ablaze, while the
captain and major stood right in front of the cave, with Small and Mark
on their right and left.

"Now, be careful," said the captain; and then Billy Widgeon crept
cautiously under the mouth of the cave, and then began to climb, with
the smoke rising from the fire, till he was so high that he could hold
on with one hand and throw with the other.

"Ready!" cried the captain.

Whizz went the burning brands, so well aimed that they went right into
the cave, and an unexpected result was produced. One of these went
right in, and the other fell upon the bed of palm leaves which Mark had
occupied. This began to blaze, the other caught, and in a few minutes
the interior was full of flame and smoke, the former roaring, and the
latter eddying out and up the face of the rock.

"Not at home," said the major, as they all stood breathlessly waiting
for the outburst of the furious monster, which Mark painted mentally as
something between a lion and a bear, but elephantine in size.

"Think not?"

"No wild beast would stand that without making a run for it."

Hardly had the major spoken when there was a deafening roar, accompanied
by a rushing sound; Billy Widgeon dropped down, and rolled over, to lie
among some ferns, crouched together like a ball; Small ran to the
nearest tree, and peered round it, taking aim, while the other two men
followed Small's example. The captain, major, and Mark stood firm, but
the latter had so hard a fight with self that he would have had but
little for any furious beast that had charged. For all the time nature
kept on saying, "Run for your life!" while education whispered, "Face
the danger like a man!"

Education won, and Mark stared as he saw his father uncock his piece and
throw it over his shoulder, while the major began to laugh.

"Well, Mark, there's your wild beast," he said merrily, and he pointed
up at the mountain.

"I--I don't understand."

"Steam, boy, gas, or something of that kind. Didn't you see the smoke
and flame come out with a puff?"

"Yes, I saw that; but don't you think it is a wild beast?"

"No beast could roar like that, my lad," said the captain. "Don't you
see that this is one of the ways into the mountain, and every now and
then it blows off so much steam, or heated air. It must come from a
tremendous distance through rocky passages, and the sudden blast makes
this roar."

At that moment Billy Widgeon raised his head and looked up at them