mouths out, but don't let's swallow any."

As he spoke he went to the other side of the little rock pool, which was
not above a foot deep and about four across, lying close up to the foot
of one of the great rock walls which grew more frequent the higher they
ascended. Then together they dipped a hand in the soft, cool, limpid
fluid, and raised it to their lips.

"Poof!" ejaculated Ned, spluttering the water away. "Oh, what a shame!
There ought to be a notice up--Beware of the water. Why, it's like
poison, sir. Ten times worse than that horrid stuff by the falls. Oh,
come on. Only fancy for there to be water like that. Physic's nothing
to it."

Jack's disappointment was a little softened by his amusement, and they
resumed their tramp, rising higher and higher as they kept up a diagonal
course along the mountain slope; but the difficulties in the way, and
the caution requisite in passing through what they felt to be a
dangerous enemy's land, made the progress slow, and after a time they
seated themselves for a rest upon one of the many moss-grown masses of
lava rock they passed, beneath an umbrageous tree, in which a flock of
tiny finch-like birds were twittering, and once more looked around.

The prospect was not wide, for they were surrounded by trees, and it was
only by keeping close to one or other of the many lava rivers, where the
growth of the forest was scanty, that they were able to progress as they
did.

"Nothing to eat, nothing to drink," groaned Ned. "I say, Mr Jack, this
is getting serious. What's to be done?"

"Rest a bit, and then at the first opportunity, say as soon as we have
passed over that knoll there, let's begin to descend toward the shore.
I hope we shall miss the blacks then."

"And come across some one looking for us, sir, and carrying a basket.
If it was only a bit of hard ship's biscuit now, I wouldn't care."

"Hark! What's that?"

"Cockatoo, sir," whispered Ned. "I know their screech. I'll go and try
and get a shot at him."

"Better sit still and rest, and chance the flock coming near. If you
follow them they'll hear you, and lead you farther and farther away."

"Yes, I know that, sir, but I'm so hungry, and I'm afraid to begin
chewing leaves for fear of poison. Hullo! Don't move, sir. Hear that?
You're right, this is the best way and the easiest."

"What shall we do, Ned, shoot, or try to get at them with th