tain, going
cautiously forward, parting the low growth as he went.

His progress became slower, and at the end of a minute he stopped and
stepped cautiously back.

"Not safe," he said; "my feet were sinking in. We must go farther
round."

He led the way, and they forced their way through the sickly-looking
bushes till they came all at once upon a glistening patch of
whitish-looking mud some thirty or forty yards round, and above which
the atmosphere seemed to be quivering, if it were not so much clear
steam rising in the air.

Here they found the cause of the noise, for as they approached there was
a tiny jet of steam issuing from one side near the dense growth of a
peculiar grass, and when this had been whistling for about a minute,
another jet burst out on the other side, whistling in the different key,
while in the middle of the mud-pool there was a quivering and rifting of
the surface, followed by the formation of a huge bubble, which kept on
rising up larger and larger till it was a big globe of quite two feet
high, when it suddenly burst with a peculiar sound, as if someone had
said the word _Beff_! in a low whisper.

This occurred several times before they went on, having vainly searched
the borders of the mud-pool for footmarks; and at the end of another few
hundred yards loud hissing and shrieking noises led them to another
pool, but, far from being so quiescent as that which they had left
behind, this was all in commotion. The hot shining mud was bubbling
furiously, rising in mud bladders, which were incessantly rising and
dancing all over the surface, while one in the middle, larger than the
rest, rose and burst with a loud puff.

Very little steam was visible, and though here too the edge of the pool
was examined, there was not even the footprint of a bird.

Still ascending, and with traces of the volcanic action growing more
frequent as they progressed, the mud springs were left behind, and an
opening reached so beautiful, that all stopped to rest in the shade of a
wild durian tree, whose fruit were about the size of small cricket
balls, and chancing the fall of the woody spinous husk, all sat down to
admire the beauty of the mountain rising before them, and to partake of
some of the fallen fruit.

They would not have been touched if the major had not pounced upon them,
and declared that they were a delicacy; but as soon as he opened one
with his knife, and handed it to Mark, that gentleman's no