en a prostrate figure. It lay on the sand beyond the
edge of the lava blocks. His first feeling was one of surprise that
Bob had succeeded in penetrating so far; his next was one of horror
for fear that he might be beyond the reach of help. With frantic
haste he rushed towards him, and reaching the spot, he raised Bob
in his arms.

He was senseless!

And now, as Frank stood there, close to the perilous edge, the
treacherous smoke, which had thus far held back, rolled down once
more. To face it was impossible. Frank flung himself down, and
buried his face as before, looking up from time to time to see if
the smoke was lessening. The time seemed protracted to a fearful
length. The dense fumes which penetrated through the thick folds
of the clothes which he held over his mouth nearly suffocated him.
He began to think that he, too, was doomed.

And where were the others?

Scattered, apart from one another--and thus they had been caught
by the rolling smoke. They could do only one thing, and that was
what they had done before. Uncle Moses alone refused to yield. He
tried to toil on so as to get nearer to his boys. He had a vague
idea of getting near to Frank, so as to die by his side. But physical
pain was stronger than the determination of his soul, and at length
he involuntarily flung himself down, and covered his face.

But at last even that ordeal was passed. The smoke lifted. It rolled
away. There was air again for them to breathe. Frank roused himself
before the smoke had all passed, and lifting Bob in his arms,
carried him swiftly downward. He reached the place where Uncle
Moses was standing, gasping for breath; and the other boys who had
seen him hurried towards him, and tried to help him carry his
senseless burden. Uncle Moses also tried to take Bob in his own
arms, and prayed Frank, with tears in his eyes, to let him carry
him; but Frank refused them all, and insisted on doing it himself.
A few paces more, however, over the lava blocks, showed that Frank's
strength would not be sufficient for such a journey. He sank down
exhausted by his excessive exertions, and waited a few moments to
take breath.

While he was thus recovering his breath, Michael Angelo reached
the spot, and explained that there was another place of descent
not far off, and led the way towards it. Here they found the side
of the cone all covered with loose sand. Down this they went. At
every step they sank in up to their ankles, and the s