e that everything was hidden but the mass of rock over and by
which they climbed. In addition, the exertion and busy action after the
long waiting seemed to keep them from thinking of anything but the task
on which they were engaged. So that, to Don's surprise, he found
himself on the outer side of the dangerous corner, with the gulf left
behind, and then clambering 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 time before stooping again, and uttering a low
grunt.

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 them to reach the higher
ground.

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 mud spring, whose gurgling had startled them in
coming, and for a moment Don thought that a sound which he had heard
came from the thin greyish-black mud; but it was repeated, and was
evidently the laugh of some one not far away.

Ngati pressed their arms; and signing 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 few words 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 'em one way, sometimes the other."

"That is through the echoes, Jem. How are we to manage now?"

Ngati answered the question in silence, for, rising quickly, after being
deep in thought, he silently picked some grass 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 from time to time
lowering his spear, till, as he moved about in the shadowy light, he had
all the appearance of some huge ostrich slow